As a recent roller, I'd like to share some hindsights: When I found a successful roll, I have to say I did not intellectually understand what had happened until a while later. A lot of the coaching that I had received did not fall into place until I had something to compare it to. I think a more accurate description of the process would be finally getting my mind out of the way of my body. I had a similiar experience learning modern dance in college; I found that I didn't start improving until I stopped worrying about starting off on the wrong foot in a phrase and started letting the body do what it needed to, even at the risk of failure. How to apply this to kayak rolling? I think that what finally worked for me was blindly following the physical directions that my instructor had taught me (this was a GP layback roll) and not trying to figure out how this would get me upright. The body has too many unhelpful righting impulses that will generally send you to the bottom of the pool (because you're upside down, right?) To those who are still reading, I would encourage you to pick up Moshe Feldenkrais' first book, "Awareness Through Movement". Besides a really refreshing treatment of the learning process, he has some interesting thoughts about muscle patterning and learning. It may not help you roll, but its a great book (and very short). Severn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Severn Clay" <severnclay_at_earthlink.net> > How to apply this to kayak rolling? I think that what finally worked for me > was blindly following the physical directions that my instructor had taught > me (this was a GP layback roll) and not trying to figure out how this would > get me upright. The body has too many unhelpful righting impulses that will > generally send you to the bottom of the pool (because you're upside down, > right?) I can easily see how this would work. This is what I try to instill in the paddlers I teach, though not the same words. I try to convince them that the physical model is dancing, not wrestling. I want them to loosen up and not think too much. I want them to concentrate on the motion (how the body moves) and not the action (how the kayak rights). At the last two pool sessions, I worked with several men and two women. The women were the only ones to perform a roll. The dance theme seems to appeal to them. When I tip them with my hands on the shaft near their hands, I tell them to follow my motion. Then they do the same motion independantly with my hand only on the paddle blade. Withing a few attempts, they've rolled. With the men, I end up in a wrestling match, fighting their tight muscles to attempt to get them to do what I want rather than what they think. The men often complain that they're not flexible enough - in fact they are tensing up their muscles. Severn's comments are well taken - loosen up and go with the motion. Mike PS - Men seem to outnumber women when it comes to rolling. In fact, I've become convinced that women make better rollers. No excuses now, ladies, get out there and learn! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael wrote: >With the men, I end up in a wrestling match, >fighting their tight muscles G'day, Recently started a set of exercises called Pilates, at our local gym. It seems to focus on flexibility and core abdominal strength. Seems perfect for paddling and rolling. Deceptively simple looking but a real tough work out. Was curious if this form of exercise was popular in other countries and whether any of the kayaking instructors had opinions on its value for rolling, knee lifts, and general paddling. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Pilates is widely popular in the States. I'm not currently doing Pilates, but you're right, Peter, that it's excellent for -- as you say -- core flexibility and abdominal strength and therefore excellent for paddling fitness. While the program begins with and emphasizes the core, practitioners eventually incorporate exercises that develop shoulders and arms as well. Happy Hundreds, Bob V > Recently started a set of exercises called Pilates, at our local gym. It > seems to focus on flexibility and core abdominal strength. Seems perfect for > paddling and rolling. Deceptively simple looking but a real tough work out. > Was curious if this form of exercise was popular in other countries and > whether any of the kayaking instructors had opinions on its value for > rolling, knee lifts, and general paddling. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Daly at michaeldaly_at_rogers.com wrote: > > With the men, I end up in a wrestling match. Reminds me of a time when I had just finished taking an intermediate sea kayak course. One guy, who had struggled a bit, said he wasn't fit enough, and had to get to a gym. It was then that I noticed his neck, it was wider than his head! A yoga class would have been more useful. -- John Kirk-Anderson Banks Peninsula NEW ZEALAND *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Daly wrote: > > I try to convince them that > the physical model is dancing, not wrestling. It's nice this dancing theme came up. I think learning to roll was easy for me, because I've done quite a lot of modern dance. It gave me some strength and flexibility, but much more important: - Being able to learn and remember movements and positions - Learning to use muscles individually, instead of in large groups. I notice a lot of people, while standing on dry land, can not more their hips without moving their shoulders, and vice versa. I am giving a rolling class now, and I start each sessions with a kind of warming up, mostly inspired on my dance lessons. The whole eskimorol can be split up in seperate movements of hips, shoulders and head, combined in different ways, and practiced on land. Even the complete movements can be practiced while standing up: - Grab a paddle - Stand up - Bend 90 degrees at the hips. - Pretend your sitting in a kayak: Pretend the bow of your kayak points straight down in the floor and your stern pointing at the sky. - Lean all the way down (like leaning on your fordeck, setting up the roll) - Move the paddle behind your knees (like getting it to the surface) - Rotate on your feet, while straigtening up. (Bingo! Screwroll!) - Keep making this movement, try to insert a hipsnap. While my warming up may be based on modern dance, I can't pick up the courage to bring some music and do all the movements synchronized, on a beat. Maybe some day I will. Niels. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Niels Blaauw" <niels.blaauw_at_wanadoo.nl> > I notice a lot of people, while standing on dry land, can not more their > hips without moving their shoulders, and vice versa. I often get them doing hip rotations while sitting up and emphasize that they have to keep their shoulders square and steady and use only hip rotation. You're right, not many people can do it straight away. > While my warming up may be based on modern dance, I can't pick up the > courage to bring some music and do all the movements synchronized, on a > beat. Maybe some day I will. If you figure out the beat/tempo whatever, let us know. I find it's like a sinuous motion that doesn't match most music. Maybe something like Bolero. (I'm neither a musician nor a dancer). Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Ralph wrote: >Can you point me to sources of real information, Peter? G'day Ralph, I'll ask the gym instructor tomorrow and at our local Naval base, where they also teach it. I've only just started lessons so it sounds as if Kirk might have better sources of information. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
PeterO said: >snip< >>Recently started a set of exercises called Pilates, at our local gym. It seems to focus on flexibility and core abdominal strength.<< It's the latest craze at all the gyms, pushing the last craze somewhat out of the way (which utilized exercise balls, also know as Swiss balls, physioballs and other names -- all related to stability education). I know a lot of out-of-shape women at work who take mid-day or end-of-the-day classes in my building's fitness centre, and it appears to be great for those with abominable core strength. In fact, fitness experts have maintained for some time, the true importance of abdominal core strength as a way of correcting a host of health concerns. Pilates is just one way of a number of ways to methodize the necessary core workout. Overall abdominal awareness should be part of everyday vigilance, vis a vis posture, walking, etc. I haven't found any core-strength exercise technique to help with sciatica, however, other than power-walking and my usual stretching regime (which I'm not sure if these aggravate or help my recent sciatica problems). Based on some recent backchannel e-mails, I'm giving chiropractic care one more shot, starting next week, to try and get me back in the game for extended spring paddling -- now that arrhythmia's have backed off. There's a new office/practice in my area, and the chiropractor uses the Torque Release Technique, which is supposedly destined to take chiropractic care out of the dark ages (subjective comment, not my words). I've reported to Paddlewise previously on some very bad individual experiences with typical chiropractic care. The guy learned the technique in Texas apparently (not sure if that should scare me!). Doug Lloyd (who doesn't need to worry about anyone stealing his 100 pound kayak) Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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