Presidental Challenge update — Still going, with five days down last week, again thanks to household chores. Total points so far: 4822. This week, I’m not doing so hot: four days in and I’ve only been active for two days. I guess that means I’ll really have to move the rest of this week, if I’m going to keep it up.
John Zimmer of My Self-Defense Blog has recently discussed non-martial arts activities that can help build strength, flexibility and coordination for the martial arts in a couple of posts:
- Martial and Dance Arts Flexibility, Agility, and Coordination
Karate Pole Dancing, Hula Hoop, & Gymnastics; Enhanced Training?
I enjoy walking/hiking, cycling, and yoga, among other activities. But one of my favorite cross-training activities is bellydancing or, as it’s more appropriately called, raks sharqi (meaning “Oriental Dance”). In addition to strengthening the core muscles (those in your torso), it’s helped to build up my arm muscles. It takes a surprising amount of effort to hold your arms out away from your body for minutes at a stretch, as any practitioner of Kundalini yoga can tell you 
. The basic stance for raks sharqi is similar to a shallow, narrow horse stance (the feet are shoulder width apart, but it’s a narrower shoulder width than in any of the martial arts I’ve done).
Much of the hip work you see bellydancers do is actually driven by abdominal muscles, rather than from your legs or back as you might expect. I can tell you, three years of bellydancing have made sit-ups a breeze. Something that surprised me, though, is how much it’s helped me maintain proper stances. I’ve always thought stances depended primarily on thigh muscles, but the core muscles help you retain a straight torso without slouching. It’s also added both power and control to my kicks, since I’m now able to drive a kick from the hips alone, if I need to. And performing a four-minute dance routine requires as much exertion as a two-minute sparring bout.
Additionally, bellydance has props, many of which are or can be used as weapons. Sword dancing is, I think, the best known. If you live in the southern area of Raleigh, North Carolina, my bellydance teacher will be teaching a four-week sword workshop in August of this year. I’m psyched; I’ve been wanting to learn sword dancing for years. Here’s a video of one our local dancers. Unfortunately, the audience hides her from the waist down, which means you can’t really see her floor work. But it’s still a video worth watching, especially since the camera zooms in close enough to see how she’s actually handling the sword:
I’m a sucker for card decks. I also enjoy Jennifer Lawler’s writing (Training Women in the Martial Arts: A Special Journey, Tae Kwon Do for Women, Dojo Wisdom and others). So, when I saw this deck, I had to check it out. The deck contains 50 cards, each containing an illustration, description, and tips for [...]
Continue reading about Product Review: The Self-Defense Deck
I’ve always had a weight problem. In my 20s and 30s, I struggled with my weight on a constant and daily basis. It was on my mind practically every minute of the day from the time I got up in the morning until I fell asleep at night. Every bite I put in my mouth [...]
Continue reading about Weight, Body Image and the Martial Arts
President’s Challenge Update – Two weeks down, for a total of 3425 pts. I barely scraped in five days last week, thanks to the fact that housework counts as activity. Dynamo was down with a cold and kept changing his mind on whether he was staying with his dad or me, which meant my schedule [...]
When I was pregnant with Dynamo, I wondered if I’d really have the courage to protect him. If push came to shove, would I be too frightened to think of anything except my own safety? Luckily, I’ve never had to find out. But I did get something of an answer one day when Dynamo was [...]
Presidental Fitness Challenge: One week later and so far, so good. I finished last week with six days of exercise for a total of 1924 points. One week down, five more to go. Rank Testing: In my Integrity post, I’d written that I planned to test for my next belt rank on 18 April. I [...]
I’m still thinking about BBM’s post on self-defense (Making It Work in the Dark). I’m not sure why this topic has grabbed hold of me and won’t let go, but I find myself ruminating over it at various parts of the day. My school actually addresses this issue, both in it’s student handbook and during [...]
No real post today; I’ve been caught by a flu bug. Hopefully, I be back to the keyboard on Friday. Meanwhile, Black Belt Mama has a great article on self-defense: As a woman, people tend to side with you if you’re attacked and you happen to take out your attacker. But what if you’re a [...]
Recently, I sparred for the first time in 15 years. I think I must’ve taken the teenage black belt they put me up against by surprise. I watched his eyes go really wide when I sprang at him straight out of the gate. He’s one of Dynamo’s friends, so even though he’s seen me in [...]
