Nia

[GeneChing]

throw in some tai chi and yoga... :rolleyes:



Dance + martial arts + yoga = Nia
Reporter: Elizabeth Dannheim
Last Update: 11/21 6:15 pm

Are you tired of going to the gym and you’re looking for a new workout?

How about one that combines dance, martial arts, and yoga?

It’s called Nia and it really gets your body moving. JoyMoves in West Lake Hills offers Nia classes and Austin women are flocking there to take part.

Shoshana Goldstein is one of the instructors and owners of JoyMoves.

“We say that Nia is like chocolate. You have to taste it,” Goldstein says.

Meaning you have to experience Nia to really understand it.

Created more than 25 years ago, Nia is a whole-body movement class done barefoot to music. It’s a blend of different dance arts like jazz and modern dance, mix in some martial arts, and throw in some tai chi and yoga and you’ve got Nia.

Goldstein says, "We repeat the movements over and over so it’s easy.”

Joanne Adams has been taking Nia classes for six years now. “I just enjoy movement. I enjoy the great music. The comradery. This is a real community here,” she says.

A community of women who love to have fun while they’re working out and these women are really working out.

Dr. Deborah Kern is a Nia instructor and she’s studied the aerobic effect of Nia.

Dr. Kern says, “An average size woman burns about the same amount of calories as running three miles in a Nia class.”

It’s not just good for your body, says these women but it’s good for your emotional health too.

“It helps you get in touch with your feelings,” Adams says.

If you want to try Nia, you can buy a one-time pass at JoyMoves for $12 or you can purchase a one-month, unlimited pass for $50 a month.

Here's the official website (http://www.nianow.com/thetechnique.php). I'd heard of Nia before - it's been going for some time. There wasn't a thread on it here anywhere and I figured it would antagonize the tai chi people the most. ;)

[PHILBERT]

Yay, do *******ized Taiji to Britney Spears music.

Great place to meet some beautiful women though, I guarantee it.

[Takuan]

They should do capoeira instead! XD

[doug maverick]

throw in some tai chi and yoga... :rolleyes:


Here's the official website (http://www.nianow.com/thetechnique.php). I'd heard of Nia before - it's been going for some time. There wasn't a thread on it here anywhere and I figured it would antagonize the tai chi people the most. ;)

why gene, why do you do this man.

[The Xia]

Pfft, Nia cannot possibly complete with these systems.

http://cosmicfighting.atspace.com/
http://streetcombat.8m.com/

:D

[GeneChing]

That's a fair question, Doug. Mostly because it's newsworthy, newsworthy enough that some other news source felt the need to run a story on it. One of the things I really like about the web is that you can hyperlink to these stories and as long as the the source is credited, it's fair game for the most part. It adds content. But on another level, I find the popular manifestations of martial arts to be very interesting and relevant. We in the martial world, the wulin (and I use the term very loosely with our forum crowd :rolleyes:), suffer from tremendous shortsightedness - martial myopia I like to call it. We imagine ourselves to be Bruce Lee but the world sees us more like Rex Kwon Do. So I find these popular fitness martial derivatives very interesting. Most are in the same vein as Taebo. Nia is a little different with its yoga/tai chi angle.

Speaking of Rex Kwon Do, have you seen Bally Fitness Kwando (http://west.ballyfitness.com/clubs/group_exercise/passport.asp)?

[yutyeesam]

Martial myopia is a great term. It is probably the main reason Tai Chi can never match the popularity of yoga in America.

[doug maverick]

That's a fair question, Doug. Mostly because it's newsworthy, newsworthy enough that some other news source felt the need to run a story on it. One of the things I really like about the web is that you can hyperlink to these stories and as long as the the source is credited, it's fair game for the most part. It adds content. But on another level, I find the popular manifestations of martial arts to be very interesting and relevant. We in the martial world, the wulin (and I use the term very loosely with our forum crowd :rolleyes:), suffer from tremendous shortsightedness - martial myopia I like to call it. We imagine ourselves to be Bruce Lee but the world sees us more like Rex Kwon Do. So I find these popular fitness martial derivatives very interesting. Most are in the same vein as Taebo. Nia is a little different with its yoga/tai chi angle.

Speaking of Rex Kwon Do, have you seen Bally Fitness Kwando (http://west.ballyfitness.com/clubs/group_exercise/passport.asp)?

i understand i guess, i'm just sick of these fake phony M.A. cardio craze's. i mean after tae bo every training tries toi come out with there own stuff many of them have little or no martial arts experience at least billy blanks is a master martial artist(i'll forgive him and your parent company for tc 2000) and he designed the system from his own experience but most of this stuff is rediculous.

[PHILBERT]

That's a fair question, Doug. Mostly because it's newsworthy, newsworthy enough that some other news source felt the need to run a story on it. One of the things I really like about the web is that you can hyperlink to these stories and as long as the the source is credited, it's fair game for the most part. It adds content. But on another level, I find the popular manifestations of martial arts to be very interesting and relevant. We in the martial world, the wulin (and I use the term very loosely with our forum crowd :rolleyes:), suffer from tremendous shortsightedness - martial myopia I like to call it. We imagine ourselves to be Bruce Lee but the world sees us more like Rex Kwon Do. So I find these popular fitness martial derivatives very interesting. Most are in the same vein as Taebo. Nia is a little different with its yoga/tai chi angle.

Speaking of Rex Kwon Do, have you seen Bally Fitness Kwando (http://west.ballyfitness.com/clubs/group_exercise/passport.asp)?

I'm the "loosely" you speak of since I quit Kung Fu (work kind of got in the way :mad: :( ).

[cjurakpt]

[QUOTE=The Xia;820984]
http://cosmicfighting.atspace.com/ /QUOTE]

my favorite quote from their website:
"I or any of my advanced students can enter any professional martial art tournament, mixed martial arts cage match, wrestling matches, ect., and can easily win." (italics mine)

any takers?...

[GeneChing]

I've never actually seen nia promoted beyond these web articles. Is it big near any of you?


Nia blends dance, healing techniques and martial arts (http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/11/nia-blends-dance-healing-techniques-and-martial/)
Use bones, muscles
By Chuck Kirman
ckirman@VenturaCountyStar.com
Monday, February 11, 2008

Eighty-five-year-old Dee Volz of Ventura rocks and rolls to the music with her back flat on the floor and her legs raised toward the ceiling. She wiggles feet, arms and hips. She stretches and smiles with the enthusiasm of a child.

Kate Nash, a certified black belt instructor and owner of the Ventura Nia Center, commands the attention of everyone in the class. She holds up five fingers and talks about the five sensations of fitness: flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability.

Nia got its start in 1983 when Carlos and Debbie Rosas, then certified fitness instructors in Marin County, were questioning traditional ways to exercise. They created Nia, which blends movement forms from the martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.

The Web site http://www.nianow.com defines Nia as a "body-mind-spirit fitness and lifestyle practice." The organization has headquarters in Portland, Ore.

"We move the body's way, which is 200-700. That's 200 bones and just about 700 muscles. We use all of them. Lots of extension and contraction of energy. This stuff is really magic," Nash said.

"It's exercise that's really fun, rather than drudgery," said Camarillo resident Susan Richter, who has four years of Nia experience.

Gary Tollison, 60, of Ventura was soaked with sweat after the one-hour nonstop class.

"It's real maintenance. That's the thing for me," said Tollison, who has been taking Nash's class for four years. "You can go at any level. The next thing you know, you're sweating real good."

Nash, who worked in the entertainment business for 20 years, mostly in live theater, has always been interested in self-awareness, expression and healing. In 2001, she became a Nia instructor and opened the Ventura Nia Center in 2004.

Rone Prinz of Woodland Hills has high praise for both Nash and the practice of Nia. "I adore it. It's like I found an awakening," she said. "It's like falling in love."

On this day, Prinz brought her friend Cindy McGee of West Hills for a first visit.

McGee said, "It's freeing. My body is being released from injuries." She asked Prinz when they were coming back. "Monday," Prinz said.

"I love what I do because I feel this is one way that people can achieve more than what they want for themselves," Nash said.

[tennytigers]

why would tai chi want to compete with yoga.yoga is good as far as it goes but it is just yoga.
the reason gyms keep trying to accuire new things is because they dont really work long term.
to make a buck they must keep offering the latest gadget due to the lack of spiritual depth and long term benifit.
it is news and martial arts need to know what is going on.

[cjurakpt]

BTW, in case anyone thinks that Nia is something revolutionary, newsflash, there's this little thing called Feldenkreis Method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldenkrais_method) that has been around for well over 50 years, which is essentially a combination of various movement disciplines (including judo: the founder studied directly with Kano :eek:), and has been utilized extensively by, among others, the PT profession to generally positive effect; the "problem" is that in order to become a certified Feldenkreis Practitioner, one has to undergo 3 to 4 years of very intensive training, and there is a very high level of internal oversight, including membership in a guild (http://www.feldenkrais.com/profession/about_the_feldenkrais_guild_of_north_america/) that has a very comprehensive set of professional ethics not typically seen outside of state licensed professions; furthermore, the approach is pretty sophisticated from a practitioners perspective, so not just everyone it cut out for it because of this internal rigor, which is why you don't see an over abundance of "Feldies" around: bottom line, the method is well-respected in the field for a very high level of quality control (like Rolfers and Alexander Technique Teachers), and it's a great approach to use with a wide variety of patient populations

[Lucas]

They steppin to Tai BO?

[NewToChen]

my wife does nia once a week. she seems to like it, but i am not too sure how much matial arts of any sort there is to it, more like yogaerobics, with plenty of music. one of her favorite classes is the annual Moullon Rouge night.

seems great for ladies, or a great way to meet ladies. :) it is certainly a great exercise class, if a touch over-sold imho...but what practitioner does not oversell their own system?

my first Chen tai chi class was held in the room above the local Nia studio. they used to get mad at us for buddha-stomping....

[NeedsPractice]

actually nia is or at least was pretty well known in nyc taught in the equinox health clubs, etc. i am not a fan thats being nice


but alot (actually most people) dont really want any serious martial arts training for any even short period of time, they just want to say they "trained"

[RonH]

That's a fair question, Doug. Mostly because it's newsworthy, newsworthy enough that some other news source felt the need to run a story on it.

To be fair, the news also does stories on ugly, mutant dogs and breakaway underwear for kids that's anti-wedgie.


but the world sees us more like Rex Kwon Do.

These stupid people should never be given the dignity of responding to them. They suck and should be ignored at all cost.

I'm seeing nia as the newest reimagining fad of Tae Bo. But, I would say its success lies in it not being advertised in comic books.

[GeneChing]

Do you think Nia is growing or fading now?

NIA combines martial arts and dance (http://willamettelive.com/story/NIA_combines_martial_arts_and_dance_127.html)
By Michelle Andujar
from Salem Weekly, Section Wellness
Posted on Wed Feb 09, 2011 at 08:32:40 AM PDT

Some people do yoga to improve flexibility; others prefer zumba or jazzercise for the cardio, yet others opt for martial arts to better their balance and sensory awareness. Narrow-muscular Integrated Action (NIA - pronounced nee-ah) combines all these and more.

In one hour, participants experience nine arts integrated into one: three types of dances, martial arts and healing arts.

Dance techniques include jazz, Duncan and modern dance.

Salem NIA instructor Sherry Coburn says, "Jazz is animated, modern dance is making shapes with your body, and Duncan dance is about really expressing your feelings, expressing every note in the music with your body."

NIA's martial arts are Chinese tai chi, Japanese Aikido and Korean Taekwondo. They focus on the "hara," the center of gravity, or the core. All NIA instructors must have extensive martial arts training (Coburn is a blue belt).

The three healing arts are yoga, Alexander technique and the Feldenkrais method, which is about self-awareness through movement, aiming to reduce pain and stiffness. Alexander was a Shakespearean orator who began to lose his voice. After noticing that voice and breathing problems are commonly caused by tensing the muscles of the upper torso, especially the neck, he developed this technique to displace that tension and continue acting.

In her sessions, Coburn encourages students to vocalize and act out different emotions, making the NIA experience very cathartic. She might direct an angry "No!" yell or a happy "Yes!" to accompany the punches, or tell people to remember the most in love they've been as they freely dance around.

"It's like therapy! You feel anger, happiness, and work out some of those emotions," says participant Wendy Stalfire, who has seen physical balance increase despite a medical condition. "I think it's because of the crossing motions, making new connections in the nervous system," she says.

Although there's a choreography to follow, people are encouraged freedom of expression and movement.

Carmen, a NIA participant for two years, says at first she used to only follow the form, but soon began to open up.

"I have done a lot of different kinds of aerobics and NIA is a total workout. It helps keep the brain active, improve balance and elasticity and it's great for any age," she says, recommending NIA to anyone 40 and up to maintain healthy joints with NIA's gentle dance rotations.

"It's a party!" says Coburn. "It's phenomenal. I've had depressed students come and leave happy and laughing. Some people never thought they could dance and they discover their senses, their body."

The diverse world music ranges from techno to reggae, ambient and much more. Thievery Corporation would be a good example of something played during a NIA workout.

"They're very vibrant sounds we don't always hear," says Coburn, who recently created a NIA choreography to Sting's "Englishman in New York."

NIA has been around for 25 years and is very popular in Europe, Asia and Africa. Its basic principle is called "The Body's Way": the body naturally chooses pleasure over pain, and NIA uses that pleasure in movement to achieve fitness.

In one of Coburn's classes, she instructed students to act as a flying bird, stalking a prey down below. The movement was graceful, fun and full of emotion and no one would have noticed they were actually doing squats the whole time.

There could be a taekwondo kick followed by a slow dance while walking backwards and a full-body shake similar to the belly dancing "shimmy," a great technique to stimulate the nervous system. The stretching part at the end, known as "floor play," is not static stretching, but free-moving.

"The autonomic nervous system is not normally stimulated. Our bodies need sudden change, shock. We tell the brain to venture another direction," says Coburn, adding that NIA, a brain-to-toes workout, also works to improve mental clarity and memory.

The sense of joy her students have fallen in love with is evident in their faces after each session.

Janet Brice, a class participant since last year, says the workout has, "trimmed and toned me, given me a greater flexibility than I ever experienced, tremendously reduced shoulder joint issues from carrying a laptop and heavy purses for many years and provided a total acceptance atmosphere where each person is valued at their ability level."

"There are no words to express what a gift NIA is. It's like eating chocolate... you can't explain it. You want it and you love it," adds Coburn. "You have to experience it. You can't die until you have NIA."

For more information about NIA, visit nianow.com. Sherry Coburn can be reached at 503-269-3148 or at sherrycoburn@rocketmail.com

GET MOVING
Middle Earth Dance Studio, 155 Liberty St NE (downtown)
Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays 10:45-11:45 a.m.

YMCA
Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-5:20 p.m. (Family class)
Senior 50+ community center, 2615 Portland Rd.
Mondays 8:45-9:40 a.m. and Thursdays 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Prices vary depending on the number of classes attended in a 4-week period (4 classes are $20).

[B-Rad]

Watched a video and it seemed like a good variety of movement and better integrated ideas than the typical women ma inspired health fad. The taichi influence seemed pretty minimal as to lifting techniques directly, and more inspirational in the slow movement in the beginning and end. The TKD I noticed was probably some punches and jazzy looking front kicks. Looks like a fun exercise program for the ladies.

[KC Elbows]

I don't see what there is to get upset about, it's a workout. You don't see trim carpenters watching clips all day of do-it-yourselfers and getting upset at the tarnishing of their noble art.

[GeneChing]

I just noticed that our Nia (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49109-Nia) thread predates our New Hybrids (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50571-New-Hybrids) thread, so it never made it on to that one. So I'm copying it now even though its far from new now, mostly because it's impossible to search Nia at only 3 letters (had to use the website NiaNow (https://nianow.com/)).


Barefoot dance and martial arts combine for this workout (https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-interview/barefoot-dance-and-martial-arts-combine-for-this-workout/97-8e403890-0f08-407f-8493-c4faca46517a)
"Nia is a sensory-based fitness practice," says Portland instructor Erin Curren about a workout that blends martial arts, dance, and healing.
Author: Amanda Hill
Published: 2:39 PM EST November 18, 2019
Updated: 11:56 AM EST November 20, 2019

PORTLAND, Maine — While we specifically seek out alternative workouts for our segment, "Working Outside The Box," Nia is something that's difficult to describe. So we leave the hard part to Portland-based black belt instructor, Erin Curren: "It blends the precision and power of martial arts, the expressiveness and play of the dance arts, and the awareness and choice of the healing arts."

Call it connecting with your inner-most self; call it working out; or call it a silly dance class. Whatever you call this class, you'll by wiping the sweat away when it's over.

"I have people dragging coming into class," says Curren. "Even though they’ve been getting this great workout, they leave with more energy, which is sort of the Nia paradox. It’s sort of a sneaky work out."

When you arrive, you kick off your shoes and socks. You want to feel every single movement, from the base of your feet to the tips of your fingers. "We have 7,000 nerve endings in our feet and that gives us a lot of information that travels through our ankles, through our knees or hips, and helps us make choices for pleasure and comfort; stability and strength." Curren is pretty laid back in class, calling herself more of a guide. It's up to you to move as much - or as little - as you'd like.

"Nia is very adaptable for highly trained athletes or for couch potatoes who want to slowly get back into moving," says Curren. "I have students in the same class who are 26 and 85 [years-old] and I love when that happens because they are moving their body's way."

To learn more about Erin Curren's Nia class, click here.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QrWOlYNyaY