“I think the reason dance has held such an ageless magic for the world is that it has been the symbol of the performance of living. Many times I hear the phrase "the dance of life." It is close to me for a very simple and understandable reason. The instrument through which the dance speaks is also the instrument through which life is lived: the human body. It is the instrument by which all the primaries of experience are made manifest. It holds in its memory all matters of life and death and love.” - Martha Graham
Happy new year!
Well it’s been a wild past...6 weeks or so. Of course, as a musician December gets nuts. And then soon after the new year I took a trip out to LA to see my long time friend Lucas and to also get the ball rolling on a new project that I will be embarking upon. More on that later. Then most recently I had a fun string of gigs with a Latin music band that I play with called VIP Band and also with the artist Oscar Arriaga, a wonderful singer and former singer for Los Adolescentes. The body and mind take a toll as a result of the late nights, the drinking, the eating, irregular sleep schedule, stress...etc
So, as you can imagine throwing can get hard especially if your neurological system is taxed. I’ve had a string of rather frustrating practices lately and it was quite discouraging for sure. It’s my goal this year to set a personal record and to throw beyond 60 meters. I threw a few beyond 60 meters in practice last season and now my work is to help give myself a good shot to pull it out in a competition. It’s been hard to keep believing in it when you’ve had a string of bad practices but today I was able to kind of snap out of it. And no, I didn’t throw much further than I have lately...
BUT, I threw just about as far with nearly HALF the effort.
As a thrower, when things aren’t going right, we tend to fill our minds with all kinds of ideas of how to come out of our funk. This can be a good thing but often it isn’t. We get in to danger by over programming ourselves. Give ourselves too much damn instruction. As a result we tighten up. Get more frustrated. And if we do find some success amidst the mental shit storm, it arrives in a very low yield and contrived effort.
I heard thrower Mason Finley say in an interview, “the discus is a dance”.
Maybe he was quoting his coach or another great thrower but I was lucky to recall that idea today during my warm up for today’s practice. Indeed, the throw feels the best-and in the end more powerful-when the throw is like a dance. When you dance, you’re graceful, you’re inspired, and you’re expressive. Energy flows through the body efficiently when we're doing these things. And efficiency tends to equate to power in most cases. Think about the acrobatic moves of ballet dancers who can reach great heights or spin at rapid rates...it’s not a result of forcing that’s for sure. it’s a result of inspiration. A desired result. Sure, they develop strength to enhance the movement but in the moment they have to focus on the inspiration and let their bodies react.
In the throws, there is so much shit to think about if you really let yourself. And in the end, you won’t be wrong. However, pursuing these things without grace and fluidity leads to movements that are inefficient. They lack fluidity. And in the end, they become deprived of power. So I’ll go back to what I’ve said before in other entries. Rhythm and athleticism are the most important part of the throw and should be priority in any practice or competition situation. Never compromise them. Even if it leads to “imperfections” in your throw nothing is stronger than the power of grace and efficiency.
I left today’s practice with the same feeling of euphoria that I did when I first came back to the sport about a year ago. I felt extremely liberated. The disc flew with beauty. It reflected the way I threw it. It spun in the air relentlessly. It floated and dropped in an oddly delicate way. I was getting good distances while almost not feeling the disc in my hand at all. I felt that I was putting myself back in a place to grow. To explore. To keep loving the sport. And my body felt great. It didn’t feel tired. It didn’t feel beat up like it has been lately. It’s almost as if it was thanking me for letting it do it’s job. Trusting. Loving. and being patient.
On another note, while in LA, I was able to sit down and record a conversation with my good friend and film maker Lucas Mireles which will ultimately be the beginning of my new podcast! Basically I will be aiming to have guests on every episode and pretty much shoot the shit. It will be a great opportunity for listeners and myself to get a window in the lives of the people that I have on and I hope to give some interesting content to listen to. I’ve got a list of all kinds of people I would like to have on. People that I find interesting and people that show an interest in the world as well. Musicians, athletes, teachers, coaches, random people at the bars that I frequent! Mostly local....maybe some national! Be on the look out!
Till next time,
James
