Water Theory...

One of my favourite pictures is The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

It's part of a set of 36 pictures that Hokusai created as woodcuts depicting different views of Mount Fuji. But Fuji isn't really the central component of many of these pictures. It's often in the background or to one of the sides and the focus of the pictures tends to be events unfolding a long way away from the mountain, like the fishermen battling the power of the wave in the Great Wave or the tea house at Koishikawa the morning after a snowfall.

The Great Wave, however, remains my favourite out of this set as it's not only utterly beautiful but the image of water as a potent force inexorably driving forward is something I find utterly compelling. I love the idea that all waves start as small and often insignificant things but grow and gather force the further they travel along a certain path.

One of the key philosophies in hapkido is Yew or water theory. It basically states that water is usually considered something soft but water always find a way around or through even the hardest rock by constantly driving against it and finding a weak point then wearing it down. Water can also be something that is both incredibly powerful or incredibly soothing and it can also be totally formless and adapt to its circumstances.

The Great Wave is a constant reminder of these things and whenever I get near grading the Great Wave always appears as a screen saver on my machine at work and at home. I'm grading on Sunday and well ready as my head is pretty much where it needs to be.

Knob gags will be back next week...