Question for Bill Fox (not really nutrition oriented)

[James Boelter]

Bill, in your capsule summary, it says you've been both a yoga teacher and a martial arts instructor. I'm curious as to how you proceeded in your incorporation of these two 'modes' of movement and being, since it seems as if yoga isn't the 'best' GPP for martial arts (lots better than nothing, of course), and both arts are intensive disciplines that require sustained, concentrated effort to advance to a 'teacher/instructor' level. (I practiced Bikram Yoga, which is essentially ONE routine, pretty hard for a couple of years, but I was nowhere near ready to be a teacher, for instance, and I had a LOT more conditioning background and experience than most of the people in the classes).

I read somewhere that one of the Gracie brothers (I think Royce) is very advanced in hatha yoga, and uses pranayama breathing practices to help deal with the stress and strain of UFC competition, so the idea is not outlandish by any means, but the Gracies are extraordinary in many respects, plus they are 'full time pros'. What works for them may not work for a 40+ middle class male recently 'sprung' from the professional corporate IT treadmill.

Was it a sequential series of evolutionary steps - first one, and then, when it wasn't 'quite enough', then the other? Or did you grow in both simultaneously, finding enough complementary/supplementary aspects in each art to florish in both?

How this applies to me is; I desperately want to return to some serious practice of Hsing I and Pa Kua once I am certified to slap bodies for a living :lol: , but I miss the way Bikram made me feel like a million bucks...plus I feel that teaching the Bikram style (easy to learn, but a bitch-kitty to master) would be a valuable contribution to the health and well being of many, many clients...whereas Pa Kua is pretty much for the Hard Core...it would be pretty much for my own benefit and satisfaction.

Can you do both? Should you do both? If you had it to do over again, would you have lessened or omitted your involvement in one or the other?

I would appreciate your thoughts and perspective!

James

I started MA, with Judo in 1979 in college. That went through 82. Then I was on the road for 2 years as a tennis teacher. When I got back to Philly in 84 switched to standup and practiced Kyokushin and boxing, mostly 1 on 1 training with 2 buddies, one a BB in Kyo and another ex of the Army boxing team.

Interestingly, I discovered yoga as a direct result of Gracie. When I meet Maxwell in 90 the whole thing was starting and one of Steve's student's( now a BB with Relson and Pahtabi certified Ashtanga teacher) and i dove in to Ashtanga. It was real left field. Our practice group was a group of yoga teachers who would meet on Sundays and put on a tape of patabi jois and just go for it. We would take turns adjusting and learned on each other. As ashtanga grew we started going to NY for seminars, then a school opened the Manju Jois ran in philly. I was doing about an hour a day, plus 2 workouts with Maxwell, plus 3 Gracie classes and being a lawyer.

I slowly switched out of the extremeness of Ashtanga toward Baptiste, the first class I went to I was asked if I taught and it went from there. This was probably 95. I was 2 stripe blue belt by then.

I went back to standup, mostly heavy bagging and taking Muy thai classes, the closest thing to kyo in Philly. I taught yoga on and off, subbing for friends, I was pretty tight with most of the main teachers in the area for a couple more years.

Which brings us to now. Mainly doing heavybag work for Kyokushin style, no gloves. Body flow/WW has pretty much replaced any formal yoga practice. I did go to a couple classes a few months ago that a good friend was teaching and found it easy and a little boring. As you know way back into the strength side of things, but doing that with KBs anf CBs eliminates most of the problems of trad weight lifting.

I think you are 100% correct about the Paqua. That's why I pretty much practice solo and accept the limitations that involves. Trying to study a traditional, go to class 3x a week MA, while doing yoga and working is a lot to bit off. If you want to get certified to teach Bikram I would do that, then see where your left time and energy wise.

I try to make my program exactly what I wish I could find a school that did, or I would open if I won the lottery! Works for me. When I work with clients I can expose them to whatever combination of the above that I think they need, are ready for and can wrap their head around.

Hope that helps and best to you

bill