Favorite exercises for building your sabering core?

[Master Rel]

Hopefully videos rather than simple "I like push ups", to build a collection of points of interest for our common health and well being.

I am back to a point health wise to get back on the horse and as I am researching the potential options for current exercises I thought I would throw this out there.

Is there a particular technique or routine that gets results for you and your body?

I found this one and it seems to be a good one...I will add it to the process for a couple weeks or a month and see what happens.

http://bcove.me/03g674pq

[Thonolan]

Yoga is great plyo and stretching work, develops amazing core strength, flexibility, focus, and balance.

I only go once a week currently due to other commitments but it makes me feel amazing when I am done.

[Darth Nonymous]

Yes! This is where my formal education and expertise really is! Great topic, since this is one of the biggest benefits to the sport.

Here is an example of where I come from on these issues.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxRy55CeoQg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxRy55CeoQg</a>

Grey cook is one of my mentors and teachers. By applying the above concepts, one can achieve amazing things. The patterns he talks about are the natural patterns of movement that we are all born with and develop over time. Rolling, crawling, lifting, squatting, pushing.

As far as an exercise, check out the links at the side. Go to "Grey Cook teaches the Turkish Get-up". That is by far the best single exercise any sword play athlete can do. It hits dynamic stabilization and movement patterning, it is unilateral and targets strength and flexibility at the same time.

I hope to do an exercise and fitness spot on TPLA live with visiting experts.

[Master Bluespike74]

Hey Rel,

I do Kempo at minimum twice per week.  It is a softer Martial Art that is much better on joints.  After MMA, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Osteoarthritis in both knees and Chondromalacia in both shoulders.  Kempo does not hurt near as much as Chun Kuk Do did. 

Stretching and body isolation are key points to our warm up exercise.  We have very deep horse stances that allows you to only work upper body and then only the lower body.  I dropped from 260 to 220 lbs and then as the muscle mass began to build, I am back to 257.4 but my body fat is much lower than previously.

I don't know if you have any classes close to you but P90X is based on Kempo.

[Master Rel]

I studied Kenpo with two different instructors, both traditionalists.

If you are in a reduced status I would look to yoga and tai chi.

Rather that a style I was looking at particular techniques.

I am appreciative of the in put though   

[Solinus]

I am late in responding, I know. And I am sorry for my absence. I would like to share with you what I have been doing with my time as far as exercise goes.

So my buddy gave me a book written by a guy named Paul "Coach" Wade, called Convict Conditioning. It's a great book that talks about progressive body weight training. Using six basic exercises designed to increase your strength through the use of your own body weight. No gym memberships. No weight lifting. No equipment to buy. The Big Six (as he calls them) are all exercises that move naturally with the body: Pushups, Squats, Pullups, Leg raises, the Bridge, and Handstand Pushups. Each of the Big Six has ten steps that get increasingly harder as you progress.

For example, I thought I was great at pushups, so I started at step six of the pushups which was close hand or diamond pushups. Level 1 wants 1 set of 10 reps. That was too easy for me. So I hopped into Level 2 which was two sets of 25. I died a horrible burning death. If you follow the progression from Level 1 of Step 1 of Pushups, you'll go from doing 1 set of 10 standing wall push ups to doing 3 sets of 25 one handed pushups.

It's not a quick process. The earlier moves are meant to condition and prepare your body for moving in ways that it may not be used to. Building fibers in your muscles and strengthening your tendons slowly over time. It's classic calisthenics that I think has been lost over time to the big bulky guys and fancy exercise equipment.

I have been following the programs in this book and have gone from being able to only do one or two pull ups to being able to do three sets of 5 repetitions. It may not be geared solely to lightsaber fighting, but I personally feel stronger all over.

[Guardian Xentai Kaarz]

I'm so lucky to find this thread, just started a diet 2 days ago with a goal of making my body more lean and fit.  Thanks for you guys' input, this is definitely going to help.

[Master Lucien Kane]

Ab ripper from P90X Plyometrics (same program) planks, yoga, actually sparring (I know obvious) Those are just a few to mention.

[wolfmetal45]

I'm a fan of calisthenics (and I recently started attending a Tae Kwon Do class and Karate Club on my campus.  Definitely helping me with both my balance and all around core strength for dueling.

[IX 336]

A few things you may want to try are practicing various saber techniques individually, I.E. footwork, blade work, and then combine them together.

for footwork i would recommend fencing footwork, it is in my opinion the basis of the Makashi style and will strengthen your legs and allow you to gain a sense of attack and defense distances.

for blade work i would practice your various cuts and thrusts with your saber on a stationary target like a punching bag or other hanging target. if you don't have a punching bag you can build the poor man's version by filling a pillow case with sand and hanging that over a treebranch or beam in your garage. for defense practice i have a friend make cuts to specific areas so i can parry(block) and repost. We start with simple moves first and work up to more complicated sequences.

combining the two is simply moving your feet with your strikes. For example, matching the motions of your opponent to maintain a safe distance until you attack and stepping in with your attack, or stepping back slightly when blocking.

as far as strength and conditioning go, i go to fencing practice twice a week, run for 20 minutes straight everyday, and lift weights 4-5 times a week.

for saber combat mobility is more important than muscle. but have the strength to attack through an enemy's defense is useful too. i would recommend if you are new to working out and getting fit set realistic goals for yourself at the beginning, also don't make goals like "i want to run 2 miles everyday." make goals like "i want to run for 10 minutes without stopping" since this allows you to choose your own pace and gives you a more realistic frame, and once you meet that goal you can set a new one of say 12 or 15 minutes for next time. as far as lifting goes for saber dueling i would recommend focusing on shoulder and triceps strength, but having good overall physical fitness is more important

[shayde]

Thanks for all the tips guys. This saber combat might just be what drops me some pounds. I'll try some of these workouts you gents have been discussing.

[Oramac]

Great thread idea Rel!  Point for bringing it up.


At the risk of doing what you said not to, I like push-ups.  But I don't do them fast like they told me to in gym class.  I've been concentrating on doing them slowly, and at an angle sometimes as well.  Slow enough that one push-up takes 5-10 seconds.  I find this to be much more effective than doing a lot of them really fast.

http://bcove.me/03g674pq

I'm going to try that as well.  I've been wanting to find something to work my shoulders and back, and that looks like a great way to do it.


I did start doing the Turkish Get-up as well, but stopped because I wasn't sure I was doing it right, and didn't want to risk hurting myself by doing it wrong.

[Darth Nonymous]

Great thread idea Rel!  Point for bringing it up.


At the risk of doing what you said not to, I like push-ups.  But I don't do them fast like they told me to in gym class.  I've been concentrating on doing them slowly, and at an angle sometimes as well.  Slow enough that one push-up takes 5-10 seconds.  I find this to be much more effective than doing a lot of them really fast.

Push ups are the single best exercise for your core when done properly.

I'm going to try that as well.  I've been wanting to find something to work my shoulders and back, and that looks like a great way to do it.

As a certified fitness professional I am not able to recommend that exercise the way he is doing it. When you go back your knees should be on the floor so your core can release to accommodate flexion. The way he is doing it the spine is flexing while under load (the compression created by your core) which is the exact mechanism for spinal injury. The risk is not balanced by extra benefit either. Let the knees rest on the ground. Otherwise just do hindu push ups.

I did start doing the Turkish Get-up as well, but stopped because I wasn't sure I was doing it right, and didn't want to risk hurting myself by doing it wrong.

Two questions;
1. what makes you think you were doing it wrong?
2. How would stopping it improve that?

[Oramac]

Two questions;
1. what makes you think you were doing it wrong?

Honestly?  It felt incredibly easy.  And being that I've not really done a proper workout in about 10 years, I figured if it felt that easy I was probably doing something wrong.

2. How would stopping it improve that?

You got me.  It wouldn't.  I just couldn't think of a good way to be sure it was right, even after watching all the videos on it.

[Darth Nonymous]

Honestly?  It felt incredibly easy.  And being that I've not really done a proper workout in about 10 years, I figured if it felt that easy I was probably doing something wrong.

You got me.  It wouldn't.  I just couldn't think of a good way to be sure it was right, even after watching all the videos on it.

Unless you are feeling pain or are doing something that is specifically contraindicated, you shouldn't stop doing something. There are great ways to progress any exercise.

So, to field strip the TGU, how much weight are you using that feels so easy?