Connective practice before you train

[dvcochran]

For example:

"You, mate, are an absolute *"

"That's a real *ish attitude you've got there, mate"


Just to add to the fun, the inflection applied to the word 'mate' can change it's meaning from one of jovial familiarity to one of utter disdain.

And even more fun:

"How're you doing, you old *"

Can also be a friendly greeting.


The English language can be so entertaining.

Bingo. Funny how certain things can be so similar no matter what part of the world you are in.

 

[skribs]

Maybe I have the wrong word; Google (and every southern reference I can think of) says it means a woman's genitals. That is what I was thought you were implying.

The word you're discussing usually is used towards women. Unless you're Australian or Irish, in which case it's used for men, women, and whatever animal or object is in your line of sight.

 

[pdg]

Maybe I have the wrong word; Google (and every southern reference I can think of) says it means a woman's genitals. That is what I was thought you were implying.

You got the correct word then, but the wrong (although original) meaning...

Once upon a time, it was simply a descriptive word much like the modern 'genetalia' or 'teapot' or 'door' - but the puritanical disgust of anything relating to reproductive function moved it away from common usage and more toward taboo, until today where it's one of the most disliked words in existence.

It's a strange world we live in where a traffic jam can be described as 'torture' (arguably one of the worst things it's possible for one human to do to another) and other terms related to pain and suffering are bandied about like it's nothing yet words describing the very act that allows the human race (and every other member of the animal kingdom) to propagate or the body parts used in such acts are socially unacceptable and classed as swearing (/cursing)...

The word you're discussing usually is used towards women. Unless you're Australian or Irish, in which case it's used for men, women, and whatever animal or object is in your line of sight.

It's very rarely used toward women, unless they're particularly deserving of the term.

From what I gather, the US usage is somewhat akin (albeit even less pleasant) to the British terms 'slapper' or 'bike'.

I believe, sometime in history, it was used in much the same manner here - if that's correct it likely explains it's modern US colloquial meaning.

Urban dictionary has a few valid entries, but only visit if your mind is a bit open

 

[JowGaWolf]

Hey guys, just curious as to whether anyone here starts of their own personal MA training with a particular exercise to help their body be or feel more fluid, relaxed, and connected (in terms of upper and lower body moving as one unit)?

Whether it's a specific kata, breathing exercise, mobility exercise, or just integrative movement sequence that helps them better feel a connection and less tension within their body, I'm curious

I used to start all my session with kata Tensho done very slowly and with deep breathing, moreso to help relax my body and help to get grounded and feel rooted in my stance, but I'm wanting to try experimenting with other sequences that help loosen excessive tension so I can move more naturally and fluidly in the session to follow. Obviously it won't fix everything, but it feels it would be a nice intention and starting point of practice.

I guess it's within training that the disconnect is worked on for sure, but curious if any have a specific grounding connective practice they do. Thanks

I pretty much do 2 things. Tai Chi and relaxed warm up exercises. So I'll skip the tai chi and just cover the exercises. When I do my warm up exercises, I try to focus on being relaxed. So if I run I want to be relaxed, when I do my foot work, I want to be relaxed. I don't want to relax everything because for safety reasons I need to have structure with these exercises, but for any body part that isn't supporting structure, then I relax that. I also practice relaxing when stretching.

 

[dvcochran]

You got the correct word then, but the wrong (although original) meaning...

Once upon a time, it was simply a descriptive word much like the modern 'genetalia' or 'teapot' or 'door' - but the puritanical disgust of anything relating to reproductive function moved it away from common usage and more toward taboo, until today where it's one of the most disliked words in existence.

It's a strange world we live in where a traffic jam can be described as 'torture' (arguably one of the worst things it's possible for one human to do to another) and other terms related to pain and suffering are bandied about like it's nothing yet words describing the very act that allows the human race (and every other member of the animal kingdom) to propagate or the body parts used in such acts are socially unacceptable and classed as swearing (/cursing)...



It's very rarely used toward women, unless they're particularly deserving of the term.

From what I gather, the US usage is somewhat akin (albeit even less pleasant) to the British terms 'slapper' or 'bike'.

I believe, sometime in history, it was used in much the same manner here - if that's correct it likely explains it's modern US colloquial meaning.

The Urban dictionarys a few valid entries, but only visit if your mind is a bit open

1 & 2 in the Urban dictionary are spot on for how it is often used here.
Gladly, you do not hear it very often in the circles I run with now a days. Back in the day....

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Hey guys, just curious as to whether anyone here starts of their own personal MA training with a particular exercise to help their body be or feel more fluid, relaxed, and connected (in terms of upper and lower body moving as one unit)?

I like to train my basic when I run (or walk). The following clip can be a good example that combine basic training and running together.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I like to train my basic when I run (or walk). The following clip can be a good example that combine basic training and running together.

Now I don't feel so bad about how some of my exercises look.

 

[JP3]

In my practice nowadays, we start out with this thing we call "The Walk," (formal name is tagetana-no-kata). Simple, repetitive and slightly changing as you move naturally throught he 11 sets of 8 movements, total of 88. We do that by ourselves or as a group to start. We use "big, flowery motions," (not my pharse, I'm quoting from the old-timers). You get a big wide range of motion stretch on the shoulders and back, like that. Breathing practice is built-in, as we breath out as we leave the center of the pattern, and breathe back in as we return tot he center, based ont he body-drop/body-rise stepping actions. The dernt hing is very complex and very compressed, but easy to do on its face, and teach to people.

Next, we go right to slaps, then falls, and rolls, ukemi practice which ends up being a great flexibility regimen for the upper and lower back. Then, some light stretching and flexibility work on the lower body, and we're good to go.

That's when practice or real class truly begins.

 

[drop bear]

Sorry that I have just taken down my video.

In another forum, I askes someone if he could share some of his information. His respond was, "Why should I give you the information I have worked so hard to get …" His comment made me to feel like a fool.

The practical answer is that the only way to be any good is to engage with other people who are good.

So you give away the information to increase your own development.

Iron sharpens iron.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Sorry that I have just taken down my video.

In another forum, I askes someone if he could share some of his information. His respond was, "Why should I give you the information I have worked so hard to get …" His comment made me to feel like a fool.

In a casual situation (like a forum), I'll share anything and everything I know (MA or otherwise). If you want me to actually teach it, at some point I'll want compensation for my time, but not for the information I got largely from others willing to share.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Now I don't feel so bad about how some of my exercises look.

Do you expect a solo drill should look pretty?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In a casual situation (like a forum), I'll share anything and everything I know (MA or otherwise).

The discussion happened as the following:

A: X is better than Y.
B: I don't believe X is better than Y. Can you proof it?
A: Why should I give you the information I have worked so hard to get when you don't even respect (my X) or believe in what I do (my X)?

 

[JowGaWolf]

Do you expect a solo drill should look pretty?

lol.. I don't. But I know that there's a lot of people who think that if it doesn't look like fighting then it's crap. If your training exercises look like crazy like that guy then it's crap. I like to add a lot of mechanics training and conditioning with my exercises. If I can train 2 things at once then I'm all for it. But unfortunately that line of thought is in the minority when it comes to the general public and what they see as quality training.

 

[JowGaWolf]

The discussion happened as the following:

A: X is better than Y.
B: I don't believe X is better than Y. Can you proof it?
A: Why should I give you the information I have worked so hard to get when you don't even respect (my X) or believe in what I do (my X)?

This is me all day. If I have to prove everything, then I just rather not teach. There was a time that some of my fellow classmates thought my training exercises were a waste of time. They never asked me to prove it, but it took a year for them to really buy into the idea that the exercises work. They had an open mind. Did the exercises and then the Proof wasn't me showing them. Proof was them seeing the benefits themselves. Had they asked me to prove it, I would have simply told them. The only proof that they can see is that I'm getting better at a faster rate, but that has nothing to do with them, because we don't do the same training.

I think it should always be.

A. X is better than Y
B. I think I will try X to see if I get similar results.

No one looks at a muscle building program and thinks
B. I don't believe X is better than Y. Can you prove it.?

People either believe and they try. Or may be they try out of curiosity. I'm not sure why martial arts is like that. Like I said. Even if the person proves it, it only proves that the person can do it and gets results from doing X instead of Y.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

there's a lot of people who think that if it doesn't look like fighting then it's crap.

upper and lower body moving as one unit ...

Actually this solo drill can map into application directly without any modification.

- His both hands garbs on his opponent's wrists.
- He uses "cover step" to step his right foot in front of his left foot (his right foot landing coordinate with his right hand dropping).
- His right palm lifts under his opponent's left upper arm (his right arm raising coordinate with his left foot sweep).
- His left foot sweeps his opponent's right leg.

His right hand coordinates with his right foot. His right hand then coordinate with his left foot. You can see that when his hand starts to move, his foot starts to move. When his hand stops, his foot stops at the same time.

His upper and lower body moving as one unit. This may take over 10,000 solo drill repetition to be able to achieve this. This is the kind of drill that I like to do when I walk (or run).

 

[_Simon_]

I have a few I use, though none with real regularity. I sometimes run the kata (there are 5, all can be done in a few minutes) - sometimes more than once. There are also some movement exercises I've only seen in Aikido (I call them irimi and irimi tenkan - not sure if that's the same terminology used in Aikido), altered to fit the flow and connection I teach. Less often now (though it used to be my primary approach), I just "shadow box" through techniques at random - some striking, mostly grappling) to feel for that connection and flow.

I often use these as the first part of a warm up, both for the practice of them and because it lets me feel where my body is that day. Is my shoulder being a jerk? Do I need to be wary of my knee?

Awesome, thanks Gerry, I looked into the irimi and tenkan exercises, really like them! They seem really simple and encourage smooth, flowing relaxed movement, connection and balance. Will definitely try those

 

[_Simon_]

For example:

"You, mate, are an absolute *"

"That's a real *ish attitude you've got there, mate"


Just to add to the fun, the inflection applied to the word 'mate' can change it's meaning from one of jovial familiarity to one of utter disdain.

And even more fun:

"How're you doing, you old *"

Can also be a friendly greeting.


The English language can be so entertaining.

Haha.. yep here in Aus it's generally seen as possibly of the most disrespectful, derogatory terms you can call someone. YET... you'll have some people call their mates that in a casual friendly way, frequently. Bizarre XD

 

[_Simon_]

I pretty much do 2 things. Tai Chi and relaxed warm up exercises. So I'll skip the tai chi and just cover the exercises. When I do my warm up exercises, I try to focus on being relaxed. So if I run I want to be relaxed, when I do my foot work, I want to be relaxed. I don't want to relax everything because for safety reasons I need to have structure with these exercises, but for any body part that isn't supporting structure, then I relax that. I also practice relaxing when stretching.

Ah that's super helpful, thanks JowGaWolf .

Yeah I've found there are some people who need to learn more tension, and some who have too much and need to relax. I am of the latter .

I desperately have been trying to approach all my training in a different way, and like you said only engaging what needs to be engaged for structure, technique and power etc, and relax everything that doesn't need to be used (of course some will still be engaged to a degree, if only to simply keep me standing up!)

AND learn how to 'switch off' whatever needed to be engaged AFTER they've been used.

And it feels as if I start my training sending a 'message' or input to the body and CNS to relax more, it'll benefit the whole session and long term health of my training.

I feel deep breathing accompanied with some slow integrated movements is possibly the way to go...

I tried at the start of a session doing the kata Yantsu very slowly and mindfully the other day, as it is a kata that doesn't move around the room too much and has some nice transitions that integrate upper and lower, some nice rotations and use of centre and hips etc... but something in me couldn't switch off from wanting to do the kata with full power haha. A mental association with the kata for sure

 

[_Simon_]

I like to train my basic when I run (or walk). The following clip can be a good example that combine basic training and running together.

Ah fascinating... I can't say I really understood what they were doing... but I get what you mean and the gist of it. To combine basic training in a free flowing movement. Like how he showed the throw using that movement later on.

So moving naturally and doing basic movements I'd be using in my training to help grease the grooves.

Cheers

 

[_Simon_]

In my practice nowadays, we start out with this thing we call "The Walk," (formal name is tagetana-no-kata). Simple, repetitive and slightly changing as you move naturally throught he 11 sets of 8 movements, total of 88. We do that by ourselves or as a group to start. We use "big, flowery motions," (not my pharse, I'm quoting from the old-timers). You get a big wide range of motion stretch on the shoulders and back, like that. Breathing practice is built-in, as we breath out as we leave the center of the pattern, and breathe back in as we return tot he center, based ont he body-drop/body-rise stepping actions. The dernt hing is very complex and very compressed, but easy to do on its face, and teach to people.

Next, we go right to slaps, then falls, and rolls, ukemi practice which ends up being a great flexibility regimen for the upper and lower back. Then, some light stretching and flexibility work on the lower body, and we're good to go.

That's when practice or real class truly begins.

That sounds interesting! Tried googling tagetana-no-kata and couldn't find anything, but I'm assuming you mean something similar to what Kung Fu Wang posted, combining basic movements (done maybe in a bigger exaggerated manner) with walking and breathing...

Great ideas