The Twelve Directions Exist All at Once

We spend a lot of time talking about the Twelve Directions. All twelve directions exist at the same time. Do not try to memorize them. Try to understand them. We forget anything we try to memorize, but if we analyze and understand it, it will always be ours.

• The first four directions create a two-dimensional plane: front, back, left, right
• The next two directions allow us to create three-dimensions in one space: up, down

With these first six directions alone, we are still predictable because our center is fixed. If I know where your center is, I can hit you, I can move you, and I can disturb you.

So the next six directions become very important:

• Big and small: Small is compressed energy and big is expanded energy.
• Close and Far: Far away and close-in is talking about distance. It makes a big difference in a fight if one person can move five feet and the other can move ten feet.
• Rotation: Finally, our center can rotate in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. That causes us to have spiral motion.

When we add all twelve together, when we can change shape and distance and create a spiral motion, no one can predict where we are or where we will be next. That’s the Twelve Directions.

Don’t try to memorize it, analyze it. Ask why it is this way. If we analyze it then we can say “Aha, I understand”. Once we understand it, it’s ours forever. Then we can begin to apply this understanding to our practice. If we try to remember the physical movements, the breathing, the yin and yang, and still try to remember the principles all at one time, it’s too much information, and we’re going to forget things. Better that we understand and go from there.