Hello Shoulders - Again

I first became aware of my shoulders in a good way as a green belt. It was while I was practicing seven knife hands at home and trying to involve my other hand that I finally discovered my shoulders. With that discovery I let go of some of my stiffness and was able to incorporate the other hand. I become more fluid. 

Broadsword has been giving me trouble and so I have added articulations into my daily reps.  I am progressing slowly and the strikes are starting to feel better with help from different instructors. I'm not quite where I need or want to be so the articulations continue to be part of my routine.  As I was practicing one day I happened to see my shoulder out of the corner of my eye. It was definitely a hello shoulder moment. This awareness helped me to realize that the shoulder was an integral part of how effectively I was moving and within a short time I started to feel like I was actually wielding a sword. I could feel intention behind the strike and started to feel more in control and at one with the weapon. I remember thinking ohh so this is what it should feel like! There is so much more to improve upon and learn but at least I feel I'm making steps in the right direction. The broadsword has been challenging for me, but I can already tell it will also be rewarding.

My hand form happens to have a variation of 7 knife hands and as I was focusing on the sequence one day my shoulders said hello. It's hard to say what exactly happened first. Did my shoulders make themselves known first,  or was I aware of the need for a bit more shoulder? I feel like it was a hello shoulder moment. Oh, there you are shoulder, yes I need to add a bit more of you into the equation. 

I know hips and shoulders are connected, but does one come slightly before the other? That is a question I don't feel qualified to answer right now. I do know that if I focus on my shoulders the hips will align and if my focus is on my hips the shoulders will hopefully do their job. The tricky part is to not raise the shoulders and instead recognize and utilize the shoulders within the 6 harmonies as nature intended. 

I feel there are times when I am over engaging my shoulders so I will need to be mindful of that. History has shown me that the more I train, the more I develop my awareness and the more I learn.