Training Strategies & Animal Systems

I had trouble with sweeping when I first started training, it was very unnatural to me. I didn't understand the forces for a long time, or the angles, or how to use it. The focus on the forearm over the fist was strange and newer to me. Elbow, wrist, knee, were familiar at that time but the forearm was awkward and clumsy. By changing focus to dragon for a couple years and it's focus on the palm, I was better able to understand some of the underpinnings of YSB so when we were told to train lion I went back with a much better understanding, sweeping was no longer as foreign.

You mentioned natural. I have never really found sweeping to be natural to me. Though I am far more familiar with it than any other strike. But still, after all the time I've put into it, some of the other strikes I've devoted far less time to are more natural. Chopping, for example, feels far smoother to me and I think my understanding of it's use, force, and application are much better. Having invested so much time into sweeping I feel I might have better placed my efforts into something that came more naturally to me. But, then again maybe my understanding gained from sweeping had helped my understanding of other strikes. It boils down to the chicken and the egg there.

My obsession in singular attack method focus probably has a little rooting in my thoughts on refinement vs. starting over with something new. If my goal is to be able to use it, refinement should yield the best results I would think. Not that I don't like training new things, it keeps everything fresh, new, cool. It certainly helps to add depth to already obtained knowledge, and I do feel a strong draw from the greener grass in other areas at times.

Like you I'm quite interested in the weekly training concepts Beijing people are working on. Wouldn't mind hearing from study groups state side or otherwise either on current training focuses.