If there is one thing that preparations for our Taekwondo black belt test has taught Mr E and me, it’s that there is pure magic in practising slowly. We wanted to combine studying the Korean terms for movements with cleaning up our technique and basic stances, so we practised by naming each movement, transition and… Read More The Magic of Slow
I’ve been loving this free(!) 15-minute mini-workout/warmup video by the amazing Chloé Bruce. Chloe has tons of great instructional sets on her website, as well as free kicking, strength and mobility work videos and tutorials on FB, Instagram and Youtube. Go check them out!
This little book, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons – The modern fundamentals of golf(!), is written so well that it transcends the subject. A great read for anyone interested in deep learning, improving motor skills and mastering the mind through effective practice. What are you reading right now?
My favourite ‘recovery day companions’ – Yogatuneup balls. I bought them together with the Roll Model book by Jill Miller. They are used to (self-)release myofascial trigger points using your bodyweight and gentle movement, combined with a wall, doorway or the floor. Much more comfortable, and in my experience, more effective! than using a tennis… Read More Balls of Recovery
Yesterday morning, our water supply had been cut off unexpectedly. There were engineering works further down the street. Water pressure was back up after an hour. Not long at all. Long enough to make me think. How easy it is to be wasteful with what we imagine to be in infinite supply. How resilient are… Read More No Water, my Friend
We discovered a beautiful and new-to-us walking route near Stolberg this week. The circular path connects Münsterbusch and Brander Wald. It crosses through a military practice and war memorial site (hence the abandoned tanks!), meaning part of the walk is not always accessible. It is a gorgeous tour, about 7kms in length, featuring grassland, water, forget-me-nots, oaks… Read More Münsterbusch & Brander Wald
Last weekend we had our second belt test for HaiDong GumDo (Korean Sword Art) in Bedburg, Germany It was preceded by an exhilarating and fun HDGD technique and conditioning seminar by Senior Grandmaster Seung-Eun Chae. A list of the disciplines we were tested on for our 9th to 8th kup (yellow to yellow-green belt) test:… Read More HaiDong GumDo Yellow-Green Belt Test
An amazing exercise for the back and upper body is the inverted row. I’ve started doing these recently, just a few slow reps at a time using my at-home ballet barre (a sturdy table or a sturdy broom across 2 kitchen chairs would work too) and it’s been helping to open up my upper body… Read More Inverted Rows
This book is one of the best investments I’ve made in the past few years. Anatomy Trains by Thomas W. Meyers It illustrates movement patterns across our bodies beautifully, which is extremely helpful for spotting and re-balancing postural and movement imbalances. I heartily recommend it for students and teachers of all movement arts. What about you?… Read More Anatomy Trains
Reviewing my goals for the year 2019. What I have been up to, what I am doing now, and what I’ll be aiming at for the next 3 months for flexibility: Done I’ve been working with Stacey Nemour’s online flexibility courses, and it’s doing me worlds of good. You can find my post series about the… Read More Spring Recalibration – Flexibility
