Yiquan/Feldenkreis/Rolfing/Alexander Techniques

[Mike]

Here - http://www.yiquan.pl/engessays.html - is an interesting article which in mega-ttem stylee manages to pull in all of the above 

Some snips:

SYSTEMS AND THEIR AUTHORS

Wang Xiangzhai and Yiquan

...Focus is put on developing one‘s natural movement and fighting abilities through a system of training methods which are stressing work on improving perception of one's body, its movement and force. The main point is work of one‘s mind and its harmonious unity with body...

Moshe Feldenkrais and his method

Moshe Feldenkrais was born in 1904 in Ukraine and died in 1984. At age of fourteen he left for Palestine and lived for 10 years in Tel Aviv working and studying at the same time...

...Feldenkrais method  also known as Awareness through movement is based on improving of self-image, which leads up to better body-work and the quality of movement, but also personal development.

Steven Shafarman, Feldenkraise´s student, in his book „Consciousness is healing“ adds to this topic: "Each of us behaves in conformity with our own imagination about us. This self-image rises and changes according to our learning. The complete self-image should consist of awareness of each joint and all surfaces of a body. Most people consider their body as separates parts, which are moving independently of each other: feet, legs, arms, hands, head and in the middle of all is back which keeps all sections together."

Dr. Ida Rolf and her method

Dr. Ida P. Rolf was born in 1896 in New York and died in 1979. She graduated during the 1st war, which gave her a great opportunity. As her secretary writes in her book „Rolfing a realita těla“ (page 6) : "At that time lots of men were fighting and there was a big lack of qualified workers in many fields, so lots of women got the unique opportunity. She got a job in the Rockefeller's institute (today Rockefeller's university) in New York City and she could continue her studies while she was working. She got doctor‘s degree in biochemistry in the faculty of medicine and surgery of Colombian University and continued working in Rockefeller's institute, where she finally got the honor of remarkable member." Dr. Rolf studied yoga, osteopathy and homeopathy.

Rolfing (Structural integration) systematizes and balances the body in terms of the field of attraction. This is achieved by the systematical manipulation (realized during 10 lessons, one hour which), which lightens and shakes up fascias. According to Ida Rolf - "fascia is the organ of body-control". („Rolfing a realita těla“, page 98).

F. M. Alexander and his technique

Frederic Matthias Alexander was born in 1869 in Tasmania  and died in 1955 in London. During his late teens he became an actor, but unfortunately he often lost his voice during performance.

Robert Macdonald and Caro Ness describe the circumstances of creation of Alexander technique: "When Alexander started to hoarse and loose his voice, he was visiting well-known doctors, but without any effect. Before a very important performance his doctor recommended him voice-rest for 2 weeks before the performance. Alexander followed this advise, his voice was in a normal state at the beginning, but during the performance he started to hoarse and finally he completely lost his voice. Alexander speculated that he must have been doing something on stage in act of reciting which caused his vocal problems. Using mirrors, he began to study the way he was using muscles while speaking, observing muscular tension. He found that he habitually pulled his head back and down and shortened neck before speaking, moreover he was breathing through his mouth. It took several years before he got rid of that habit and  learned how to speak more freely. Not only did his vocal problems disappear, but his overall health improved as well. („Tajemství Alexanderovy techniky“, page 14).

Alexander method is based on right alignment of body, which leads to natural posture, open breathing and linked movements. During its implementation simple movements are used, usually with the helping touch of a certificated practitioner.

[Mike]

another great snip:

The rules of the right posture are summed up by Moshe Feldenkrais: ".....Each posture is right if it follows the rule - the bones antagonize the gravity, so it relaxes the muscles, which could be used for a movement. The body and its nervous system are developing together under the influence of gravity. The bone,  without any expenditure of energy, protects body against the gravity. If the muscles should do this instead of the bone, they would be wasting the energy and moreover they couldn´t work fully on movement." ářčáář(„Feldenkraisova metoda“, page 81)

Obviously the muscles should work on the right posture of the body. As we know, in this process of standing there are phasic muscles and tonic muscles (see „Gymnastika pro kondiční a zdravotní účely“, page 15). It is important to keep the body posture by not using superfluous tension of muscles, or not using the muscles, which shouldn't be involved in this process.

[Mark]

Thanks for posting that link. Interesting article!

I was excited to see Leosh Horky conclude his essay with a quote (although perhaps misquote…) from Eric Franklin! I stumbled across his dance textbook earlier this year. Its title, Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, hit an yiquan nerve of mine and piqued my interest. I wasn’t disappointed! To an at times rather sceptical and jaded practitioner like myself its given me a whole new angle to approach this kind of stuff from. Actually many angles, its marvellously eclectic! Its full of little exercises you can try for yourself too. At one point he quotes his teacher’s directions for an exercise “Your muscles should hang off your bones like clothes off a hanger” which I’m positive is almost word for word a WXZ line! As they say, great minds... 

Mark

[Mike]

Yes its interesting isn't it that when people stop being rigidly tribal and factional that all roads lead to Rome 

Altho' perhaps that is not actually true as this chap is one of the reductionists I feel... having had a kind of end-of-term fun (well as far as ZZ goes) group lesson last night I am quite clear that "funny stuff" has to be involved too

Interesting thing about clothes on a washing line... I just received last night from amazon a nice little small and slim volume on Standing Pole by Wang Xuanjie (eg amazon.co.uk) which contained that very sentence... Actually when I have a mo' I will write more about it - some good content (esp. so far on the origins of "ZZ").

May all your sushi be fresh 

Mike

[Mark]

That Standing Pole book really is one of my all time favourites! The introduction to section III is probably the best thing I've read on qi gong anywhere! I love it! Wang Xuanjie's Dachengquan is good too, (the easy to get one, I was really disappointed when I finally got his Dachgquan Kung Fu... )

I was also thinking about Moshe Feldenkrais's work observing how children use their bodies. (Eric Franklin also often uses children as models for good alignment) This reminded me of the Tao Te Ching's emphasis on being childlike:

Eg, from Chapter 10: Can you, when concentrating your breath, make it soft like that of a child?
Or Chapter 55: Its bones are soft, its sinews weak; but its grip is strong.