In spinning hands, especially recognizing flowing, we learn to remain at Neutral (no advancing, no backing off) and eventually to bring yin and yang to the point. Before this, though, we must engage. Engaging is joining. Engaging is saying yes to being contacted and to touch back as well. Without this joining we are disconnected and playing our own game. My teacher would say, "One man show."
At dinner one night after training, I was asking my teacher about this. To illustrate his point he pointed out that our table hostess was uncomfortable around me when she came to the table, although I didn't realize. I learned that she was so because I was closed off to her. I did this on purpose because I was concerned with the outcomes of engagement.
He told me that I could never disconnect. I MUST engage with everyone because that's what we do as people. We were made to interact and actually there is nothing else to do in life, but harmonize. Harmonize with people, harmonize with the conditions. I could see that, at dinner, I was making an effort to not engage. Bad for me, because I was missing out. Moreover, I realized that if I don't harmonize with the moment I am not present enough to gain its teaching.
This choosing not to engage is the same as breaking off from the point of contact in spinning hands training. Its doing your own thing, or "One man show."
After that, I tried to engage with everyone as much as I could. I attempted to put my attention everywhere and on as many people as I could. This is hard to maintain. But, at times, whether it was energetic or what, I could almost feel when I should pull back or when I could advance. Just like in spinning hands training.
In reference to I Liq Chuan, we are taught the importance of spinning hands with partners. You need to have this interaction, because everyone has a different feel and you must adapt differently to each person, and likewise to each new set of conditions. Moreover, when spinning hands, you must recognize the point of contact. I equate that physical point of contact with my new "attention at the point of contact." I hope this illustrates that our classwork is multi-dimensional and not just applicable to martial scenarios.
