CST/Bodyflow and Kids

[pookaboy]

Coaches Sonnon, Szolek, etc,
After reading Coach Szolek's comment about bringing up the next generation of Knuckledraggers in my training area, I got to thinking about the training that one would do with kids. I have come up with a couple of different scenarios in my own head for this but wanted to get some ideas and opinions from you folks regarding this.

Here are some of the questions that I am looking at and my ideas, please feel free to pipe up on something too if so spurred:

1) At what age should you start kids doing Bodyflow or Clubbells?
Toms Opine: I have two little girls (7 & 3) that I wanted to start doing exercises with. If you have been reading my racquetball training section you will note that they are outside with at the park doing all kinds of different things that would probably fall into the Bodyflow category besides my clubbell workout. Since Sonnon Dai Sensei (Nihongo ga yoku wakatte hanasu koto ga dekiru) said that kids already are moving in the Bodyflow realm we should try to mimic them, I have been doing a lot of that and getting them to do stuff with me. However, on the Clubbell side, my oldest daughter has expressed an interest in being in my "Club" since I called my clubbell my club. So, she wants to start swinging her own club to be in my club (definite underpinnings for a future knuckledraglerette!), and unfortunately, 15lbs is just a little beyond her strength. How are the 5lbs, or what would be a good start for CST w/ children? I am looking at ordering a whole set w/ all weights just so they can start training early.

2) What about Body Weight Exercises?
Tom Opines:I take these seriously and have them out "playing" with me all the time, either sprinting around, chasing them as a frog, playing the monkey climbing all over the playground equipment, and racing them in different activities like Bear Crawls, Crab Runs, or one of my oldest daughter's favorites: Back-to-Back Cart Wheels. Of course, I poop out earlier than they do because I no longer have access to the limitless fount of energy that they have. Seems to be the inertia principle about it taking more energy to move bigger objects, eh?

My main reason for asking this is exactly what Coach Consonant-Cluster (Szolek--> Just Kidding! :wink: ) said about bringing up the next generation of knuckledraggers. Plus, it gives me a chance to help teach them about the right way to exercise versus all the crap that is contradictorily floating around out there and also what my children are taught in schools. Appreciate any commentary!
Thanks,
Tom

[Doug Szolek]

Coach Consonant-Cluster (Szolek--> Just Kidding! :wink: )

:lol: :lol:

Ah yes the plight of my Polish heritage.

Off to training now, will chime in on your question a bit later today.

[pookaboy]

Coach Szolek,
Don't worry, your name is just one of many that come from a language group that revels in consonant-clusters. I would know, having a degree in Linguistics and studying many different languages from different levels of phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, semantics-syntax interface etc, PLA, SLA, TESL, TESOL, etc up through masters level fun! Revel in your name and your uniqueness! It's part of what brings us all together as knuckledraggers! :wink:
Tom "of the Polysyllabically-Consonant-Clusteredly-Challenged last name of" Loyd

[rbibbs]

Hey Tom! I just gotta speak up for the vowel-cluster language, Hawaiian, with place names like Kaaawa and Laupahoehoe. It's the inverse of Polish (like Russian is the aural inverse of English... play a tape of either one backwards and it sounds like the other one).

And for keeping kids fluent in the wonders of their innate multiplanar motion and biomechanical efficiency once school "PE" gets ahold of them and starts turning them into little reciprocal locomotives, the better to traverse narrow aisles at the mall and stand in line, I suppose.

My observation is, that for motions and exertions in which they have NOT been institutionally misdirected, kids inherently integrate their structure and breathing efficiently. But just like kids pickup language they "didn't learn at home", they'll pickup locomotor artifacts of fear-reactivity from school "PE", unless we're vigilant.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to counsel you as to what to do and when, but the best to you and your daughters.

Rick 'Humuhumunukunukuapuaa' Bibbs

[Scott Sonnon]

Tom,

Body-Flow: The basic rule of thumb for training children (as it should be for adults) is "Play as the Way." If they want to jump in next to you, let them. Allow them to explore (we often perceive this as "doing it wrongly"), and throw in casual guidelines and suggestions if they ask.

Clubbells: The Fly Weight Clubbells at 5lbs *may* be too heavy even at full choke. However, if they can handle it, have the floor clearance and have respect for possible damage they could do to themselves, property or others, and understand that they must be supervised, then start with FUN basics - though children can get highly sophisticated: www.circularstrengthtraining.com/images/1904.mpeg .

[Robert V]

I was going to ask this very question. A mom bought her 12 year old son into class, who was very weak, poor balance and un-coordinated. I found myself spending most of my time with him and I felt as if I wasn't giving the other students the attention they desired. Now, after reading this I will be a little looser with the kid.

[Scott Sonnon]

Many adults either ignore children or coddle them... in either case, it's a lack of respect for their natural Body-Flow. Adults in a class setting can be very selfish/protective of their time and don't appreciate children wandering around, asking questions, or doing something "apparently unrelated."

If you run a commercial class, it may just not be feasible to have many kids. In my experience, such discussions rapidly wax into the nature of 'leading by example' versus dictation and 'community education' versus master-student absolutism, so let's make sure we keep this specific and inflammable.

I'm a firm believer though in at least SOME mixed age classes (in some cultures - all classes are all ages - like I experienced in Russia). How can children "model" behavior if not given the opportunity? This may account for some arrested motor development.

If a child asks incessant questions compromising fair distribution of your time to participants, try to remind them that the fun and great thing about Body-Flow is that they are the captain of their ship and although you can help them chart the oceans, they can explore as they wish (so long as they're not crashing into other ships :lol: .)

But most of all… if parents and schools provide proper nutrition, there’s just no need for children to “exercise” because the exuberant play of children is more than sufficient. Play is necessary for exploratory growth. If children aren’t given the opportunity to make mistakes (let’s call them “inefficient motor choices”), then they’ll never thirst for success (grace, poise, flow…)

My wife and I both do our daily practice with our daughter playing nearby. She may jump in whenever she wishes. We’ll throw some encouragement in, all chuckle to ourselves when one of us wobbles, and add some ideas when she’s curious. Other than that… it’s all about Play as the Way.

[tdennis]

Absolutely, let them play and experience it all. I teach PE in SoCal and have found that many of my students have the inability to play. They only play soccer and soccer only and have a difficult time with other type of motor movements. I recently took my students through some of the Warrior Wellness exercises and they LOVED it. We have them doing Dot Drills and Jumping Rope and moving through obstacle courses (which they can't get enough of). Next in line is a Traverse Wall and some Indo Boards. Hopefully I can invest in some clubbells - my only hitch being, that I have to explain why I need them and how would they benefit the students (my references being all of you here at this site). Crazy how new things scare people, yet dodgeball is an acceptable activity.
As Coach Sonnon has said "Play is the Way" and I whole heartedly agree. :)
Tim Dennis

[Scott Sonnon]

Excellent, Tim! Good luck!

[Chuck Kechter]

Tim,

My daughter started playing with BWE around 7-8yrs old. No sets or forced rep counts, just having fun, using her body, modeling what I was doing at the time.

I wrote a couple of articles about this sort of thing for CST mag. They are in the archived section. One is called "Play with a Purpose," and the other is, "Playing at the Park." Maybe they'd give you some ideas.

The key for me, when sharing this wealth of information with my daughter, or some of her friends, is to have fun. Make a game of it if you can, or throw it into some part of a game. Have fun yourself, and have patience. If you're not enjoying it, chances are they won't either.

Chuck