Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts

Friday, November 11, 2022

Is There Poetry In Animal Movement Training?

In poetry, we tend to not just come up with words that go together in a meaningful setting but also make the reader feel an emotional connection to those words especially if it's about love, despair or even something mysterious. Granted some poetry is just plain awful (if you ever watched Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy you know what I mean) but in the midst of that, we want to find meaning and how we interpret it.

Exercise in some form is like poetry but in a physical setting. We let our bodies take shape of the words, we express ourselves through things like dance, bodybuilding, intense training for a sport, a combination of flows and patterns and other things. We format a poem using gestures, twists, turns, facial expressions and movements that express our passions, our anger, our will and our strengths. We also at times show our vulnerability without even knowing it. We show that we aren't always perfect and showcase our imperfections.

In the idea of movement such as MovNat, Ginastica Natural, Animal Flow, Vahva Movement Training and Parkour, it is a form of physical poetry where we take the shape of bringing together forms of exercise that can be unbelievable to witness. From leaping from building to building, making switches from one move to another in the blink of an eye or using a natural setting of utilizing our ancestral attributes, movement style training is not just about being fit with the body but fit in mind and emotion. 

One of the important things to understand about Animal Movement Training is not always how "accurate" the movement is compared to an animal in the wild but to get a sense of how we tribute to that animal with the best of intentions. Some movement patterns are modeled after let's say primates like Gorillas, Chimps and so on but we know in reality that we can't develop the same type of strength or exact structure of that animal yet we utilize movements that are in tribute to their way of moving. We move around Monkey Bars, we do pullups, we climb trees, we mimic characters like Tarzan. Now wild primates don't actually go up and down in a sequence like Pull-ups, they mainly climb, swing through vines and either walk or run on all fours on their palms or inner knuckles. 

It is a form of poetry, a sign of expression and a connection to the written word but with the quality of our physical being. Poetry makes us laugh, cry, think, get angry or be happy at and other things. Movement is essentially the same thing, it makes us express ourselves and showcasing our emotions. You're probably thinking "how in the hell is doing a bear crawl express emotion or does walking like a duck have anything to do with anger or anything poetic" well, both these movements can show our strengths and weaknesses physically and mentally but the way we do them can show signs of anger or smooth relaxation. If you're stiff and anxious, that'll show in your movement, if you're relaxed, calm and in tuned that'll show as well. It shows if you're being analytical or robotic and it can show how you're flowing with effortlessness while being in a state of gentleness but passionate. Just like poetry.




I'm not the most graceful guy nor am I the perfect specimen when it comes to training but that's not the point. I show my passion in my demos and when it comes to flow training, yes it's not pretty looking compared to someone like Eero Westerberg or Mike Fitch but I do what I love and it may not be poetry in the eyes of others but it's poetic for me and I express it with the best of intentions. Nobody's perfect and we all express ourselves in unique ways but that also should tell you that it's awesome to continue to improve and master yourself. 

Be free to move and show what you're capable of and keep improving. Make mistakes, practice things you normally don't do and have fun with mastering yourself. You may not have great days and we won't always be peachy and smile like the Joker but we can learn how to make ourselves better little by little and if exercise is a part of that, so be it. Be amazingly awesome. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Poetry Of Physical Culture

Weakness Is a Crime….Don’t be a Criminal”





Body of weak stature doesn’t do the mind justice.



The weak mind doesn’t do the body its structure.



Strength within builds power to the outside.



Keep the mind and body strong, crime will never appeal.



The Breath of Life


Life starts with the breath.

Breath is the source of power.

Power begins with an inhale.

Power ends with an exhale.

If not for the breath.

Life will not have power.



Olympic Weightlifting


An obstacle of weight is upon him.

It’s imitating.

It’s empowering.

How does he know of its power?

Why does it matter if it’s lifted?

Only the mind can lift that weight.

Therefore the body must take the challenge.

Pull, clean, push and hold and you have yourself a winner.




Wrestling


Give up.

He’s in his peak and you’re in your own world.

How do you beat him?

How do you withstand his strength?

Ability is limitless.

Yet you are scared.

Empower your mind.

Empower your spirit.

To weaken the man, strength becomes his weakness.

Advantage your power and you will weaken his spirit.

Defeated you are not.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Bridging The Gap

Fear is your worst enemy.

You struggle to even get past the stretch.

Feeling intimidated by its core.

See yourself cross over.

Put forth past the fear.

Stretch the boundaries.

Never see you stuck.

Walk past that fear and you have crossed the Bridge.

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