Chapter Three
Reflexes
Sharpening your Speed
Another aspect of harnessing Ki that's perhaps most known is the way it effects the swiftness of the Monk. You've likely heard the tales of men who run at unnatural speeds and catch arrows right out of the air- this is not myth or falsities, for a Monk this is more than possible. Primarily this will be achieved through meditation and focus on the Ki- however, there are mundane ways to sharpen your reflexes and improve your ability at this. Relying solely on the Ki, while possible, will leave you at a disadvantage in combat. For peaceful monks, these physical exercises are unnecessary. But for those who plan to engage in combat, I highly recommend them.
Rock Catching. As simple as it sounds, one must gather a handful of rocks, preferably cherry sized to start with. The exercise is very simple- stand in place, throw the rocks above your head with some force, then move to catch them all with the same hand. Doing this enough, eventually you'll be able to catch most if not all of them with a single hand. In later stages of training, if you wish to keep performing this exercise, use smaller pebbles instead.
Monkey Running. Significantly more difficult than the previous exercise- one that also requires a suitably dense forest. You may not be able to perform this exercise well until further in your monk training, I have had difficulty with this one myself so far. Climb a tall tree, stand upon one of its thicker branches. To perform the exercise, you need to jump to the next tree and continue onwards. Using the base of the branches and the trunk as points to land and jump from, you can go from tree to tree. At first, it will be slow. You will be pausing to keep your balance, likely gripping the tree for support. This is fine. In the later stages of your Monk training, you'll be able to leap from tree to tree without pause. This is excellent training for your reflexes, helping you make actions on the spot without overthinking themStage Three: Ki Agility
For Monks that engage in combat, speed is of incredible importance. But every monk, even peaceful ones, tend to hone their speed and agility by harnessing the Ki. As doing so will strengthen one's ki and make excellent practice in harnessing it more naturally. As the bond between yourself and your energy is paramount to the the stages of Enlightenment, I recommend this for all Monks.
To achieve Stage Three, you must focus channel your ki into your own body. You will have to do this consciously, at first. Clear your mind of all thoughts and go for a run. As you run, focus your ki into your legs and visualize your speed increasing. It's difficult to describe with words, but you must realize your own swiftness increasing as you perform this exercise. The ki will help you move, fight, and react faster in time.
Simple as this exercise is, it requires repetition. You will know you have achieved Stage Three when you notice a natural change to your running speed. You will begin moving faster than before, if only slightly- your reflexes will be sharper, quicker. You may be able to pluck an arrow from the air, however, I don't recommend exposing yourself to such a situation. Attempt this only when necessary, it may be wiser to use your enhanced reflexes to evade rather than deflect until you are more confident in your agility.