On the agenda for this Saturday...
Section 4
Since it seemed that the majority of the questions that came from the group were oriented toward that section, maybe it's best to really dive into it and discover more about that section.
Here are the concepts that are involved that I want you all to concentrate on:
Endurance: Unlike the first 3 sections which are 18 combos each, Section 4 is equal in length to the first 3 combined! In practice, if you were to focus on each section as its own form, Section 4 would clearly be the most demanding athletically. To that end, I'd like you to focus the entire class on Section 4.
That means using the appropriate walking drills & statics: straight, diagonal, lateral, backwards, & kicking (including Lotus Kicks on both sides).
When it comes time for you to practice the sequence, do this...
Section 4 begins & ends with Cross Hands. So go through the entirety of Section 4 all the way through to the final Cross Hands, but instead of separating your hands and standing up as your palms float down, continue straight away into another repetition of Section 4.
Since Chris is the most practiced at calling out this Section and it's going to be a serious endurance exercise, I suggest that he call out the sequence. Someone else, perhaps Ellen, should remember which repetition you are on. At the end of 5 CONSECUTIVE repetitions one of two things will happen...
a) You'll feel like every stabilizing muscle in your body got the workout from Hell and you're looking for a place where you can disrobe and wring out your T-shirt.
and/or
b) You'll have figured out a way to maintain a deep, strong, solid stance with great posture throughout the entirety of each rep. Regardless of the amount of sweat, you'll feel like you're taller, more aligned, and rooted in a way you've never felt before.
You guys should know by now that I'm one for pushing the envelope gently. This highly traditional format of training should DEFINITELY push the envelope while also giving the newcomers a way to practice by rote.
Ah, which reminds me... Rote training is a way for people who are new, especially the control freak types, to be so in-over-their-heads that they have to learn to adapt, relax, drop the facade, and absorb. If they're too focused on performance, they're not focused enough on learning. So just because it's someone's first day, it doesn't mean that they can't take part in training like this. They just have to be told that there are times when the class format gives them a "big picture" view of what they're learning. Going through big chunks of form gives them a chance to introduce their bodies to this stuff without allowing them to fixate on detail. While I'm a great proponent of paying the utmost attention to detail in martial arts, I'm also a firm believer that people have to be able to learn through many different methods.
If you have questions, post comments. I look forward to hearing from you!
3 comments:
I would just like to say how much our 5 consecutive reps of section 4 ROCKED.
Thank you, Chris!
Chris is uber-competent when it comes to calling out the commands for the Long Form. If memory serves me correctly, he's the first of my non-UCLA students to get it down from teeth to tail.
I'm curious to hear from more of you guys regarding your experiences with Saturday's training.
I agree with Nikki; it was a great workout, and Chris was incredible. I think each of us wondered if we'd really have time to go through 5 reps, and we did go a bit faster on the last 4 than we had for the first. We didn't lose track of which repetition we were on, but there were times when we'd have to remind ourselves which "cloud hands" we were doing, the first or second in section 4.
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