Do internal strength exercises and grow three centimetres!

I know, it sounds like a dodgy advertisement but since training in the nairiki no gyo in TSYR I have increased three centimetres in height.
My partner noticed I was looking down at her and when we met eight years ago we were the same height so it got us thinking. We measured each other against the door frame and then got out the tape measure just to make sure she wasn't the one shrinking! She is still 1.83m while I now stand 1.86m.
The only explanation I can give is that the internal strength exercises are causing the muscles to stretch my spine resulting in better posture. I certainly hold my posture better than I used to.

Had this not happened to me personally I wouldn't have believed an adult could grow taller. I'm 37 years old so there is no chance of an overdue growth spurt.

Just another good reason to train in internal strength.

Dean.

Budo Body Part II

A while ago (during my first year of TSYR training) I mentioned that the body conditioning exercises were changing the musculature of my back and some re-wiring of the nervous system was going on.
This is an update.

After 2 and a half years of doing these conditioning exercises this is how things have progressed...
When I work through some of the exercises and then carry this feeling of good body alignment into my techniques it feels like most of my postural muscles are engaged. So all those muscles that allow for good posture fire. For me these are the trapezius muscles, lats, some deep abdominal muscles, hamstrings, calf muscles, even muscles that pull my flat feet into better alignment. Everything feels like it gets pulled tight like a spring. Now this is not a tensing of the muscles to the point of rigidity or stiffness. The feeling is spring-like. There is stability but bounce - for want of a better word.
Other muscle groups that seem to get attention during training are the triceps. Basically every muscle group on the posterior of my body gets some sort of workout when I train. Now this intrigues me because when I think of strength I think of rock hard abs and broad pectoral muscles. However, the tone and the muscle soreness a couple of days later is almost always centred on muscles on the rear side of my body.

As some of the larger muscle groups strengthen, the conditioning exercises then seem to target smaller muscle groups to maintain correct alignment. I really do feel like I am ironing out the kinks when I perform this routine. This conditioning is having a large effect on my techniques. I move from a place of strength and balance more often. I can power the technique with a coordinated body rather than certain muscle groups trying to force it into happening. It is exciting and empowering at the same time.

I can't help thinking that Morihei Ueshiba, Sokaku Tekada and other men that influenced the creation of Aikido must have moved with this power. Aikido techniques make more sense from this viewpoint. Certainly people like Ellis Ambur and Stanley Pranin seem to suggest this.

Along with this training develops a strong awareness of your own balance and where your body is in space. This sensitivity is key to effective TSYR technique. During some of the faster, freestyle like training we do, one can start to sense when your opponent has lost their balance, or given it back to you. This can result in counters and is incredibly subtle.

Solo Practice

What makes a martial artist good? Look at your fellow students in your dojo, which of them would you consider to be fine examples of your martial art? I don't just mean the black belts or senior members. Looking as objectively as you can, which individuals stand out, no matter what the experience?

I can remember a particular black belt that got me into aikido, he had been practising something like eight years before I joined. Even though there were other black belts around, he stood out for me. His posture was always good, his technical ability was sharp and he would not let me slack off on naming the techniques in Japanese or on poor form, he always strived for perfection. On top of all that he was a humble, gentle guy.  

In my current training in TSYR obviously my instructor stands out. He has many of the same attributes as the person I mentioned above. Our headmaster of the school has even called him a 'freak', but in a good way, he  learns new things, fast.

Why do these guys appear to be a step above the others, even of equivalent rank? 

First and foremost, they are talented, there is no question. They learn by doing (kinaesthetic learners). The teaching of martial arts happens to coincide with the best way that they learn, by repeating movements of the body over and over again. They can watch someone else do the movement and pick it up very quickly.

However, there are plenty of talented people in the world. The one factor that I think sets them apart is how  and when they train. They train earnestly when they are in the dojo, they use every moment to progress while on the mat. They always believe they can do better. But this is the big thing...they train outside of the dojo, often by themselves - solo work. 

The aikidoka I mentioned often practised his weapon work at home by himself, going over the kata, refining each one. He would come to the dojo with questions about his training for the sensei. I asked my current instructor what he valued most in his training and he showed me a series of exercises he uses to maintain mobility and keep a strong centre. He has been doing them for years and learnt them from a guy in Thailand.

You are your best teacher. You know yourself best. Solo training, in my opinion, is key to progressing towards excellence in your chosen martial art. 

The challenge of course is finding time. Once you take into account work, family and your normal dojo hours, where do you find the time (or energy) to do solo work. I have set myself a goal. To do the conditioning exercises of my art at least three times a week. One of those times will be in the dojo, so I need to find about 15 minute blocks outside of the dojo in the rest of the week to do this. Incorporated into my own training are the other exercises sensei showed me. I use these as a warm up before the conditioning exercises. I find after 15 minutes that I have quite a sweat up. As time allows, I'll move into doing these exercises every day. Some days this won't happen but that is OK, provided I achieve my three times a week.