View Single Post
Old 01-28-2011, 01:33 PM   #200
Mark Freeman
Dojo: Dartington
Location: Devon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,220
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: Why do you perceive "internal" superior to athleticism?

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
Yes. What is the physical difference between the type of physical conditioning you are offering, and what someone could get from the average sports coach?
Hi Chris,

I am not for a moment presuming to answer for Dan, I'm sure he can do that. For me, athletic physical conditioning, builds muscles in a particular way, using weights and repetitive exercise to strengthen and to increase stamina etc. Now in the case of the shoulder muscles, I have found that they are the main blockers to being able to put the hara in the hands. If I can completely relax the shoulders I can connect my hands to my centre and the floor. This is just one small way to differentiate between 'normal' athletic conditioning and 'internal' conditioning. In this case the more one develop shoulder muscles, the harder it is to not use them.

Also, quite a while ago, I had a professional rower on a corporate training course I was leading. As you would expect he had a very well developed upper body. He was asking me about aikido in one of the breaks, asking me to show him something. I decided to satisfiy his curosity in the gentlest way possible. I took his right wrist and very very lightly lead his hand up to my left shoulder turning his hand over at the same time. I must stress that I was being super cautious, treating him as I would a beginner on their first night. Anyway, I was hardly halfway through the move when he was starting to grimmace, I let go immediately, and was concerned when he went away clutching his arm, which he spent the rest of the day nursing. I felt mortified that I had caused him that level of discomfort. But, what I did learn from it was, his strength was all built in one way for one sort of release of power. He had virtually no rotational flexibility in his arm (just not neccessary for rowing). Also if I had been using normal physical strength, he would have had something familiar to cope with, but my caution and being gentle actually made it worse.

Nothing wrong with athleticism, nothing wrong with internal conditioning, they are both different though.

just my couple of pennies worth to add to this little debate.

regards,

Mark

Success is having what you want. Happiness is wanting what you have.
  Reply With Quote