People often ask me which of the three disciplines; swimming, biking, or running – is the one that I enjoy the most. It is not an easy question for me to answer, but let me try.

I love the history, tradition and tactics of bike racing but when it comes to the modalities of training and the bike riding itself, it is not top of my list.

I love the movement skill of running. There is something primal; some kind of DNA memory that makes running special. The flow sensation of running on a wild trail, dancing over the sensual template laid down by nature. A few years back this would be top of my list, but recently there is a new challenger for the title.

My love for swimming wasn’t immediate, nor was my understanding of why this romance was growing, but I think I now know the answer, quite simply, I really enjoy the fight!

There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent – Lao Tzu

It took me several years to start to understand my opponent. Enthusiastic attempts to overcome it through strength and fitness had failed. I came to the realization that I was fighting an opponent far superior in strength; 830x denser than air and when I doubled my speed, my opponent merely quadrupled its drag! I then knew that I had to become an aquatic martial artist!

In the struggle between the stone and water, in time, the water wins – Japanese Proverb

Jigoro Kano the creator of Judo stated that “it is much more impressive to beat an opponent with proper technique than with brute force” and with brute force not even an option, it was now all down to technique.

The true test of a martial artist is not in how much force he can muster, but in how much control he can exert – Ed Parker

Turning up to the pool sessions with a new mindset. A white-belt fully ready to learn the art of how to fight this monster.

You can only fight the way you practice – Miyamoto Musashi

Discipline is the fuel of achievement – Soa Palelei

Remember… you are expressing the technique, not doing the technique – Bruce Lee

As the sparring sessions continued I took inspiration from the Wing Chum Grandmaster, Ip Man who tells us – do not fight with the strength, absorb it and it flows, use it. Complementing that with Brue Lee’s advice – you coexist with your opponent and become his complement, absorbing his attack and using his force to overcome him. In my aquatic dojo I was finally learning how to tame the superior strength of my slippery foe.

A warrior understands that failure is merely a stepping stone on the path to success – The Way of the Warrior

I can say that I still end up on my ass more times than I care to admit, but the rounds when I’m on top make up for all those losses. Swimming has become deeper, more profound, as Brandon Lee said of his martial art it’s – a search for something inside. It’s not just a physical discipline.

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole body and soul can be a true master. For this reason, mastery demands all of a person. 

See you at the pool dojo!