Light Body

[anerlich]

I've heard of the supposed development of "light body" attributes in some KF styles, for the ability to jump high (like into trees and onto roofs of buildings, etc. and float (according to some HK movies anyway), walk silently and stand on eggs (which I understand to be trickery).

Precious little about this type of training on the web though. Anyone have any knowledge or insights?

Is it like doing the opposite of what you should to "sink" and "root", with breathing, stance, etc? Like what you would do more conventionally to increase your vertical jump? Any exercise or drills?

TIA

[Ming Yue]

Originally posted by anerlich
(according to some HK movies anyway)


key phrase there. :D

[Oso]

welllll, if you believe that there is something to the concept of 'root' then, imo, it would be the opposite sort of thing.

certainly not to the extreme of the movies but I feel there is something to it.

and I bet this thread will get moved to the internal forum.




Like what you would do more conventionally to increase your vertical jump? Any exercise or drills?

umm, jump a lot? Plyometric type springing exercises. Frog Jumps.

[Ford Prefect]

Root aka base is common to about every wrestling style under the sun and is grounded in easy to understand biomechanics and physics. Definately not the same thing as jumping 15 ft in the air, walking on eggs, and jedi mind tricks. One is real. The other isn't. ;)

[anerlich]

One is real. The other isn't.

I knew that. Most of my first post was borderline sarcasm, sometimes crossing over. I'm interested in "light body" from a historical/academic/curiosity POV, not wishing I could jump up onto my roof. Why bother? I've already got a 10 metre extension ladder anyway!

I'm training boxing/BJJ/Wing Chun. Much more interested in developing a better guard than acrobatics.

From what little I've seen, I gather the basics of "light body" are trying to "raise" the qi and COG higher in the body, rather than sinking them down, and "rooting". And developing a better vertical jump.

It's interesting that there is so much out there on "sinking" and "rooting" from all sorts of perspectives, but close to zero on this aspect. Maybe, as you say, one has some practical application, the other precious little.

Thanks for the advice.

[Oso]

when I first learned 'rooting' from my first instructor we did one particular exercise which is certainly all, or mostly, physical:

from a horse try and drag your feet together w/o lifting any weight off of them.

later the emphasis was on trying to press your feet into the ground "reaching for the center of the earth" while trying to drag your feet together. This certainly worked the inner thigh muscles and groin muscles as well as muscles I can't even name. I've never worried too much about what was happening, be it external physics or internal hoopajoo...I just know what type of training resulted in me having pretty good root.

for me it really gets a little confusing as I began training hung gar a year after I began wrestiling in HS (9th grade wrestling, 10th for fu). So, I had a season of wrestling under my belt then did my kung fu side by side, and year round, for the next three years. So, it's more than a bit difficult to recall everything that went into those first 4 years of martial training this much later in life.