I struggle to meditate consistently, despite how much it benefits my stress management. Given the choice between meditating or a nap, between breathing practice or finishing a work task, I rarely devote that moment to meditation. When I studied Taekwondo as a youth and Wing Chun as an adult, I struggled to choose practicing my forms over extra conditioning in a similar way, despite how deep work on forms built my balance, breath control, and confidence.

As I revisited Kettlebell Simple & Sinister last winter, this quote from Anko Itosu grabbed me more strongly than before: “If you train with the same intensity and spirit as though you are striking and blocking against an actual opponent, you will naturally develop the same attitude as on a battlefield.”

It relates to our spirit while practicing the art. If I should approach my kata just as I should approach battle, then the attention and precision of forms shouldn’t be different from sparring or conditioning.