Spring Steel Legs in 15 minutes!

[Scott Sonnon]

http://www.dolfzine.com/page674.htm

The CST Tribe gets an advance notice of this release, since this Dolfzine issue doesn't publish until November. I've done this drill nearly every day for the past 7 years. I attribute my balance to prevent and coordination to affect throws and takedowns to this drill predominantly. I look forward to reading your progress with this excellent drill.

Enjoy! :twisted:

[sin_goodfellow]

Damn. That is quite impressive. :shock:

Jesse

[Chuck Kechter]

Yikes!

I just "grduated" to the "elite" FCBD, and have found it very challenging WITHOUT the squats :wink: .
Now I have a whole nother dimension to work in?


Cool.

Thanks for that, and nice article!

Chuck

[Jhurley]

Coach,
Excellent article as usual!The elite level demonstrations are very inspirational.

[crubio]

Coach thanks for the very informative article. I was told that balance drills were specific, just as you mentioned, about training on a wobbly board, but I wasn't aware of the distinction of top down training until you mentioned it. So I figured, hey if balance is specific why practice it at all. And I lazily and unprogressively held on to something for balance doing my FCBD, since I figured I didn't need to develop balance.

I tried the FCBD today without holding on to something or losing balance and accomplished it. In so doing I understand what you wrote in the article. Developing coordination. Looking forward to progressing up quickly to the level I should be at.

[SCRAPPER]

Printed the article and did the beginner version at the gym. Had a few of the "muscle-heads" ask me what I was doing but they refused to try them with me. :roll:

Awesome stuff, as always!

SCRAPPER

[Robert V]

Spring Legs...Four Corner Drills:Great article. Ironically enough, this was the focus of my yoga class last night.

I use to use a similar standing flow, combining Bikram yoga poses and ballet movements, before I was turned on to the "Four Corner Drill". Once I incorporated the "four corner drill" it opened up a well-spring of possibilities and creativity. I basically spend a quarter to a half of my class on one leg.

We spend most of our time as athletes on one leg, yet we train and prepare one two legs. Research has shown that one leg training is best for athletes. As soon as you put all of your weight on one leg, the "overload" principle is activated.

I'm not sure whether it was mentioned or not, but "both" legs are at work here. Don't put all of your focus is the lifted leg. The support leg is working to stablize. Also, few conditioning programs condition your feet. Yet, there are over 20 muscles, joints and bones there. It is the foundation of our stature. The 4-corner drill will wake up all 72,000 nerve endings. Anyone familar with Reflexology should be aware of the importance of foot conditioning. So, spread those toes and focus on the traingle under your foot and lifing your arches.

The arches are your body's shock absorbers. They need to be healthy. You should be able to slide a pencil under your foot. One of my students claimed to have notice an increase in the height of her arches.

Also, I had bad ankles for over 20 years from running track, long jumping, ballet and the US army infantry. I use to wear ankle braces to yoga class three years ago, now my ankles are strong as ever!

I credit this drill more than any thing I've ever done with my Judo success. If you guys want more, I beg you to invest in "Leg Fencing".

Also, this is the nucleus of my yoga meditation...yes meditation. Why? When balancing on one leg, you have no choice to be "in the moment". If your mind is not "right there...right then", you are going to fall. You are forced to a "higher consciousness".

Moreover, it's easy to find internal peace and tranquility while sitting on a nice soft cushion, legs crossed and Enya playing in the background. BUT, try finding that same "peace" in the mist of stress...on one leg.

If we want to be the "eye of the storm", we must first place ourselves in the storm.

Short story: One student told me that this weekend she went fly fishing in rapid moving water. She had to walk on rocks in the center of the stream. She is a 52 year old lady and she said she was one of the only people able to walk across the rocks in the stream without falling. She credits my yoga/bodyflow class and the "4-corner drill" with her success.

This is an awesome movement. As you can see, I'm passionate about it. I don't leave my yoga class without it.

[anson]

Great article! I´ve always thought I had pretty good balance and coordination to begin with. Well, I tried the beginner version yesterday and I have to admit I was wrong. It was hard. I´ll definitely keep this drill as a part of my routine.

Ari

[DChampagne]

I did some work on the hand lift yesterday as I watched the Warrior Wellness advanced tape...and do I need some work on that one!! I am having difficulty fully straightening my leg once I've grabbed the foot. I did better when I let myself be breathed as I did it, but I feel it in my hamstrings today!

[Scott Sonnon]

Dave, concentrate on flexing the quad of your lifted leg, and the glute and ham of your planted leg rather than trying to extend your leg. Exhale and lift from crown to coccyx. Report back with your results. This should do the trick.

[Sean]

Great article, can't wait to get to the advanced levels!

[Jay76]

I have no problems keeping my leg straight, only trying to lift the extended leg higher ????

Jay

[Scott Sonnon]

Jay, focus on contracting the quad and glute of the planted leg. Your other leg will instantly rise dramatically. Exhale.

[FranktheTank]

Hey Everyone,

I started doing this last week and I agree it is an awesome exercise. However, my quetsion is do you stop and hold each positon or do you roll through each in one smooth motion, no stops, no pausing?

-Jim.

[Scott Sonnon]

Jim,

Either offers superior training effects. Holding in position offers the effect of Static Contraction Training, and produces the monstrous strength of an Immovable Object (http://www.rmax.tv/iouf.html).

Smooth, slow and uninterrupted lends itself to a greater training effect of counter-stabilization creating a corset of strength to protect the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Simultaneously it coordinates strength along the full range of motion of the legs - stabilizing and synergizing through all six degrees of freedom.

Combine both protocols - move smoothly and slowly to each position and hold - produces a synergistic effect greater than if one performed the protocols independently.

The FCBD reigns supreme - producing greater transferable strength to fighting than any weighted exercise such as barbell deadlifts, squats, leg presses.

[FranktheTank]

Thanks Coach!

The arch of my foot has been cramping up during this exercise, is this to be expected? Will it eventually stop (is it happening b/c it is weak?)?

[Scott Sonnon]

Yes, it's a frequent occurrence to the exercise because of a deficit most beginners have in foot strength. Tough it out by relaxing/breathing into the cramp.

[CarlS]

Is there any benefit in practicing the Four-Corner drill with eyes shut in addition to practicing with eyes open, like other biomechanical exercises? Would it improve your 'position sense'?

[Scott Sonnon]

It may improve your agility and responsiveness, but your sense is inviolable and constant (albeit most people's vision dominates position, movement and force/tension senses). Visual deprivation just removes any adversely competing sensory information and may clear the sensory channel so you may potentially have "better reception."

[seandrichard]

Robert V I have really flat feet so is there any special way I should do these.

[Robert V]

One of my students claimed that doing this movement and other drills like this has raised the arches in her feet. I don't know if that's true or not, but I know it will not hurt.

Just focus on the triangle under your foot. Your big toe pad, little toe pad and your heel. At the same time, try to raise your arches as you press the points of the triangle into the floor.

[seandrichard]

you mean push the toes back and the sides in so the arch goes up

[DChampagne]

Scott,
Tightening the glutes and quad like you suggested has really helped! I am finding it much easier to get the raised leg extended while holding onto the foot, and slowly but surely my balance is improving so that I can hold each position longer before moving to the next. Dave C.

[Scott Sonnon]

Right on, Dave! Congratulations on your progress!

[maxmoon]

hey coach......... ive been aplying this drill from my leg fencing videos.i have to admit i thought i would be doing it smothly.lol.but smothly it was not.i would rock and realized my balance wasnt all that great.

ive been doing this every day from the time i got my videos and my partner does a few sets of each leg while i do a few more.i like the pain.and will defenetly do this drill often.

i have already managed to do it with my hannds on the leg because im fairly flexible.but im gonna take it easy and make sure im taking my time doing it slowly and progress proporly so that i can get the most out of this evil yet rewarding drill!!!!!

max

[SFE]

Hey All!

Question about the 4 corner balance drill…

Is there an advantage/disadvantage to training this exercise with the leg stationary in the air vs the body stationary? What I mean is that I have a little bit of a space issue when I train this exercise throughout the day. I have had to modify the drill so that I turn on the ball of the foot that I am standing on to move from position to position, keeping the leg that is held up pointing in the same direction. I was wondering if this will give me the same benefit in training as having my balance challenged by my leg moving from position to position or are there benefits to training both?

Any thoughts/suggestions welcome!


Thanks!

[Scott Sonnon]

Steve,

Two different types of strength.

When holding the leg stationary, you're working to 'quiet' superfluous movement and tension, while identifying and strengthening isometric muscle action.

When slowly and smoothly moving the leg through the 'corners' of the drill, you're working reactive strength - agility - coordination.

[myk hendrix]

Coach,

Is there any reason why I shouldn't make this more specific to the system I am training in by making the foot positions the same as the extension of a kick ?

e.g. Transition from Inside Crescent to Front to Round to Side to Hooking to Back kicks, then fold the leg under and foward to move back to the Inside crescent position ?

Your input appreciated,
Mike Hendrikse

[Scott Sonnon]

Mike,

It sounds like you're thinking in the right direction. Make your own variations, and your own exercises for that matter. Just don't forget to share your progress and discoveries so others may benefit.

[brianp]

Why is the 4 corner balance drill superior in the realm of carryover/transfer for fighting than deadlifts/squats? Because most sports are played the majority of the time (fighting in this example) on one leg? Also, because of coordination?

I do a very similiar drill called the Renegade pistol or Rx squat that I got from Coach Davies. Very tough but very effective for basketball too.

[Scott Sonnon]

Why is the 4 corner balance drill superior in the realm of carryover/transfer for fighting than deadlifts/squats? Because most sports are played the majority of the time (fighting in this example) on one leg? Also, because of coordination?

I do a very similiar drill called the Renegade pistol or Rx squat that I got from Coach Davies. Very tough but very effective for basketball too.

All pedestrian locomotion is done from one leg, including the one you do most often - walking.

[ransuru]

I've been doing this drill with modifications since I first saw it in the site and on the warrior wellness tapes. I got a lot of my army buddies to do this drill and they loved the fact that it is doable and that I showed them they can still play in less than five minutes. I do tilt the body to the planted leg side when I do the side lift squat and I am thinking of what will give me greater balance in that stage.


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I want to post pics and vids as the rest of the guys so a suggestion on a cheap but workable digicam will be helpful

Cheers, Sharon.

[ransuru]

Please publish the IMMOVABLE OBJECT -UNSTOPPABLE FORCE and the FLOW FIGHTING on DVD.

thanks Sharon.