Topics for Tutorials!

[Craig]

Dave and I have filmed last night:

5 basic rest positions

Hanging breath release series

Being filmed today:

Alchemical stretching 2 person variations

Ballistic stretching

#antiTAF

[Craig]

Ballistic stretching done. New format is highly auspicious I think. Hope you all like it. Editing this week, should be available by next week

[Enkidu]

If it hasn't been said before (on my phone and haven't read the thread), a follow along class with solo poses for the other three mastery series modules would be great. I would love to see a mastering the squat, mastering shoulder flexibility, and mastering the bridge follow along classes to compliment the the pike and pancake classes.

[TomW]

I'd like to see a medium-length Squat and Hip Mobility follow-along.

[Craig]

TomW: I've already filmed this - the first installation of the 5 basic resting positions (stand, squat, kneel, sit, lay). Should be edited and uploaded this week.  is about 25mins including the explanation.  There will be a second version of this being recorded at kit's place with his input as some point in the future that will cover even further material and a few ideas I left out of this one!

[TomW]

Fantastic!

[Daniel]

Craig,

 

The resting positions are great.

 

What about some beginner locomotion now?

[Craig]

Hi Daniel,

No problems. That should be pretty easy to film, so I'll smash it out as soon as I have time (next week or two)?

Any other requests?

[Daniel]

In the spirit of the "Wrist Conditioning" tutorial, 

we could have:

 

Ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder, spine and hip conditioning.

 

That would be great     

[Craig]

Spine conditioning is already done (see spinal waves).

Legs coming at some point (will cover ankle knee and hip all at once)

Shoulders/elbows are partially covered by hanging, I'll can do another one that covers dislocates etc, but that isn't much new information!

[Daniel]

Beginner locomotion + Legs + Dislocates

 

That will keep me busy for some time 

[Markus Klein]

Craig, all your programs are great so far.  

In the future I would really like to see "Beginner Locomotion" and "Bulletproofing your Shoulders".



 

[Salivanth]

You guys are utterly amazing. 

I remember being one of a few people mentioning to Kit a few months ago on Reddit that by far the biggest advantage that GB had over his products in our eyes was that you could just put on a video and follow along, making it easy to program and essentially mindless. He seemed intrigued.

I was just about to buy Front Splits for the pike work when I had the idea to check this site. Maybe you guys something about it? Nah. People don't actually DO that, right? Act on ideas presented by random internet people? And then I find a follow-along video designed specifically for the pike, more than an order of magnitude cheaper than the front splits course I was going to get. 

Your ability to create large amounts of content, tailored to what your audience wants, extremely cheaply is unparalleled. I've never seen anything like it, and it continues to blow me away. I've just bought the pike video, and look forward to starting with it later this week. I actually feel guilty paying so little. This isn't the first product of yours I've bought though, so that makes me feel better If I'm able to stick with the video more successfully than your more free-form products, I'll definitely be buying more as well. Thank you so much for what you do.

One quick question for anyone who would like to answer; is the pike video best done on the same day as a strength workout, after said workout? Or is warming up included in the video itself?

[Enkidu]

Out of curiosity, are there any plans to have follow along classes for Mastering the Squat, Mastering Shoulder Flexibility, and Mastering the Bridge?

[Daniel]

Craig,

 

The tutorail on ballistic stretches for the hip and hamstrings is great.

 

What about a new one with ballistic streches

for the shoulders and spine (bridge)?

[Craig]

I will update the current ballistic stretching program with commentary and cues first, then I will work on an upper body one.

 

In the mean time, you can do your bridge with your hands against the wall and do pulse that try to touch your nose/chin/chest to the wall.

 

you can also stand upright, hollow your back (slight flexion of the spine), lift the arms above the head (shoulder width apart) and do pulses to send the hands backwards without letting the spine go out of flexion.

 

also standing upright, arch your back slightly (slight extension of the spine), and lift the arms to the back (also shoulder width) and do pulses to try and send the hands higher without letting the spine go out of extension

 

also standing upright, arching as above, open the arms out to the side (palms up and do pulses that try to touch the hands together behind the back.

 

shi da pan #3 and #4 hit lateral spinal flexion and rotation a little as well (they do both lower and upper body...good movements!)

[maybell]

Would like a tutorial on the different variations for bridge if possible.

[Craig]

Filmed beginner quadrupedal and coordination today. Apparently crawling without proper breathing due to talking takes my breath away, so I will have to review footage and see if the content is intelligible or not.

Had to loan sd card with this footage to Dave for reasons, will collect off him next weekend and edit/release about a week or so from now.

[Craig]

Quadrupedal is filmed and available in the New Programs forum, enjoy!

 

On the "to do" list in no particular order:

- Shi Da Pan refilm 

- Advanced Spine Movement and Bridging

- Brachiation Basics (waiting on some equipment to film this outdoors)

- Rib Awakening and integration into Brachiation and Crawling

- Crawling Basics Part 2 (will include various push-up style drills)

[Bennyexton]

Hi Craig,

 

Any energetics/qi gong type follow alongs would be great if possible. Keep it up.

 

cheers

[[DW]]

Ben - I'm hoping to get Craig to film his approach to Standing Practice [Zhuang] when he is up here with me in a fortnight.   Not sure if he will film other qi gong style stuff.. he'll respond on that.

[Craig]

hai.  on the list!

[Daniel]

Please,

 

Crawling Basics Part 2

and

 

Locomotion - what to do once crawling is mastered

[vinca_minor]

Ministry of silly walks?

[StaceyW]

Craig, a while back on a different thread, you wrote this: "

 

 

So in my opinion if you want to be able to do a solid horse stance, you should develop the facing the wall squat to the point of being able to do it relaxed like with feet together and for 100 reps. If you are unsure of how to do a wall squat, simply follow these parameters:
- Stand facing the wall
- Toes are TOUCHING the wall. Be sure to find a wall without a skirting board, as even an inch gives a distinct advantage. A closed door works well for this.
- Start with feet shoulder width apart (or perhaps just a tiny bit wider) and parallel. Develop in this position till you can go all the way to the bottom, then begin moving the feet in. Only adjust the width of the feet once you have mastered the full depth movement of the position you are currently in. Eventually you will be able to do this with feet together.
- Keep the arms by the side, you can turn your palms to face the wall if you want, I do it palms out (i.e. arms just relaxed)
- Dont turn the head away from the wall.
- Perform a full squat (bum to ground or as near as your flexibility allows). Start with 20 reps per day (2 x 10 reps is fine). You can increase reps to whatever is comfortable as you get better. I know someone who does 100 reps per day in a very successful effort to fix some old back problems. He is over 70 years old btw, and swears by this movement.
- A perfect rep should see toes together, spine relatively straight and smooth fluid and relatively quick movement all the way down and up without touching the nose or the knees against the wall (i.e. hovering just a few mm off for the whole ROM).

Im really not sure what is unique about this movement that develops the body in a way that no other movement I have seen does. I have a feeling that there might be some strange perennial floor or anterior spine flexibility, mixed with a very unique strength element that allows you to hold the position.

 

I can do a full-depth squat, but because of habits & previously restricted ankle mobility, I stick my butt way out and bring my torso way forward to maintain balance. This is also a problem with my Horse Stance, so I've been following Emmet's advice (to someone else) to work with heels, butt and back to the wall so you come down with more of a straight line. That is working well, but I feel like I am missing a pre-requisite to doing a good Horse Stance - that's why I was happy to read your suggestion for the Wall Squat.

 

If you'd consider doing a video, it would be great to actually see someone do this and provide advice for maintaining balance as you do the move.  I can only come close if I hold the sides of an open door - I would either fall backwards or only go down about 4 inches if I tried to do it without support.

 

It would also help "prove" to one of my friends that it is even possible - she can do a perfect ATG squat but can not do it as you describe with feet shoulder width and doesn't believe that anyone can do it with feet together and toes at the wall.  It is hard to visualize if you've never seen it done right.  I've searched YouTube and came across some really crappy videos and still don't have a clue how to improve since I think holding onto the wall is just enabling my bad form.  I think that this is a topic that others may also appreciate if it really is the gateway to a good horse stance.

 

Thanks for considering it!