modernknight (modernknight) wrote in the_colony, @ 2011-03-14 21:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 34, gregory blair, john james searle, | greg and searle |
Week 34: Wednesday
Characters: Gregory Blair and John James Searle
Location: The farm
Summary: Greg and Searle practice martial arts and talk about the spirit as well as the body.
Rating G
Greg watched as Searle went through the movements of the form they’d been working on with a critical eye. As was his practice, he had the younger man go through in slow motion as if he were practicing for meditation rather than as a martial art. It made it easier to spot the flaws in a student’s technique while going slow, then move to full speed once he was satisfied that they’d figured it out.
The chevalier frowned from behind the younger man, and nudged his left foot slightly outwards. “You need to plant your feet like this, otherwise you’re off balance and more easily knocked off them.”
In the end, Searle knew Greg’s slow and steady teaching technique was better than rushing through as many forms as he could possibly learn in one lesson, but moving in slow motion wasn’t only difficult, it got a little boring after a while. Searle had been in enough real life struggles to know he didn’t want a battle to the death so he could show off his moves, but he did want to spar.
“It would be easier if I did these moves at full speed,” Searle said, even as he looked down at his foot and moved it carefully in the direction Greg had indicated. “I feel like I’m always off-balance doing it so slowly.”
“You will move to full speed when the time is right.” Greg replied, unruffled. “You have to learn to crawl before you can run. Think of it as a patience building exercise as well as a martial arts lesson. In a fight you need to be patient and not simply rush in without taking time to study your opponent to try and find their weaknesses. That isn’t to say do nothing,” the chevalier added after a moment’s thought, moving into the next form. “You defend yourself and others, but never be so hasty that you misread your opponent. The more experienced you become the shorter time you will need.”
Searle let Greg speak, but he couldn’t help but doubt he’d be thinking about much if he was facing off an opponent for real. Fighting Jared felt like eons ago now, but he remembered as clear as day how little he’d been thinking when he knocked the other boy to the ground - when he’d punched him and hauled him back to Alice’s room. Maybe his lack of training had been at fault, though. If he’d been patient, maybe things would have turned out differently.
“I hope you’re right,” Searle said, holding back a sigh as he followed Greg into the next form as accurately as he could manage.
Greg cracked a smile at the younger man. “Be patient with me a little while longer, Searle. You’ll get to spar soon. Keep learning at the rate you’re going and you will have no problems catching up with Abigail and Nathan.”
“Have you been teaching them since before you guys got here?” Searle asked, wondering when that had been, exactly. Everything blurred together without constantly looking at a calendar. Searle had a feeling he’d even forget his birthday and Christmas with time.
“I met them about a month before we made it here, I think, so it’s been a good four or five.” Greg closed his eyes and concentrated on the movements, feeling his Qi move through him. “Some students of the martial arts can spend a lifetime in training, focusing on nothing but achieving harmony of the body and spirit. I haven’t had the time the past few years to spend on the metaphysics as I would have liked, and that’s been especially true the past year.”
The past year had been something else, and unrelated to martial arts Searle could say the same for himself. It had been difficult to focus on his spirit especially, even as of late when they were established and peaceful on the farm. “You can pick up where you left off now,” Searle suggested, keeping an eye on Greg as he followed through with the stances. “I’d like to do the same thing, but it’s hard.... I believe in different things now than I used to, and I’m not sure how that affects my spirit.”
“That is something only you can answer for yourself.” Greg responded, opening his eyes. “But meditation is a good way to look for those answers.”
“I don’t know how,” Searle said, unsure if he believed in meditation or not. “That whole ‘sit there and clear your mind’ thing doesn’t work for me. We tried it in Psychology class one time.” He went quiet for a moment, mentally clearing the cobwebs from that memory. There had been so many people then. “We sat there for the whole period, but I just fell asleep.”
“It’s something you have to want to do, Searle.” The chevalier looked over at the younger man, amused. “Just doing it for an assignment isn’t going to get you anywhere. Not every form of meditation involves just sitting there doing nothing, though.”
“Do you know them?” Searle kept moving, but distractedly. “I wonder if anyone else does … or you’re the only one in the world who knows this stuff.”
“I’d be shocked if I was the only one left in the world,” Greg responded with a laugh and a shake of his head. “The only one in this part of the world? Quite possibly.” He observed Searle’s form and reached over to make a slight adjustment. “But meditation is more than simply sitting somewhere trying to think of nothing, in fact that’s not something that works very well for everyone.” Especially someone as young as Searle who hadn’t had the training and experience in self discipline as someone older might.
“Praying hasn’t been going so good for me.” Greg’s correction in Searle’s stance got him back on track, and he began to go through with more confidence. “I need another way to work on spiritual stuff.” The look on his face implied he wasn’t so sure he’d found a solution in meditation, however.
Greg nodded at him, satisfied in both the younger man’s movements and his words. “Only you can know what is right for you in that department, Searle. You’ll just have to figure it out as you go.”
“Yeah,” Searle sighed, as if he’d expected Greg to give him some great solution but had fallen short. “I guess so.”
Greg frowned slightly. “I shall be happy to help if I can, but to sound a bit like a bad kung fu movie: only you can walk the path.” The tone and rhythm of his voice changed somewhat for the last part, imitating the part of a kung fu master in one of the said movies.
That got Searle laughing, and he broke out of his stance to press his hands together and turn to Greg for a exaggerated bow. “Yes, Sifu Greg.” He was still smiling as he straightened up again. “Maybe you have the right idea. If I think about my life like a kung fu movie it won’t be boring, no matter what else happens.”</tag>