(Warning! Beautiful Brazilian women moving rhythmically. Proceed with caution!)
So here you have gyrotonics — silk reeling as a workout. This is also known as “yoga for dancers” although that seems a little redundant. If you look at the moves in this system and in the gyrokinesis system, you’ll see that they are basically doing silk reeling. They even have specialized machines to add to the range of movements that you can do.
What I find amazing about stuff like this is that they are doing movements with IMA body mechanics. These guys have stumbled across this stuff, and are taking the training into areas that we as martial artists should be pursuing.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Jay Gischer // Jan 25, 2008 at 12:37 am
I don’t speak Portugese, but I heard the interviewer say “tai chi chuan” in the first minute, I thought. Anyone else?
2 Jean-Michel Walker // Jan 25, 2008 at 11:42 am
“they are basically doing silk reeling”
…Ok, maybe.
“they are doing movements with IMA body mechanics.”
…Uhm, I think I’d disagree there. IMA body mechanics as they apply to function must at least conform to 2 axioms; you must be standing up (optimally) and must your center (of gravity), whether still or moving must be under your command.
By the way, I’ve been reading your blog for about four months. It’s great. Nice to see such well roundedness.
3 jin // Jan 25, 2008 at 1:55 pm
weird, my friend and I were just talking about gyrotonics a few minutes before I saw your post.
I know some people who’ve done this, but I’ve never seen it in action before though….interesting. Thanks for posting.
4 Chris Bates // Jan 27, 2008 at 8:39 pm
The wife of a fellow who trains IMA with me is a former ballet star and master gyrotonics instructor. He has used the machines too and showed me the functions. They are intended to create patterns of strengthening and stretching integrating whole body movement. I would characterize the internal aspect of the movement less as silk reeling and more as swimming body (you shen).
There are seated and standing methods, it is not just lieing down. However, a bagua teacher from shanghai shared with me the reclining stretching and qigong set in his school (very yogic).
5 Dave Chesser // Jan 27, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Wow. Thanks for your input on this.
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