{"id":15775,"date":"2017-03-08T09:40:13","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T17:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/?p=15775"},"modified":"2017-03-08T09:40:13","modified_gmt":"2017-03-08T17:40:13","slug":"a-tense-muscle-is-a-slow-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/2017\/03\/a-tense-muscle-is-a-slow-one\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tense Muscle is a Slow One"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A tense muscle is a slow one. This is a physiological and demonstrable fact in the martial arts. Could this be true in other aspects of our lives?<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-15598\" src=\"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/DA-Small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/DA-Small.jpg 296w, https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/DA-Small-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In karate, the power that can be generated by a punch is primarily due to speed, not muscle. It is the snap at the end of the whip. That is why petite people can learn to break boards and bricks with their hands\u2014it\u2019s not really about callouses, it\u2019s more about the ability to generate that pop at the end of the thrust.<\/p>\n<p>But a tense muscle is a slow one. So the high levels of training in the martial arts are about relaxation and balance, because that allows the flexibility and response-ability required to mobilize maximum resources at maximum speed for maximum results.<\/p>\n<p>If I were sparring with you, I\u2019d like nothing better than for you to be uptight and tense and over- or under-react to me. That\u2019s called a \u201cfake.\u201d If that happens, I can control you. Your kids know that. So does a business adversary. People will unconsciously find your weak spots and use them to cause you to inappropriately respond and \u201close.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not talking about six-beers-in-front-of-the-TV kind of relaxed. Rather, the most resourceful state of mind required when four people jump you in a dark alley, or you have to have That Serious Conversation with your son, or you have to fire someone.<\/p>\n<p>To cleanly and clearly focus, 100%, with all your conscious and unconscious resources available for the task or expression at hand\u2014that is the optimal \u201cready state.\u201d It produces your ability to deal with surprise\u2014elegantly, efficiently, and effectively. It will be your competitive edge. It is powerful.<\/p>\n<p>This essay appeared in David Allen\u2019s Productive Living Newsletter.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/eepurl.com\/UWZKr\" target=\"_blank\">Subscribe for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A tense muscle is a slow one. This is a physiological and demonstrable fact in the martial arts. Could this be true in other aspects of our lives? In karate, the power that can be generated by a punch is primarily due to speed, not muscle. It is the snap at the end of the &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/2017\/03\/a-tense-muscle-is-a-slow-one\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;A Tense Muscle is a Slow One&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,736,716,32],"tags":[91,421,646,770],"class_list":["post-15775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-david-allen","category-educational-tools","category-free-resources","category-productivity-tips","tag-david-allen-company","tag-personal-productivity","tag-productive-living-newsletter","tag-productive-living","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Tense Muscle is a Slow 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