Keep on Dancing

"Move with the rhythm of any situation and adapt spontaneously". Movement, rhythm, and the ability to adapt; the essence of impact distilled into this concise phrase from Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings.

I got some great advice once from a truly talented martial artist, a world-class European Shihan. He watched me spar for a while, then came over, stopping us to say "don't stay waiting to hit him, you have to keep on moving, constantly flowing to hit, then just continue the movement to strike when there's an opportunity. You don't have to think when to go - it will just happen". This simple advice vastly improved my ability to fight and win, realizing that even if the movement is imperceptible, continual motion allows natural speed and flow, adapting spontaneously to the situation.

It's good advice off the mat too, creating an impact by:

• Keeping light on your feet: staying happy and aware, waiting for the moment
• Continual movement: learning, trying different things, different ways of solving a problem, finding new perspectives
• Generating an awareness of the rhythm of situations: how to influence, control and adapt to this rhythm
• Relaxation to seize opportunity without effort

The great Muhammad Ali demonstrates this perfectly in this short clip of his 1966 fight against Cleveland Williams: