Improving physical balance

[Ceicei]

I believe this is an issue that is applicable to just about any martial arts.

My balance has not been a strong point (I had better balance when I was much younger--thanks to some gymnastics during PE in school--but balance has gone downhill as the [many] years passed by). :o

I know that my skills with martial arts would go more smoothly if balance is better. :(

Are there any suggestions on excercises, tricks, or "secrets" for improving balance? :confused:

Thank you in advance,

- Ceicei

[Cthulhu]

It may help to specify what you're seeking balance in. Balance in motion, such as kicking? Or balance while standing still, like holding yourself steady with one leg raised.

For martial arts, balance in motion is what you should strive for, as balance while immobile is relatively useless. Learning to 'move with your center' is helpful. One way to visualize this is to picture how some people may advance or retreat while leading with the head rather than the hips. Leading with the head tends to put you off balance.

I'm going to stop before I start babbling.

Cthulhu

[arnisador]

I used to stand on one foot every morning while I put on my shirt, brushed my teeth, and so on. It was static, not in motion, but it helped!

[Ceicei]

I can balance on two feet just fine and can balance on transitional stances too.

What I'm thinking of is the need for balance that requires being on one foot more than a few seconds--ie. crane stance, etc. (For example, I've had a lot of trouble with the Leaping Crane technique in EPAK).

I guess what I'm really looking for are ways to strengthen the leg muscles that will allow for single-foot balance to be better.

- Ceicei

[MartialArtsChic]

My brother got the balance gene in the family so I've got major balance issues.

Practice, practice, practice and it'll get better. Bending the knee of the leg still on the ground when I kick tends to help me too on some of them. Maybe just let the kick happen too. I know I would concentrate and focus on that particular aspect it wouldn't work. When I would get fed up with myself and just do it and not think, lo and behold I was able to hold the balance on the kicks.

Cthulhu: If you have any other ideas, babble away, please. :D Any tips are helpful to try.

Lorrie

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
Learning to 'move with your center' is helpful. One way to visualize this is to picture how some people may advance or retreat while leading with the head rather than the hips. Leading with the head tends to put you off balance.
Cthulhu

Leading with the hips? Are you saying to keep the stances lower?

- Ceicei

[Shodan]

Yes- balance is an issue now for me too. It never used to be until back in 1998 when I blew my knee out on a belt test. Ever since then, my balance has been slightly off. I have found this exercise helpful however. Stand on one leg with it bent and practice 10 kicks to the front, the side and the back, then switch legs. Very important to keep that supporting leg bent and to get the kick back to your knee quickly. You can also try this exercise with slow motion kicks........over time, you will notice your balance improving- this is something I have done to rehab. my knee and make it stronger. After you feel as though you are getting it down pretty good in the air, do the same exercise, but now kick a punching bag or training bag.

Hope it helps you as it has me.

:asian: :karate:

[Cthulhu]

Okinawa-te triple kick drill #1:

-Assume a standing horse stance, with arms held at your sides, with the option of moving them out to retain balance during the drill.

-Starting with the right leg, front kick and set down.

-Still with the right leg, side kick, then set down.

-Again with the right leg, back kick, then set down.

-Repeat with the left leg.

-When you think you're ready, do the kicks (front, side, back) without setting the leg down after the first front kick. Obviously, you need to set it down when switching to the left leg.

Remember to maintain your systems kick chambering form. Experiment with lower horse stances as balance and leg strength increases.

This drill should help with balance while kicking, leg strength, multiple kicks, and multiple kicks to different targets.

Cthulhu

[Cthulhu]

Originally posted by Ceicei
Leading with the hips? Are you saying to keep the stances lower?

- Ceicei

Assume whatever fighting stance you prefer. When advancing or retreating, visualize leading with your hips...as if someone tied a rope to your belt and was pulling you backwards or forwards that way.

Let me know if that's incoherent rambling :)

Cthulhu

[MountainSage]

Cthulhu's triple kick drill suggestion is one of the best I've been exposed to that improves balance. The School I attend uses this drill as a mainstay in balance improvement and multiple kick training. Use this drill folks, it does work.

Mountainsage

[theletch1]

Assume whatever fighting stance you prefer. When advancing or retreating, visualize leading with your hips...as if someone tied a rope to your belt and was pulling you backwards or forwards that way. This is a great visualization for balance while on the move. Aikido requires blending with the attackers energy and "taking his space" so your balance had to be on target. do you have any good drills for balance while moving at a good speed?

[Shodan]

A moving exercise I can think of that we used to do is........hopping forwards and backwards to one-leg stances. While in a normal standing position, you hop forward on a 45 degree angle (say towards 1 o'clock) onto your right leg. Right leg should be bent and left foot rests against inside of your right knee (crane or one-legged stance)........From here (once you are balanced), you hop forward on a 45 degree angle again- this time to your left (say towards 11 o'clock)- this time to a left one-legged stance. We'd run lines of basics this way forward all the way across the mat and then do the same in reverse all the way back. It helped me with balance too. As with anything- you can try it at various speeds.

:asian: :karate:

[Cthulhu]

A drill we do may help for maintaining balance during quick movement. Bear in mind, this is for FMA training, so some terminology and whatnot may differ.

Basically, someone crashes in on another with a stick, striking rapidly for two or three steps. The other person retreats quickly (so as not to get clobbered) for two or three steps, then 'zones off' to the left or right. This means after your last retreating step, you advance, but at about a 45-degree angle to your original line of motion.

Basically, if you are moving off-balance, you shouldn't be able to make a smooth transition, and will lose your balance entirely, and/or get run over by the advancing opponent (which also means you may just get whacked with a stick).

Not the original intent of the drill, but it should work a bit for training balance in motion.

Cthulhu

[Spud]

Also using a BOSU ball will help with dynamic/transition balance. Many of the drills listed above can be used in conjunction with a BOSU.



Bosu Ball (http://www.bosu.com)

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Spud
Also using a BOSU ball will help with dynamic/transition balance. Many of the drills listed above can be used in conjunction with a BOSU.


Interesting. Never heard of BOSU. Is the surface hard or soft? It appears to have some "give" to it. Do you train frequently with one?

- Ceicei

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Cthulhu

Basically, someone crashes in on another with a stick, striking rapidly for two or three steps. The other person retreats quickly (so as not to get clobbered) for two or three steps, then 'zones off' to the left or right. This means after your last retreating step, you advance, but at about a 45-degree angle to your original line of motion.



Whoa! I tried that with a partner (sans the sticks) and it took a lot of coordination to do that footwork quickly! I'd have to say that is an ingenious way to practice balance in motion.

-- Ceicei

[Spud]

Originally posted by Ceicei
Interesting. Never heard of BOSU. Is the surface hard or soft? It appears to have some "give" to it. Do you train frequently with one?

- Ceicei
It is similar to a swiss ball with the inflated half bubble top and a hard flat bottom surface. I bought mine for ski training but the cross over training in martial arts has also been great – BOSU are good for popreoceptors (spelling) the ancillary muscle groups that help support your balance and reaction.

I do many of my regular MA balance drills while standing on the ball, plus step aerobics sorts of conditioning, and lunges. The also work great for core strengthening – crunches, cobra stretches etc. Will also do reaction drills – tossing/catching a ball against the wall while stepping up on the BOSU. Flip the dome over and do push ups holding onto the flat surface while balancing on the inflated.

They run about $100.

[Guro Harold]

Douglas Wong in his "Kung-fu" book has some exercises that incorporate developing balance using two or more industrial food cans filled with concrete.

Basically you start with the horse stance and work your way to the crane stance. You can then transition through all your stances.

This is hard but cool training!!! Some people use railroad ties or telephone poles as alternate, ie if you have seen the finale of "Iron Monkey."

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Palusut
Douglas Wong in his "Kung-fu" book has some exercises that incorporate developing balance using two or more industrial food cans filled with concrete.

Basically you start with the horse stance and work your way to the crane stance. You can then transition through all your stances.

This is hard but cool training!!! Some people use railroad ties or telephone poles as alternate, ie if you have seen the finale of "Iron Monkey."

:confused:

Never saw the movie, so forgive my confusion. I can only think of two different possibilities--to hold or to stand on.

Do you hold them in your hands or on your head? Are they strung up and held by the ropes? Are the railroad ties/telephone poles cut in pieces and roped? If the cans are held in the hands, could dumbbells be used instead? I would think dumbbells would be more comfortable in the hands.

Or are you saying, these things are to *STAND* on to practice balancing?

I'm guessing its the latter one you meant. It would have to be heavy enough and sturdy enough not to tip over while a person is standing upon it.

-- Ceicei

[Guro Harold]

Originally posted by Ceicei
:confused:

Or are you saying, these things are to *STAND* on to practice balancing?

I'm guessing its the latter one you meant. It would have to be heavy enough and sturdy enough not to tip over while a person is standing upon it.

-- Ceicei

You got it. You stand on them. You can find the book at Barnes and Noble or Borders Books.

If I get a chance, I will take a picture of the cans that I use.

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by Palusut
You can find the book at Barnes and Noble or Borders Books.

If I get a chance, I will take a picture of the cans that I use.

Thanks. I can check for that book.

Let me know when/if you do post the picture.

- Ceicei

[Spud]

Originally posted by Palusut
Douglas Wong in his "Kung-fu" book has some exercises that incorporate developing balance using two or more industrial food cans filled with concrete.

Basically you start with the horse stance and work your way to the crane stance. You can then transition through all your stances.

This is hard but cool training!!! Some people use railroad ties or telephone poles as alternate, ie if you have seen the finale of "Iron Monkey."

Kind of like a bongo board, but without the board?

cool!

http://shapeupshop.com/im_ol/GA137P.JPG

[Guro Harold]

Yeah, but the bongo board is execellant too!!!


So much so, that a company redesigned on out of rubber and plastic and resold it.

[Ceicei]

Bongo boards looks like fun. Where would they be found?

- Ceicei

[Spud]

Snowboard shops

Gart Sports?

Hospital Emergency Rooms :p

[Guro Harold]

Can holds 6.10 lbs of food. Go to any big resturant and ask for them. The usually wash them out deter rodents.

[Guro Harold]

Shown with ready mix concrete.

You can mix and pour or depending on the formula, pour the concrete and and water in the can itself (my method).

You need to have at least tw cans. You can have 5 to make all the points of a box and the middle as well.

[Ceicei]

Would 10 lb. cans work or are you suggesting smaller size to focus more on balance? These 10 lb. sizes seem more common in stores where I'm located.

- Ceicei

[Guro Harold]

All the more better!

If you use those cans, all you need is the proper plank (based on your height and weight) to have a bongo board configuration too!!!

You would have to find a way to texturize the plank so its not too slippery.

[TonyM.]

I'm fond of static one legged stances. After achieving at least 2 1/2 min. on each leg you can practice standing on small objects such as the end of a hard water struck brick. The really hard part. Close your eyes.

[GaryM]

Hi, haven't posted in a while but this thread struck a cord with some theory I have on the subject. I believe that balance comes from two general sources, one is the proper 'stances'. Most all martial arts practice 'stance work' i.e. katas. The old horse stance is the mother of all stances and all stances are a variation of the basic horse stance as far as posture and base. This is the position of balance. So being very precise with your stance work in your katas is essential. The other source is to have balanced strength in your body. This is achieved with core strength exercises. (It can also be achieved with many years of precise kata practice but we would all like to find legitimate shortcuts) Balanced strength means that all the many muscles around your whole torso that keep you erect are EQUALLY strengthened. There is an excellent link in the health tips section for strongforte exercises. When you first start these exercises they actually ruin your balance a bit temporarily. This makes sence to me, if you do lots of curls it makes your biceps weaker initially. Balance is also a major component of 'chi'. Think of chi as your will, that which directs the movement of your body. Ignore the deeper aspects of 'chi' in reguards to its connection to your organs and health and well being and focus on the practical aspects of your body being a vehicle that your will uses to achieve it's intent. If your body is tense, muscles that are moving your body,arm, fist forward to strike are being opposed by tense muscles in opposition to this movement. If you are not balanced muscles must work hard (tension) to keep you upright and therefore inhibit your strength and waste energy. energy=will. The strongeforte exercises only require two light dumbells. Be very focused on perfect stances when doing your katas. Don't lean or slouch. No warrenty stated or implied, individual results may vary.

[Ceicei]

Originally posted by GaryM
Hi, haven't posted in a while but this thread struck a cord with some theory I have on the subject. I believe that balance comes from two general sources, one is the proper 'stances'. Most all martial arts practice 'stance work' i.e. katas. The old horse stance is the mother of all stances and all stances are a variation of the basic horse stance as far as posture and base. This is the position of balance. So being very precise with your stance work in your katas is essential.

So there's a possibility my stances may be off that contribute to my balance problem?


The other source is to have balanced strength in your body. This is achieved with core strength exercises. (It can also be achieved with many years of precise kata practice but we would all like to find legitimate shortcuts) Balanced strength means that all the many muscles around your whole torso that keep you erect are EQUALLY strengthened. There is an excellent link in the health tips section for strongforte exercises. When you first start these exercises they actually ruin your balance a bit temporarily. This makes sence to me, if you do lots of curls it makes your biceps weaker initially.

Why would we excercise certain muscles to the expense of others? Wouldn't it make sense to not just focus on a certain area, but to consecutively work on each area the same day?


Balance is also a major component of 'chi'. Think of chi as your will, that which directs the movement of your body. Ignore the deeper aspects of 'chi' in reguards to its connection to your organs and health and well being and focus on the practical aspects of your body being a vehicle that your will uses to achieve it's intent. If your body is tense, muscles that are moving your body,arm, fist forward to strike are being opposed by tense muscles in opposition to this movement. If you are not balanced muscles must work hard (tension) to keep you upright and therefore inhibit your strength and waste energy. energy=will. The strongeforte exercises only require two light dumbells. Be very focused on perfect stances when doing your katas. Don't lean or slouch. No warrenty stated or implied, individual results may vary.

Very good suggestions. This also advises against just 'going through the moves' that many students do, and to focus more on putting effort into what we do.

Also, many people define chi differently so I am at a loss what it really is.

- Ceicei

[GaryM]

Originally posted by Ceicei
So there's a possibility my stances may be off that contribute to my balance problem?

Why would we excercise certain muscles to the expense of others? Wouldn't it make sense to not just focus on a certain area, but to consecutively work on each area the same day

- Ceicei
Yes, your stances could be part of the problem. Why would we exercise certain muscles to the expense of others? It tends to be the prevailing philosophy with modern resistance training. Isolating muscles or muscle groups. Core exercises are whole body exercises.

[clapping_tiger]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
Okinawa-te triple kick drill #1:

-Assume a standing horse stance, with arms held at your sides, with the option of moving them out to retain balance during the drill.

-Starting with the right leg, front kick and set down.

-Still with the right leg, side kick, then set down.

-Again with the right leg, back kick, then set down.

-Repeat with the left leg.

-When you think you're ready, do the kicks (front, side, back) without setting the leg down after the first front kick. Obviously, you need to set it down when switching to the left leg.

Remember to maintain your systems kick chambering form. Experiment with lower horse stances as balance and leg strength increases.

This drill should help with balance while kicking, leg strength, multiple kicks, and multiple kicks to different targets.

Cthulhu

This is almost the exact same drill I used (and still do at least once a week), except after the rear kick (heel kick), I do a thrusting front kick. Also the slower you do it the better for balance. Try it with our eyes closed, once you master that, your balance will be right on. This drill also helps perfect the form of your kicks, like recoiling and proper delivery and targeting.

[Cthulhu]

Cool...it's a fairly straightforward drill, so I'm not surprised others do something similar.

Okinawa-te Triple Kick Drill #2:

- Assume same posture as the first drill.

- With right leg, do a roundhouse to the front (without turning hip over...substitute whatever your system calls this kick).

- Still with the right leg, do a side thrust kick to the right side.

- Still with the right leg, do a hook kick to the rear.

- As with the first drill, set leg down and repeat with left leg.

Cthulhu

[pvwingchun]

If you want to improve your balance try Tai Chi.

[hardheadjarhead]

Ceicei,

As one ages balance can get worse. I think this is due to degradation of the inner ear. I'm not sure. I get dizzy, for instance, when spun around in training. That didn't happen when I was younger. I can't even ride on a kiddie roller coaster at a fair without getting nauseous. Ten years ago I went on the wildest rides.

I have my students practice balance by holding a crane stance and fixing their gaze on one point, perhaps a spot on the wall. I also have them slowly extend kicks and hold them while doing this. In time they improve quite a bit.

Sometimes a ballet bar or chair while kicking can be helpful. The person uses it for assistance, and then progressively put less and less weight on it...maybe working to one finger on the chair/bar.

Note: Some people have biomechanical problems which are very hard to compensate for. An old girlfriend of mine had a condition called "forefoot valgus", which caused her to lose her balance when kicking. Her forefoot was very unstable. Inserts in her shoes corrected it. This did her little good when training in bare feet, however.

Regards,

Steve