Editorials

You cannot do what you want

while you don't know what you are doing.

Moshé Feldenkrais

We always find ourselves in the same situations with the same types of people, are always confronted by the same problems and always have the same negative experiences. How can we free ourselves from all this?

Jisheng-Tze trained fighting cocks for the king. After ten days the king asked him whether his cock was ready to fight yet. "Not yet", he answered, "the cock is still full of aggression and pride." After another ten days the king asked again, and Jisheng-Tze answered: "Not yet. He is still sensitive to shadows and noises." ...

But in fact these are merely showy superficialities (though admittedly interesting and helpful), e.g. the position of the thumb during Fook-Sao.

However, I know that many disasters that end with murder and homicide develop in this way. As a result of consecutive irritations and difficulties, a poor diet and music that stimulates aggression the person concerned is already in a state of pre-tension, and quickly becomes more and more angry. The fact that R. nonetheless saw the light is worthy of the highest praise. He brought himself down to earth by taking stock and seeing himself through the eyes of an external observer. It was as if somebody had suddenly opened the curtains, allowing the sunshine to awaken a sleeper and end his nightmare at a stroke. R. was certainly a winner, as was the taxi-driver whose life and limb he may have saved.