Static and dynamic balance resources

[Tmess]

I'm fairly new to the forum and the site in general. Nonetheless, I've read many of the free columns as well as the newsletters and have recently purchased the videos "Secrets of Stretching" and "Power High Kicks with no warm-up".

I am interested in balance 1) the importance of balance, 2) the exercise physiology of balance, 3)sample static and dynamic balance routines for martial arts (striking and grappling), 4) where does balance training fit into a work-out routine (technique, speed, strength, endurance, etc), 5) is balance something that one learns as one practices and trains over time or something that needs to be done seperalty?

I am unable to find any references to the above on this site or in the material I have read/viewed - (albeit there was one reference to dynamic balance in one of the columns and in the Judo post earlier in the section)

Anyway, is balance addressed in one of Kurz's books or videos? Perhaps the "Children and Sport Traning"? Or is this something that is outside the scope of the site's free and paid materials ?

Thanks in advance for any information,

Tmess

[Thomas Kurz]

Exercises for improving the sense of balance are described in Children and Sports Training.

For an in-depth explanation of balance sense see Textbook of Medical Physiology by Arthur C. Guyton. New editions are expensive but you can find all you need to know in an old edition, for example, from 1971.

Do you have some specific problem with your balance?

[Tmess]

Mr. Kurz, thank you for your quick response.

I don't have any specific balancing problem that I am aware of.

I am just interested in the balance component to overall athletic performance moreover; combat effectiveness. Over the last several months, I have been looking for ways to improve my overall sense of well being which includes my health, fitness, etc and have enrolled in Krav Maga and Brazilian Jujitsu classes.

Based on my readings (mostly from web sites), and experience, there seems to be a lot of open dialogue relating to technique, strength, speed, power, endurance, etc components in marital arts but little on balance. It would seem to me that balance (literally as in static and dynamic and figuratively as in balance of training to rest, mind and body, muscle training, etc.) is an overarching principle across all components. You clearly have addressed the figurative aspect of balance but I’d like to see more on the literal aspect of balance (albeit I have not read "Children and Sports Training")

With regards to your general material, out of all of my readings, your's has been the most clearly articulated and sound. What was surprising to me is that there is so much misinformation on exercise physiology propagated through multiple channels (personnel trainers, martial artists, www, medical doctors, etc). It probably can be measured in a lot of ways but most basically, by simply observing the number of people that prior to physical activity prefer static stretches over warming-up joints and muscles through gentle joint rotation, dynamic stretches and light aerobic activity.

I have used your some of your training methods and techniques (hindu squats, deep squats, dead-lifts, good-mornings, stretching routines, order of training, etc) over the last few months and have experienced remarkable gains in strength, flexibility and overall health (lower cholesterol, lower BMI, etc). Moreover my quality of life has improved as near debilitating knee pain, caused by years of abuse and ultimately surgery, has subsided.

Anyway, I am looking forward to reading all of your books, new columns, periodicals and emails (by the way, the most recent one was very funny).

[Tim...]

Hi.

There are a number of ways to train balancing skills. The classic is the wobble board, often used for ankle rehabilitation:

http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/Rehabil ... ble_Boards

Another idea is to use a swiss ball in your gym exercises where possible. This improves your balance along with increasing your core strength.

With regards to martial arts specific moves, this depends on your martial art. Practice makes perfect, so as you train in your specific art, your balance in that art will improve.

For kicking, the obvious suggestion is practice your kicking more often. The body gets god at things it does regularly. If you only practice your kicks once a week, your balance will not improve as fast as if you practice four times per week. You can vary the speed and height and initiate the kicks from different angles etc.

Cheers

Tim...