Kite Surfing

Today I took an hour intro to kite surfing with my wife, Beth. Unfortunately, the intro did not involve any surfing, rather it focused on the kiting. These kites are huge, many six to seven meters long, but the practice kites are only 1.5 meters long. Even the small practice kite is good for teaching us the principles used control the kite, and the practice kite can still pull quite a bit of force. It is not quite enough to pull you down off your feet, but it can definitely destabilize you and require you some effort to stay on your feet.

My kite surfing instructor told me the same command that I frequently here in Brazilian jiu-jitsu: Relax! Controlling a kite can involve heavy, sudden forces if they are performed correctly, but most of the time controlling a kite really depends on finesse, or more fine movements. I see the same principle in BJJ: Technique rules! Yes, sometimes we can force something, or "muscle" through a position, but the same movement will be more effective (and less exhausting) if we use the correct technique and apply the forces correctly. I look forward to a few more days of kite surfing, and I will take this advice to heart while I am here, but I also hope to carry this lesson with me back to Ohio: Relax, relax, relax!