Relaxation Techniques

[Mr.Binx]

I'm having a great deal of trouble teaching my body to loosen up when performing two-man excercises in seven star. Since most seven star movements gain alot of their power from spiral inertia it is very important that I keep my body loose for the majority and only briefly tense the muscles at certain points in a movement. I understand that this will take practice, persistence, perception, and patience. In addition to repetitive practice, does anyone have any positive suggestions on how to keep one's muscles relaxed throughout physical martial exercise?

[BeiTangLang]

Yes,...ask you sihing what they do. Better to ask those that are doing the same techniques as yourself than those that may be unfamiliar. Aside from that obvious bit of wisdom, practice clearing your mind while stretching & practice "being relaxed" at any given time during your day (at work, at home, wherever).
Anyway, I hope that helps.
~BTL

[MightyB]

We all struggle with it even after many years... Just relax, it'll happen. ;)

[Young Mantis]

When you first learn a 2-man exercise, you should really concentrate on the technique, stances, timing, distance, and balance. Power and speed are the last things to develop. In the long run, it will be more efficient and accurate if you first practice slowly and with less power. Perfect the body mechanics. All too often I see my newer classmates immediately try to pull off the technique as if in a real fight immediately after just learning the exercise. Take your time, if you try to use too much speed too soon, you will most likely be sloppy. If you try to use too much power too soon, you will probably use more muscular power than snapping power.

YM

[Mr.Binx]

I think trying to nail the timing on techniques to strike/defend during two-man practice is needlesly tensing my muscles. I'm trying too hard to control where and when my body will be in relation to my partner. When I practice individual techniques in the air my form is fairly loose, but when pressed by a partner I become rigid because I haven't become comfortable using that individual technique in a situation other than kata-style practice. Think I'll take both BeiTangLang and Young Mantis' advice (thankyou btw). I figure if I become proficient at using a technique in a sparring situation that I will naturally become more relaxed when utilizing it in that environment. Also, if I can practice being loose and relaxed in all things then it should naturally follow into my Kung Fu. Staying relaxed at work will definately be a challenge... and challenges are definately good. :)

[Mr.Binx]

Just to update an old post... I have started taking a 15-30 minute nap, time permitting, before class and I find that it is very effective for me in both clearing my thoughts and relaxing my muscles. Kind of like wiping the slate clean.

Likewise, I have found that on many days when I drink coffee/espresso to stay awake through class (my schedule is very strained right now) muscle tension is increased, I perform very poorly, memory retention is a bit garbled/fuzzy, and often end up with greater muscle pain the next day... this could, of course, also be from the lack of sleep itself. So I've stopped that practice though it makes my classes MUCH more infrequent (once a week or less). :( Though I think it's for the better as I actually feel that my understanding and control seems to be moving along alot more fluidly than before. I think trying to cram my tanglang training into the rest of my life without creating breathing room may have been a big factor there.

I've also found that drinking many fluids (water/gatorade/etc.) well before class has greatly increased my stamina rather than my old habit of drinking whenever my body craves it. Less body pain the next day after I started this regimen as well.

Looking back I realize these things should have seemed very obvious to me... hindsight is always 20/20. Regardless, anytime I begin training new techniques I still continue to hear "Relax!" repeatedly from my sihing. So relaxation continues to be my worst enemy, but at least I'm making steps in the right direction, neh? :)

[bung bo]

Mr. Binx--it's slowly gotten easier for me to perform two-person sets and stay relaxed. it's really hard to stay relaxed doing bung bo with one of my shrsiung. he's hit me a couple of times and one literally blurred my vision for about .4 seconds. but i've found if i pay attention to my technique i usually (but sometimes) don't get hit. tai chi has also really helped me recognize tension and correct it. i would pay a lot of attention to my body. i used to tense up without even knowing it.

those naps sound like a good idea. one of my shrjae (sp?) says that regular walking has really boosted her energy level.

[Taz]

The question you ask is a very complex question indeed. Some will answer if one meditates in corner, the light will shine and you will learn relaxtion. Of course, these are the same people who will tell you to meditate in a corner and the applications for techniques will be unveiled.

This is not the case. If you are experiencing muscle tigtness during performance then this is a neuromuscular issue and can be related to length tension issues in muscle groups which leads to improper recruitment of assisted mucle groups. Basically, what needs to occur is retraining the neuromuscular system and how it recruits and which muscles groups it recruits.

I am not only speaking from physiological research but from personal experience. With this newly acquired knowledge, I have found tremendous improvement in relaxation in my movements which is due to improved functional flexibility and efficiency of movement.

If you are truly interested in learning these techniques and practices then I can email you the organizations and authors who teach this. It is too complex for me to explain it in a post due to fundamental knowledge in physiology that is needed. However, if you are interested there a many books, videos, and workshops you can take- So Please Don't Feel Intimidated. It truly is unfortunate that the elite innovaters in my field are not in the main stream and there info and insight is unknown to the masses. My hope is to bring this knowledge with others to the forefront.

[Tieh]

:) :) :)
Thanks for bringing up that toppic. I think this is one of central aspects that determines a skilled martial artist. A relaxed body is the basic resource for fast, accurate and powerful movements I find.

@Taz
I would definetey be interested in some descent research about this too. Sent you pm.

Ragards

edit
Taz,
I can't send you a pm somehow. Can you send me one maybe?

[Tak]

Originally posted by Mr.Binx
Just to update an old post... I have started taking a 15-30 minute nap, time permitting, before class and I find that it is very effective for me in both clearing my thoughts and relaxing my muscles. Kind of like wiping the slate clean.

[snip]

Likewise, I have found that on many days when I drink coffee/espresso to stay awake through class (my schedule is very strained right now) muscle tension is increased, I perform very poorly, memory retention is a bit garbled/fuzzy, and often end up with greater muscle pain the next day...
I've also found that drinking many fluids (water/gatorade/etc.) well before class has greatly increased my stamina rather than my old habit of drinking whenever my body craves it. Less body pain the next day after I started this regimen as well.

I have the opposite experience with naps. If I take a 30-minute nap, I'm worthless for the rest of the night. On the other hand, if I do 30 minutes of qigong, then I get the result you describe.

I have the same experiences as yours with the coffee and water, although the next-day muscle pain from the coffee may be due to dehydration.

[ninjaboy]

i'd like to add a little to the comments made by taz and bung bo as i also think self awareness in a deep way is the key:

personally speaking, i don't know if it's relaxation you seek...suppleness might be a better word for what you're doing. however, besides that...

just smile while you practice...not in a goofy way but in a nice gentle way. it's not an ancient secret i don't think, but facial relaxation would be a great place to start. clenched lips or teeth or brow don't lend themselves to the development of relaxed supple movement (in practice or fighting). a secondary problematic area (in my experience) is the trapezius (find a body map somewhere if you're not familiar with this term).

how to tell if you're trapezius is relaxed or not...

1.stand in front of a mirror and perform 'kwa' (hanging hand/upper outer guard etc...u know the move, yes?)

2. take note if, in your reflection, one shoulder is slightly 'higher' than the other. if your shoulders are not parallel to the floor relax the muscles necessary to create that scenario.

3. repeat on other side.

also, i find making a fist with out needlessly contracting the whole arm assists in relaxation/suppleness development.

this is just a 'quick trick' starting point of course but by becoming aware of yourself in some ways (in a proactive way, though, not in a 'sit in a corner and hope for the best for a few years' kind of way) the doors of understanding things in other areas will open.

just pay more attention to the process. wherever we place our attention in life is where growth occurs (good or bad unfortunately). think about things this way: you're body isn't 'learning' new things, it's 'remembering' how to do things properly, the way it would prefer to with a minimum of effort.

hope it helps...

sincerely

neil

[Mr.Binx]

To re-clarify: my main problem has been with overall body tension. If I don't relax properly and let my body move "freely" then my body will impede it's own movements. Once I have repetitavely practiced a technique in a relaxed state (mentally and physically), I do not seem to have as many problems while in a tense state with that specific technique later on. Once I know how a technique "feels" (muscle-wise) I seem to be more successful at keeping unwanted muscle-groups from activating (the relaxed shoulders in kwa that Neil mentioned is a good example of this). The idea of "minimizing motion to only what is required for effectiveness" is one of the key ideas behind my school's teachings so I am naturally trying my best to solidify the idea early-on in the learning of the art. From what my sifu and sihing tell me. I assume relaxation will start coming to me naturally after a point, but until then I must strive for it. So, all my rambling aside, I'm basically trying to find a way to keep my body relaxed as I learn new things. Once I have learned the basics of a technique in a relaxed state I can then turn my attentions to other aspects of that same technique's execution (power-generation, timing, fluidity, etc.) and continue my way down the long road to becoming a novice of seven star praying mantis kung fu. :D You continued insights and personal stories on this subject are all greatly appreciated.

[bung bo]

i'm exactly the same way. i have to practice something a bunch of times to get all the aspects of it right. each time i go through it, i find out something new. the only way for me to lose tension is to keep practicing and getting more familiar with it and the art in general.

good tips, ninjaboy