Are we ready for the chaotic world with the skills that we have learnt in a safe and structured environment?
Thanks to the innovative scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, most of us are able to live structurally in a world of chaos.
To live structurally, we need to have structured training. Structured progression to a handstand, structured steps to recover from a knee injury and to make it less fitness-sy… a very structured (specific) role of each staff in a big company. In an automobile factory, a car can be assembled faster when workers in assembly lines are highly proficient in one specific task (“hey, you only have one job.”). The more time you save, the more cars you build, the more money you get. This is exactly why structure, or system, is so popular because you can get things done so fast. Hey, time is money right?
Then, what is there to complain about such an efficient and time-saving system?
I remember watching an interview where an actress mentioned that she is such a perfectionist that when her boyfriend was late for their dates, which threw her perfectly planned schedule off even by a few minutes, she would sit down at the roadside and burst into tears. Her obstinacy to her perfect system creates her inability to handle chaos. Just so you know, they split up after 2 years of marriage.
In the handstand arena, there is too much focus on the perfect handstand alignment – If your handstand can’t fit between two narrow walls perfectly without touching the surfaces, that is not a handstand. Alright, so you train and train and train and yes, you can now do a purrfect handstand! You are now at the beach with your cool friends, and you want to look cool too so you decide to demonstrate your perfect handstand. Damn it, the ground is sandy, it crumbles every time you dig your fingers under! The ground is not perfectly horizontal; you are leaning more weight on your right arm! You are thinking to yourself,”oh my god, this is chaotic. The environment is not perfect enough for me to perform my perfect handstand alignment”.
When you are too comfortable with a structured system, you will be unable to handle chaos.
We have no problem with systems and structure because they can help us to achieve goals faster (in a safe and structured environment). Precise cues such as “keeping your spine straight when handling load” or “pointing your toes the same direction as your knees” can be very useful for your injuries recovery but they may not be enough to tackle the chaotic reality. If you have a baby rolling off the chair beside you, you have NO time to exhale to brace your core, get you feet into position, point your toes towards the baby, engage your glutes then catch the baby. NO! you simply lunge out to catch the baby!
You need to learn how to keep your core engaged at the snap of fingers, how to keep the knees safe whichever way they are twisting and how to safely round the spine when carrying load.
You need to train for chaos in this seemingly structured society.
Force yourself to reach your destination in a straight line, and vault over or climb under the obstacles. Imagine the lift has broken down, and climb 10 storeys up. Train in an outdoor environment and carry whatever nature lies for you instead of your usual metal man-made tools.
Jay finds it enjoyable to pick any rock that catches his eyes and attempt to carry it over a distance, instead of counting repetitions. The odd shape makes everything way harder. With each step, he fiddles with the weight distribution, working on everything from the grip to the core to the stabilising muscles. Then just when he thought he had it figured out, the next rock to carry is another puzzle to be tackled. This keeps his mind present and alert. It develops immense strength and unparallel adaptability.
We have seen some people who are so fixated in their structured system and “precise movement cues” that they are unable to run in their “converse”, do pull ups with grips, practice handstands on the sand etc. Seeing people who are unable to bring their spectacular training from the gym into the real chaotic world saddens us. We train to navigate the world with more zest and valor. But more and more people seems to be bringing their world into the gym – only able to lift in the gym, but as good as incapacitated once out of the gym. It is time to welcome a good dosage of chaos in your life to have a stronger structure.
