Soft Water Work

[Coach Gostnell]

So the three-year old vinyl pool from Costco, with the inflatable ring on top that holds the whole thing up, is showing it's age. The ring stays inflated only a little while each day, (cats WILL NOT stay off it) which means we keep the water level low so it won't collapse, about neck high for an adult sitting on the bottom of the pool.

Which turns out to be the perfect depth for Water-Dimensional Softwork!
Some of the advantages are when one person "attacks" not only is movement slowed by the water, but they are also "committed" to it because it's not so easy to change course in the water, which helps the other person learn to absorb, evade or re-direct that force.

Working in shallow water also enhances the feeling of flow, naturally enough, exercising the "hydro-ceptive" sense: While some dimensions of working on solid ground are removed, other dimensions come into play. It's a great way to experiment with movements that would be scarier to attempt in full gravity.

I've been playing around with BodyFlow in the water too - shinbox switches are a lot of fun, for instance. I wonder if this wouldn't be a cool way to introduce especially young, old, or frail people to some of the exercises, or those recovering from some injury. The key seems to be depth: high enough for buoyancy, shallow enough not to need to tread water.

[dc1976]

I head to the local swimming hole every weekend, which is at my Mothers' house. Not only do I swim, but use the pool for "Hydro-training". Basically, throwing my punches and kicks while submerged in water from the neck down. And I must say, this really helps. :D

[cshoufler]

Shin box switch. Do you submerge underwater to the floor or is the pool extremely shallow?

[Joseph David]

Jeanne,

I too have been playing with cst concepts in the water. I am still expermenting with mobility drills. Warrior wellness takes on a different dimension when gravity and resistance is altered.

Nice work.

[Coach Gostnell]

Do you submerge underwater to the floor or is the pool extremely shallow?
Right now, because the rim leaks, the water's shallow enough to not submerge. If we can ever find all the leaks, fix it & raise the water level, I'm thinking to "deepen my daily practice" literally. It would too, because I'm not completely comfortable underwater...some fear reactivity issues there maybe (plus I hate water in my nose.) Started working on it - as well as other "issues" last year by somersaulting in, or even into the pool.