Robert V
05-30-2004, 07:24 AM
Prove that your "movement is more sophisticated" therefore enhancing your performance!
I always suggest to my students that they not give up certain activities they did before they began my class. This is usually no problem for the walkers, runners, cyclist and such, but the ones who practiced "traditional" yoga, pilates and aerobics, usually stop doing those activities once they are introduced to "Bodyflow". I guess they see the KISS.
Nonetheless, the goal of ROSS and Bodyflow has always been "Performance Enhancement". But performance in what? What if you are not a fighter or recreational athlete(most of us are at least occupational athletes)?
One suggestion is to return to some activity that you use to do. You know maybe the one that came up in the "I use to do it, but now I'm too old" conversation.
I feel so gratified when I here some of my student say things like, "I haven't been able to do that in twenty years".(usually referring to rolls or cartwheels). Why? Because it "PROVES" that bodyflow does enhance ones movement.
Last night, I attended my a NIA dance class. http://www.niamichigan.com/about_nia.htm.
It was a class where NIA instructors from all over the midwest and Canada come and lead sets of NIA dance routines. Of course, I was the only guy. Anyway, I studied ballet serious for a few years, but later when I tried more three dimensional dance forms like Jazz or modern dance, I was humiliated for my ballet was full of power, agility and lines, yet it failed to give me that 3-D type of movement ability. I was a ballet robot. Moreover, my supplemental training was that of pressing and curling weights, which really cemented my linear movement patterns.
Anyway, I only get to attend the special NIA jam once a month and the thing I've noticed is how educated my body has become. Each NIA teacher presented an unfamiliar dance routine. You had to adapt very quickly, for there were no rehersals. Mind you, this was an advance class for mostly NIA teachers. The average class is not as complicated. I'm no NIA teacher, but I was amazed at how my body's intelligence was at play. I realized that no matter what they did in their routines, my body could adapt for all of the ranges of motion and movement patterns they explored, I routinely explore in my class as I teach Warrior Wellness and Bodyflow. I could just close my eyes and allow my body to follow the music.
This is something I could not do 10 or 15 years ago. This is something I couldn't do without "sophisticating my movement" in WW and Bodyflow!
This "proves it" for me!
I always suggest to my students that they not give up certain activities they did before they began my class. This is usually no problem for the walkers, runners, cyclist and such, but the ones who practiced "traditional" yoga, pilates and aerobics, usually stop doing those activities once they are introduced to "Bodyflow". I guess they see the KISS.
Nonetheless, the goal of ROSS and Bodyflow has always been "Performance Enhancement". But performance in what? What if you are not a fighter or recreational athlete(most of us are at least occupational athletes)?
One suggestion is to return to some activity that you use to do. You know maybe the one that came up in the "I use to do it, but now I'm too old" conversation.
I feel so gratified when I here some of my student say things like, "I haven't been able to do that in twenty years".(usually referring to rolls or cartwheels). Why? Because it "PROVES" that bodyflow does enhance ones movement.
Last night, I attended my a NIA dance class. http://www.niamichigan.com/about_nia.htm.
It was a class where NIA instructors from all over the midwest and Canada come and lead sets of NIA dance routines. Of course, I was the only guy. Anyway, I studied ballet serious for a few years, but later when I tried more three dimensional dance forms like Jazz or modern dance, I was humiliated for my ballet was full of power, agility and lines, yet it failed to give me that 3-D type of movement ability. I was a ballet robot. Moreover, my supplemental training was that of pressing and curling weights, which really cemented my linear movement patterns.
Anyway, I only get to attend the special NIA jam once a month and the thing I've noticed is how educated my body has become. Each NIA teacher presented an unfamiliar dance routine. You had to adapt very quickly, for there were no rehersals. Mind you, this was an advance class for mostly NIA teachers. The average class is not as complicated. I'm no NIA teacher, but I was amazed at how my body's intelligence was at play. I realized that no matter what they did in their routines, my body could adapt for all of the ranges of motion and movement patterns they explored, I routinely explore in my class as I teach Warrior Wellness and Bodyflow. I could just close my eyes and allow my body to follow the music.
This is something I could not do 10 or 15 years ago. This is something I couldn't do without "sophisticating my movement" in WW and Bodyflow!
This "proves it" for me!