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Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Thoughts Regarding the Base Leg during Turning
Much has been said about the requirements of the lead foot as it steps around the circle, but I would like to alert practitioners to consider the base foot that has already been placed. In my own training, I have found it much more difficult to get a satisfactory sensation in the base leg than the stepping leg. While the stepping foot may be responsible for positioning & mobility, it is the base foot that is responsible for rooting and a smooth, even transition of one's bodyweight; it is the base leg that bears the greatest strain from turning low & the largest joint strain from turning a tight circle.
That both feet are continuously switching roles adds to the difficulty of turning, yet it is harder still to coordinate both legs cleanly such that their transitions are even, smooth, fluid, unforced, yet stable, steady, rooted & heavy. (While this quality of turning is the result of coordinating both legs, I still find the base leg to be the most critical to the effort, for it is responsible for the weight of the body, the transition of that weight as well as the lion-share of joint twisting necessary to carry the body around the circle, and therefore, it is essentially responsible for the coordination of the body with the feet).
Saber turning accentuates the aforesaid difficulties due to the awkward weight added to the extremity of an upper limb; for this reason, while saber turning offers its own benefits, it might not be the best training method for one focusing on footwork in turning.
- Eric
That both feet are continuously switching roles adds to the difficulty of turning, yet it is harder still to coordinate both legs cleanly such that their transitions are even, smooth, fluid, unforced, yet stable, steady, rooted & heavy. (While this quality of turning is the result of coordinating both legs, I still find the base leg to be the most critical to the effort, for it is responsible for the weight of the body, the transition of that weight as well as the lion-share of joint twisting necessary to carry the body around the circle, and therefore, it is essentially responsible for the coordination of the body with the feet).
Saber turning accentuates the aforesaid difficulties due to the awkward weight added to the extremity of an upper limb; for this reason, while saber turning offers its own benefits, it might not be the best training method for one focusing on footwork in turning.
- Eric
Monday, 30 January 2012
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Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Supplemental Kettlebell Training for YSB
A number of us training YSB in Beijing have added a bit of kettlebell training into our weekly routines. A special thanks must go to Johan for getting us started on kettlebells and also to Pavel Tsatsouline who really seems to be one of the best instructors out there; his technique looks clean and his explanations are well-thought (if you are looking for instructional information, check out Pavel's "Enter the Kettlebell").
The advantages of kettlebell training:
Kettlebells are appealing because they are highly transportable (they're like a mobile gym), give a great result (they are good for cardio and strength), they are fun (you can swing them over your head and throw them!) and they employ a large degree of coordinated full-body strength (which is similar to what YSB requires).
What weight is appropriate:
Kettlebell training originated in Russia so bells are generally measured in kilos (one kilo is roughly 2.2 pounds) so I will stick to that system here. Pavel suggests that men of average strength start out with a 16kilo bell, strong men with a 24 kilo and powerlifters only with a 32 kilo bell. This, of course, is not set in stone; in Beijing we started working with 2 20 kilo bells (which is plenty hard and it took a bit of time for me to get accustomed). It should also be noted that kettlebell training requires a lot of overhead strength, a factor to consider when choosing the weight of one's first bell. Also, two bell exercises are much harder to do with heavier bells than one bell exercises, so it depends on which exercises you prefer.
As you get stronger, you can increase the weight as needed; I mostly work with 24 & 32 kilo bells now for my single-handed training. Of course, if you mainly do double-handed exercises, you may have to work up the weight a bit slower.
Pavel's focus on press & pull: Pavel believes the two most important types of kettlebell exercises are presses and pulls. These can be broken into military presses & get ups (a static press) and swings & snatches (throws behind the back would also technically be a type of pull). Of the four exercises, the press is the least full-body (unless one cleans before reps), though it still gives great results. While the snatch is harder on the skin than the swing, it also seems to be the superior exercise of the two (one can almost always swing more than one can snatch). [Also note that snatches and cleans are done differently with kettlebells than standard weights. The snatch motion for kettlebells begins with more of a swing, which make the motion harder on the arm. The difference in the clean motion is even more significant, where one effectively spins the bell around one's arm; if one cleans the bell as one would a regular weight, the kettlebell will bash the forearm, defeating the point of the exercise).
If presses & pulls are the main exercises trained, one cannot go wrong; however, it should be noted that none of these (save perhaps the get up) does much to train the legs (though there is a lot of hip action with the pulls). Also, unless someone is trying something super rough such as a one-legged squat with a bell extended overhead, most exercises for the legs would be greatly assisted by a second bell.
Other exercises: There are a variety of other exercises that can be done from renegade rows (with a push up between each row, making the exercise much harder), to different types of squats, to thrusters (a squat with both hands pressing a bell overhead at the end) and so on. There are also a number of small movement exercises that can be done.
Circuits v. sets v. a singular set:
With kettlebells, there are also a variety of training methods that can be employed. Circuits are where one does a number of different exercises, non-stop, until the circuit is complete; one then does multiple circuits in this fashion. A circuit could have 3 - 8 different types of exercises and the number of exercises per circuit really depends on the number of reps one plans on doing per exercise (as well as the exercises themselves, their difficulty and the cumulative effects they produce on the body).
Sets are just when one does an amount of reps of one exercise, rests, and then repeats, perhaps doing 5-7 total sets. It is worth noting that kettlebell training generally requires many more reps per set than regular weight training. It simply takes more to wear things out because of the full-body motion and momentum generated by the bell.
A singular set is simply where one does a single set of a certain exercise and measures that set by time; for example, 10 minutes of snatching 24 kilos, trying to get as many reps as possible (upper 200's is preferable for that time...try one of these as your last exercise to cap off a strenuous workout; it'll kill you!).
Where to buy your kettlebell:
Buy American, not just because you are a wise patriot, but because the Chinese bells will literally rip the skin off your hands. I bought a Wisconsin-made bell from Lifeline USA and it blows every other bell I have seen out of the water. If you are buying a bell in Europe and don't want to go through the hassle/expense of importing an American bell, hopefully you can find a solid German, British or local manufacturor that makes high-quality kettlebells; but do your research, because a nice bell is simply a greater pleasure to train with. Lifeline's bells have a superior handle design & texture and have not once tore up my hands, even with snatch reps reaching 1000.
If you already have a Chinese-made kettlebell and are intent on making use of it, apart from avoiding excellent exercises that rub against the skin (e.g.: snatches), one could try to sand down the handle to see if that helps; but generally, desperate methods are probably not as welcome as paying a few extra bucks for a quality bell (when is the last time you needed to sand down a misshappen maglite or the door handle of your Ford?). You can also wear weightlifting gloves, but that will only slightly alleviate the stress a Chinese bell puts on the skin, perhaps enabling you to do an extra 20%.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Selecting Effective Developmental Methods
While one could train purely for training's sake, this is not nearly as rewarding as training and getting back something to show for it, in other words, improving and gaining development, rather than simply going through the motions.
In my own personal experience, I've found the best exercises for improvement and development are those that meet these two criteria:
1. The exercise is effective at giving obvious (and preferably measurable) results
2. The exercise can be performed (and one is willing to perform it) with great consistency
There are many exercises one can pick, but the results an exercise provides must be obvious, and not just to the practitioner, but to others as well (even if others are not sure how the practitioner achieved those results). Also, as time is limited, one should always be seeking to maximize the results of one's training, whether by increasing speed, weight, difficulty, number of repetitions, accuracy of technique, realism of execution and so on.
It is worth noting that, particularly with Yin Style Baguazhang, many of us are practicing the same things and yet we see people with many different degrees of results. Those whose results we admire have not simply gotten to where they are through time, dedication, research and instruction (although all of that is important), they are also training the same things Differently. Whether that means they are doing more of something or just doing it with a clearer understanding, or with better coordination, or with a better usage of strength or whatever, it becomes our task to then figure out the differences and to make our own training more effective accordingly.
Consistency is another important point, for even the very best exercise will yield meager results if one cannot, does not or is not willing to do it consistently. The consistency of training is important, but so is the consistency of measurement. The more consistently one can objectively measure one's training & results, the better one can modify one's training to make further gains.
There are advantages to training tried & true methods of gaining development (lots of time, energy and research were put into such methods and they've yielded results consistently for many people); but one's routine and some of the exercises that comprise it can be unique, just so long as one abides consistently by the principles of development. It should also be noted that, ultimately, what matters most is what gives YOU the results you need. That may mean that He Jinbao's or Governor Schwarzenegger's favorite exercise is the one for you; but if you are not seeing obvious results from it, or if you're not performing it with the same consistency, there is nothing wrong with switching things up (be it the exercise itself, how one trains/thinks about the exercise or simply performing additional exercises to help remedy deficiencies). Also, it is worth noting that one does not always know exactly what another is practicing (or has practiced); perhaps someone is doing one exercise that gives a good result, but consistently doing another exercise that complements it to make the results even greater.
Yin Style Baguazhang is a highly sophisticated art with a massive number of training methods & developmental exercises; this makes our individual tasks particularly difficult as we navigate a vast labyrinth of material, but this is also what makes the art so exciting. While a life-long pursuit of Yin Style and excellence herself may well be an odyssey, it is a journey worth taking every step of the way.
Venture boldly, assess the results and strive for consistency in training, measurement & reason.
Happy New Year.
May it be your best yet.
- Eric C.
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