Improving physical balance

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Palusut
You can find the book at Barnes and Noble or Borders Books.

If I get a chance, I will take a picture of the cans that I use.

Thanks. I can check for that book.

Let me know when/if you do post the picture.

- Ceicei

 

[Spud]

Originally posted by Palusut
Douglas Wong in his "Kung-fu" book has some exercises that incorporate developing balance using two or more industrial food cans filled with concrete.

Basically you start with the horse stance and work your way to the crane stance. You can then transition through all your stances.

This is hard but cool training!!! Some people use railroad ties or telephone poles as alternate, ie if you have seen the finale of "Iron Monkey."

Kind of like a bongo board, but without the board?

cool!

 

[Guro Harold]

Yeah, but the bongo board is execellant too!!!


So much so, that a company redesigned on out of rubber and plastic and resold it.

 

[Ceicei]

Bongo boards looks like fun. Where would they be found?

- Ceicei

 

[Spud]

Snowboard shops

Gart Sports?

Hospital Emergency Rooms

 

[Guro Harold]

Can holds 6.10 lbs of food. Go to any big resturant and ask for them. The usually wash them out deter rodents.

 

[Guro Harold]

Shown with ready mix concrete.

You can mix and pour or depending on the formula, pour the concrete and and water in the can itself (my method).

You need to have at least tw cans. You can have 5 to make all the points of a box and the middle as well.

 

[Ceicei]

Would 10 lb. cans work or are you suggesting smaller size to focus more on balance? These 10 lb. sizes seem more common in stores where I'm located.

- Ceicei

 

[Guro Harold]

All the more better!

If you use those cans, all you need is the proper plank (based on your height and weight) to have a bongo board configuration too!!!

You would have to find a way to texturize the plank so its not too slippery.

 

[TonyM.]

I'm fond of static one legged stances. After achieving at least 2 1/2 min. on each leg you can practice standing on small objects such as the end of a hard water struck brick. The really hard part. Close your eyes.

 

[GaryM]

Hi, haven't posted in a while but this thread struck a cord with some theory I have on the subject. I believe that balance comes from two general sources, one is the proper 'stances'. Most all martial arts practice 'stance work' i.e. katas. The old horse stance is the mother of all stances and all stances are a variation of the basic horse stance as far as posture and base. This is the position of balance. So being very precise with your stance work in your katas is essential. The other source is to have balanced strength in your body. This is achieved with core strength exercises. (It can also be achieved with many years of precise kata practice but we would all like to find legitimate shortcuts) Balanced strength means that all the many muscles around your whole torso that keep you erect are EQUALLY strengthened. There is an excellent link in the health tips section for strongforte exercises. When you first start these exercises they actually ruin your balance a bit temporarily. This makes sence to me, if you do lots of curls it makes your biceps weaker initially. Balance is also a major component of 'chi'. Think of chi as your will, that which directs the movement of your body. Ignore the deeper aspects of 'chi' in reguards to its connection to your organs and health and well being and focus on the practical aspects of your body being a vehicle that your will uses to achieve it's intent. If your body is tense, muscles that are moving your body,arm, fist forward to strike are being opposed by tense muscles in opposition to this movement. If you are not balanced muscles must work hard (tension) to keep you upright and therefore inhibit your strength and waste energy. energy=will. The strongeforte exercises only require two light dumbells. Be very focused on perfect stances when doing your katas. Don't lean or slouch. No warrenty stated or implied, individual results may vary.

 

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by GaryM
Hi, haven't posted in a while but this thread struck a cord with some theory I have on the subject. I believe that balance comes from two general sources, one is the proper 'stances'. Most all martial arts practice 'stance work' i.e. katas. The old horse stance is the mother of all stances and all stances are a variation of the basic horse stance as far as posture and base. This is the position of balance. So being very precise with your stance work in your katas is essential.

So there's a possibility my stances may be off that contribute to my balance problem?

The other source is to have balanced strength in your body. This is achieved with core strength exercises. (It can also be achieved with many years of precise kata practice but we would all like to find legitimate shortcuts) Balanced strength means that all the many muscles around your whole torso that keep you erect are EQUALLY strengthened. There is an excellent link in the health tips section for strongforte exercises. When you first start these exercises they actually ruin your balance a bit temporarily. This makes sence to me, if you do lots of curls it makes your biceps weaker initially.

Why would we excercise certain muscles to the expense of others? Wouldn't it make sense to not just focus on a certain area, but to consecutively work on each area the same day?

Balance is also a major component of 'chi'. Think of chi as your will, that which directs the movement of your body. Ignore the deeper aspects of 'chi' in reguards to its connection to your organs and health and well being and focus on the practical aspects of your body being a vehicle that your will uses to achieve it's intent. If your body is tense, muscles that are moving your body,arm, fist forward to strike are being opposed by tense muscles in opposition to this movement. If you are not balanced muscles must work hard (tension) to keep you upright and therefore inhibit your strength and waste energy. energy=will. The strongeforte exercises only require two light dumbells. Be very focused on perfect stances when doing your katas. Don't lean or slouch. No warrenty stated or implied, individual results may vary.

Very good suggestions. This also advises against just 'going through the moves' that many students do, and to focus more on putting effort into what we do.

Also, many people define chi differently so I am at a loss what it really is.

- Ceicei

 

[GaryM]

Originally posted by Ceicei
So there's a possibility my stances may be off that contribute to my balance problem?

Why would we excercise certain muscles to the expense of others? Wouldn't it make sense to not just focus on a certain area, but to consecutively work on each area the same day

- Ceicei

Yes, your stances could be part of the problem. Why would we exercise certain muscles to the expense of others? It tends to be the prevailing philosophy with modern resistance training. Isolating muscles or muscle groups. Core exercises are whole body exercises.

 

[clapping_tiger]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
Okinawa-te triple kick drill #1:

-Assume a standing horse stance, with arms held at your sides, with the option of moving them out to retain balance during the drill.

-Starting with the right leg, front kick and set down.

-Still with the right leg, side kick, then set down.

-Again with the right leg, back kick, then set down.

-Repeat with the left leg.

-When you think you're ready, do the kicks (front, side, back) without setting the leg down after the first front kick. Obviously, you need to set it down when switching to the left leg.

Remember to maintain your systems kick chambering form. Experiment with lower horse stances as balance and leg strength increases.

This drill should help with balance while kicking, leg strength, multiple kicks, and multiple kicks to different targets.

Cthulhu

This is almost the exact same drill I used (and still do at least once a week), except after the rear kick (heel kick), I do a thrusting front kick. Also the slower you do it the better for balance. Try it with our eyes closed, once you master that, your balance will be right on. This drill also helps perfect the form of your kicks, like recoiling and proper delivery and targeting.

 

[Cthulhu]

Cool...it's a fairly straightforward drill, so I'm not surprised others do something similar.

Okinawa-te Triple Kick Drill #2:

- Assume same posture as the first drill.

- With right leg, do a roundhouse to the front (without turning hip over...substitute whatever your system calls this kick).

- Still with the right leg, do a side thrust kick to the right side.

- Still with the right leg, do a hook kick to the rear.

- As with the first drill, set leg down and repeat with left leg.

Cthulhu

 

[pvwingchun]

If you want to improve your balance try Tai Chi.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Ceicei,

As one ages balance can get worse. I think this is due to degradation of the inner ear. I'm not sure. I get dizzy, for instance, when spun around in training. That didn't happen when I was younger. I can't even ride on a kiddie roller coaster at a fair without getting nauseous. Ten years ago I went on the wildest rides.

I have my students practice balance by holding a crane stance and fixing their gaze on one point, perhaps a spot on the wall. I also have them slowly extend kicks and hold them while doing this. In time they improve quite a bit.

Sometimes a ballet bar or chair while kicking can be helpful. The person uses it for assistance, and then progressively put less and less weight on it...maybe working to one finger on the chair/bar.

Note: Some people have biomechanical problems which are very hard to compensate for. An old girlfriend of mine had a condition called "forefoot valgus", which caused her to lose her balance when kicking. Her forefoot was very unstable. Inserts in her shoes corrected it. This did her little good when training in bare feet, however.

Regards,

Steve