Orbit, Flow, Silence

When I would first enter a room full of people I never gave it a thought.

I didn’t notice the room, or the people, perhaps I looked for a familiar face and the conversation started from there.

I needed to occupy the center of the room and command its orbit.

After entering the dojo when I entered a room full of people I made a note of who was in the room and sized them up.

Who might be a problem and how to navigate that problem.

Where the exits were located and how the flow of people might move in various situations.

Now not the center of the room, but still a fixed point.

There was an awareness.

As I progressed through the dojo entering the bumon, (the martial gate) entering a room changed to presence.

Who could hold attention and awareness, and who was leaking it.

Who wanted to say something yet remained silent, and who was saying something and should have remained silent.

The orbit was now occupied by others and my place was what flowed naturally and where the situation decided to place me.

And now when I enter a room?

Who in the room can meet me in silence.