Okay...after reading the last posting of Dana's list, I decided to start this and see what we come up with.
After reading Dana’s list and seeing all the things that I went through as I was coming up in the ranks, it really started me thinking of how I treat the women different in my classes.
First things first, what do they want out of the class?
You have to focus their attention on what they want before they will open themselves up to what you want them to learn. (Self Defense, awareness, etc)
I always focus a part of the class on something simple that they can use...finger locks are my favorite to show them because they are so easy.
I try never to put them in a situation where they (or I felt) intimidated or get the “you fight like a girl” looks. At least until they get used to what is going on in the class and feel comfortable with things.
I never have them hold the bags until they are ready to. Usually after several ranks, because they feel that power and it scares them. (I know it scared me too, but I guess I am one of the few that didn’t leave.) By the time they hold the bags, they are more comfortable with themselves in class and are “teaching” the other students.
I know it sounds like I am making women out to be weak, but you have too look at how few of us there are in the Martial Arts and I want more in here. After they get used to me, I am actually harder on them then I am on the guys and I tell them that too.
Becky
P.S. (Thanks for the reminder Dana!)
Female Training
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beckyhaworth
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Female Training
I think of particular importance in Uechi-Ryu are the conditioning exercises.
Women have much less muscle fiber than men -- and while we don't know the exact mechanisms of conditioning I think this has a lot to do with why women take longer, lots longer, to condition.
I think women, more than men, need to be taught ways to condition on their own outisde of class and really need to be encouraged to condition at least every other day.
Conditioning needs to be clearly explained as a slow, steady process that should not involve bruising and the area being conditioned should be prepared with massage. And after conditioning the area should again be massaged and also treated with dit da jaw if you can a hold of some -- or witchhazel or just rubbing alcohol if you can't.
Bruises should not be condition on until they are healed. Period.
Women should also pay more attention to learning how to focus their abs over their bladders and ovaries. As (I think) a woman's bladder is closer to the surface than the males, and obviously ovaries aren't going to like getting beaten about either.
Male or female teachers, doing sanchin checking or testing or whatever you call it -- should have these things in mind when checking a woman's stomach and emphasize to the female students how important their sanchin belly is for protecting internal organs.
Dana
Women have much less muscle fiber than men -- and while we don't know the exact mechanisms of conditioning I think this has a lot to do with why women take longer, lots longer, to condition.
I think women, more than men, need to be taught ways to condition on their own outisde of class and really need to be encouraged to condition at least every other day.
Conditioning needs to be clearly explained as a slow, steady process that should not involve bruising and the area being conditioned should be prepared with massage. And after conditioning the area should again be massaged and also treated with dit da jaw if you can a hold of some -- or witchhazel or just rubbing alcohol if you can't.
Bruises should not be condition on until they are healed. Period.
Women should also pay more attention to learning how to focus their abs over their bladders and ovaries. As (I think) a woman's bladder is closer to the surface than the males, and obviously ovaries aren't going to like getting beaten about either.
Male or female teachers, doing sanchin checking or testing or whatever you call it -- should have these things in mind when checking a woman's stomach and emphasize to the female students how important their sanchin belly is for protecting internal organs.
Dana
Female Training
stickiness -- this is something so powerful and useful for any Martial Artist.
We train horse stance chi sao - or stick hands sparring. The idea is for both to be in horse stance - arms up in ready position. Using no power, follow and trap your partner creating an opening for a strike. The idea is not to force an opening by pushing their arm out of the way, rather the idea is to set up a combination of trappings and slipping and folding of the joints that create an opening.
Speed and targeting at the head is added only as skill progresses. Start off in slow motion, totally relaxed, with only body shots.
Higher level students should be able to perform this drill quite well with their eyes closed.
The drill also teaches the idea of maintaining control over your centerline.
Dana
We train horse stance chi sao - or stick hands sparring. The idea is for both to be in horse stance - arms up in ready position. Using no power, follow and trap your partner creating an opening for a strike. The idea is not to force an opening by pushing their arm out of the way, rather the idea is to set up a combination of trappings and slipping and folding of the joints that create an opening.
Speed and targeting at the head is added only as skill progresses. Start off in slow motion, totally relaxed, with only body shots.
Higher level students should be able to perform this drill quite well with their eyes closed.
The drill also teaches the idea of maintaining control over your centerline.
Dana
Female Training
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
We train horse stance chi sao - or stick hands sparring. The idea is for both to be in horse stance - arms up in ready position. Using no power, follow and trap your partner creating an opening for a strike.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"Horse Stance Sparring." Good drill. Dana, just curious, did you learn this from Bob K? It used to be done a lot in the Mattson Academy on Beacon Hill. Haven't seen much of it since. The "sticky hand" piece of it, at the academy, probably came from Bob Campbell who was at the time hanging in Chinatown and working a bit with the wing chun guys. I suspect this because Bob was pretty good with that and the "sticky hands" were definitely not part of the Uechi curriculum then. GEM is currently playing with a sort of taichi version in the arm rubbing exercises at the hut.
david
We train horse stance chi sao - or stick hands sparring. The idea is for both to be in horse stance - arms up in ready position. Using no power, follow and trap your partner creating an opening for a strike.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"Horse Stance Sparring." Good drill. Dana, just curious, did you learn this from Bob K? It used to be done a lot in the Mattson Academy on Beacon Hill. Haven't seen much of it since. The "sticky hand" piece of it, at the academy, probably came from Bob Campbell who was at the time hanging in Chinatown and working a bit with the wing chun guys. I suspect this because Bob was pretty good with that and the "sticky hands" were definitely not part of the Uechi curriculum then. GEM is currently playing with a sort of taichi version in the arm rubbing exercises at the hut.
david
Female Training
Hi David,
Yup. This came directly from Bob Kaiser. Love the drill. It's about the only time we can get some of the big guys to relax enough to see how to develop trapping combinations. Otherwise they fall into a weird habit of "block - let go of the appendage - wait for attack - block - let go of the appendage - wait for attack".
With the sticky drills they get to see how important it is to keep continuous movement once you close in with your opponent.
Also - since you're stuck not moving your feet it's good for women who will have a tendancy to endlessly back up away from attacks. When we do it we like to rotate so everybody works with everybody.
Uechi is full of such beautiful traps. One of the easiest is at the elbow strike in kanshiwa kata. Bring your elbow over their lead arm, then rotate the elbow downward -- they're staring your backfist in the face. Then if they actually get their other hand up to cover their face they've opened their lower and middle gates and you've still got a hand free.
Southern Mantis Kung fu (SPM) has lots of trapping and sticky stuff in it. I'm learning some rubbing/trapping type exercises that turn arm rubbing into a moving sensitivty exercise. In that style they really emphasize "listening" with the forearms. Being able to feel your opponent's stance and balance and body through their arms.
In our arm rubbing - both parties are moving at the same time. In the SPM drills you start with person A pushing forward with a shoken towards the chest, then person B trapping and rubbing (the moves closly resemble koi no shippo uchi tata uchi and "rise drill fall overturn" type movements). Then Person B rubs/drives forward with a shoken and person A traps.
The exercise starts stationary with one arm moving at a time. Then you do two arms doing the same thing. Then you do stepping with one arm. Then stepping with two arms doing the same movement. The final step ends up looking like moving sticky sparring. Very natural, very fluid. (Note: - I've only see this on video).
Here's the link to the video.
http://www.bambootemple.com/dcforum/DCForumID15/5.html#
(note the link takes you to an entry on his site's forum.)
I've chatted with Mr. Hagood who makes them. He's a very nice guy and from what I've seen on the tapes he's got a solid understanding of his style, and clear teaching skills. And you have to love any style that uses pheonix eye strikes.
Dana
Yup. This came directly from Bob Kaiser. Love the drill. It's about the only time we can get some of the big guys to relax enough to see how to develop trapping combinations. Otherwise they fall into a weird habit of "block - let go of the appendage - wait for attack - block - let go of the appendage - wait for attack".
With the sticky drills they get to see how important it is to keep continuous movement once you close in with your opponent.
Also - since you're stuck not moving your feet it's good for women who will have a tendancy to endlessly back up away from attacks. When we do it we like to rotate so everybody works with everybody.
Uechi is full of such beautiful traps. One of the easiest is at the elbow strike in kanshiwa kata. Bring your elbow over their lead arm, then rotate the elbow downward -- they're staring your backfist in the face. Then if they actually get their other hand up to cover their face they've opened their lower and middle gates and you've still got a hand free.
Southern Mantis Kung fu (SPM) has lots of trapping and sticky stuff in it. I'm learning some rubbing/trapping type exercises that turn arm rubbing into a moving sensitivty exercise. In that style they really emphasize "listening" with the forearms. Being able to feel your opponent's stance and balance and body through their arms.
In our arm rubbing - both parties are moving at the same time. In the SPM drills you start with person A pushing forward with a shoken towards the chest, then person B trapping and rubbing (the moves closly resemble koi no shippo uchi tata uchi and "rise drill fall overturn" type movements). Then Person B rubs/drives forward with a shoken and person A traps.
The exercise starts stationary with one arm moving at a time. Then you do two arms doing the same thing. Then you do stepping with one arm. Then stepping with two arms doing the same movement. The final step ends up looking like moving sticky sparring. Very natural, very fluid. (Note: - I've only see this on video).
Here's the link to the video.
http://www.bambootemple.com/dcforum/DCForumID15/5.html#
(note the link takes you to an entry on his site's forum.)
I've chatted with Mr. Hagood who makes them. He's a very nice guy and from what I've seen on the tapes he's got a solid understanding of his style, and clear teaching skills. And you have to love any style that uses pheonix eye strikes.
Dana
