Focus on Connecting Until Success

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The cat and mouse metaphor is an excellent model that captures the feeling of waiting, of moving, and of hitting. The specific qualities of the cat and mouse predicament offer great visual pictures, simple training models, and challenging drills.

My cat Alex was playful, harmless, and rarely killed the little animals she captured. Once on the scent of a mouse, Alex would chase like mad until finally cornering the animal. Now the fun (for Alex) really began. Facing the cornered and (now) hapless mouse, Alex would crouch, perfectly ready to pounce, and then just wait silently for the mouse to move. The mouse, with no escape routes, would eventually move and Alex would bat it back into the corner, to replay this game again and again and again. Always Alex would wait, as would the mouse, when finally the mouse could wait no longer, Alex would pounce to block the mouse’s escape. Never did Alex move first, never was Alex slow to move, and never was Alex off balance. A great game as far as Alex was concerned. As a player, I have been on both sides of this game. Years before I came to understand cat and mouse, I can remember matches where I was totally frustrated, feeling cornered, having no options, and always wondering why.

Now I realize, my opponent had controlled me, maneuvered me into a corner, and then waited for my move (shot) to which he quickly and easily responded. These days I much prefer being the cat.
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