Month: September 2016

building smoothness

Here are eight partner drills to build and hone your efficient and effective movement patterns. Don’t search for the key. Be the key maker.

  1. walk and breathe continuously. Have a partner throw a ball at you as you walk. Your job is to move out of the way and intercept the ball in flight. Do not stop the ball in flight but add to its course so you spiral it back to the thrower. (you can have the thrower move too to keep your eye work more dynamic)
  2. Lie on your stomach or back and close your eyes. Have a partner throw a ball in any direction and you have to get up and intercept the ball on one breath. Here place your attention on what you move first and how you get up in any direction.
  3. Move continuously between laying on the ground and standing. Have a partner use a sharp object such as a nail or knife to push and pull against the movement and with continuous breathing move with the contact but stay on your own course. Don’t be brave. Be effective.
  4. Tie a smooth rope between your ankles so you cannot extend past hip width. Have a partner push and pull on you from all sides. Your job is to move toward your partner where there is no pressure within this release-constraint TM 🙂
  5. Take an plastic cup or another easily crush-able object in your hand. Use this hand to push and pull your partner in any of the previous drill and avoid placing any pressure on the object. You must contain your own frame dynamically to be effective on the long run.
  6. Make sure the ground is safe and balance on the heels of your feet. Have your partner push and pull on you. Your job is to maintain the lowest amount of tension in your frame as you move with the release-constraint. Holding on to the ground is a habit and habits are either servants or slave makers. Let them go.
  7. Tense your entire body and keep breathing. Have your partner push and pull you anywhere and from any angle. Your job is to choose where you start to move from and to let go of excess tension once you are touched. Everyone has fear and tension. Everyone can manage it once attention to the tension is there.
  8. Walk with your partner at your side or moving freely around you. Focus on breathing continuously and let the building expectation release through the exhale. Have your partner jump on you whenever they wish. Release them into the ground and move on.

The tennis ball gym

A tennis ball is small and light and easy to carry around even through the crazy show airports are today 🙂

Here are ten simple drills to do with one or more tennis balls you can do in a hotel room or almost anywhere and keep your nervous systema and body honed.

  1. Take one tennis ball and place it between the wall and your body. Slide and move the ball around without touching it with your limbs and use all parts of your body and your neck and head and keep your body loose and active.
  2. Take two tennis balls and place them between the wall and your arms. Slide and move the balls in independent routes and move on all facets of the arms. Relax your eyes and trust all your senses.
  3. Take one tennis ball and place it between the wall and your leg. Slide and move the ball around by moving the hips and both legs and keep your posture relaxed and comfortable.
  4. Lie on the ground and roll the ball away from you. Roll your body to intercept the ball and repeat. Make sure you continue to breathe and let your eyes move freely instead of fixating on the ball.
  5. Lie on the ground and place the ball between you and the ground. Move the ball with your body movements and keep your breath continuous and your eyes relaxed.
  6. Bounce one ball off the ground first with your palm and then with the back hand. Progress the the facets of the fist and move on to your forearm and further on. The limits are in your imagination.
  7. Hold one tennis ball in your hand and throw it up and catch it. Repeat this with just one eye open and then with both eyes closed. You will learn to receive without bracing and that is a great lesson.
  8. Stand three steps from the wall and start bouncing the ball off the wall. Step so you always intercept the ball with your body not in the way and keep breathing calmly. Progress to being two steps away from the wall and see if you can manage over time to be one step away from the wall. Footwork is key.
  9. Stand with your back to the wall and bounce the ball behind you. Intercept the ball and repeat. Learn to understand angles and how they work both coming and going.
  10. Place the ball on various places in the body (for example the crook of your elbow) and start walking and sitting down and getting up. Move the ball over your body and keep yourself learning.

Cost: time and one tennis ball.

Return: health, fun and much more.