View Single Post
Old 08-16-2006, 03:59 AM   #21
davidafindlay
Dojo: Shodokan
Location: London, UK
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 52
Offline
Re: Training the Body for Martial Movement

Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Relaxed tension, as long as its not easy, sounds good.
No, its definitely not easy! What is easy is to find myself thinking about something else - maybe one part of my body, or maybe who was the saddist who dreamed up these exercises - and then return my awareness to find I've let something in the structure slip. The exercises "sound" easy, but doing them with awareness is another matter. There's a lot to pay attention to!

Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Yin/yang relationships are a result.
Hey cool.
Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Just tried it...damn that's mad hard!
Ha! Back at 'cha! Ha! Take that!
Quote:
Robert John wrote:
At least I don't come undone. I know exactly what that's challenging I think. Not to mention I think I've seen Ark do that in class from time to time when he's messing around. Basically tests how well you can "stand" from side to side. If you lean on the wall in any manner when your balance shifts to the leg closest to the wall then you wont be able to raise the other leg. Its a good barometer and exercise.
Yeah, I recalled it when reading about your leg-raising exercise and trying to figure out how far apart I should have my feet with respect to the left/right axes and what constitutes a wobble. When I try it, I find that I just can't raise that outside foot. I try and try, but I know that if it comes off the floor I'm going to topple. In some ways its like having the foot stuck to the floor, but the only thing sticking it there is my desire not to fall...

Quote:
Robert John wrote:
You asshat engineers.
Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Ur tHiNKing 2 muCH <snip> Btw, I used to think like you do, wonder about the "why".
That's cool

Funnily enough when I "teach" (loose term) , I'm often loath to answer some questions about some detail because I would prefer the asker to, say, concentrate on having good posture and position during waza 'cos that's the thing I'm trying to correct, rather than worrying about the angle of their hand or something. Saying that, I know when I started aikido, I asked _heaps_ of questions - I sometimes wonder how my instructor didn't just whack me one, actually.

So, don't worry, I get your point. I did actually cull a few additional questions from my original list the other day, you know. (0_0)

Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Just be sure you separate between what you "need" to know now, and what you can afford to figure out "later".
Now that _is_ good advice on this issue. It puts the onus back on the student to work out what they're learning, makes them observe more what the instructor is doing, and maybe be more active in the process of digesting information.

Quote:
Robert John wrote:
Play with the connections and see where it leads you
... I bet it leads me back to the WALL :/

Cheers,
Dave Findlay

Last edited by davidafindlay : 08-16-2006 at 04:03 AM.
  Reply With Quote