Coming
from a traditional exercise and aerobic background,
the martial arts were challenging for us. We
were not prepared for the physical and mental
endurance and agility needed. Aggression
was completely foreign to us. Imagining - much
less actually - striking someone, was out of
the question. Up to this point we avoided even
considering physical defense. Tae Kwon Do brought
up all kinds of personal issues, beliefs, and
social attitudes.
The world of aerobics left us with a kind
of pseudo-strength. We thought we were strong,
yet our strength was based mostly on superficial
appearance. Tae Kwon Do soon made us aware
that we lacked internal core strength. When
asked to duplicate a bow stance, which is not
a difficult stance, our legs began to quiver
within seconds. We realized there was a whole
lot about movement we didn’t comprehend.
The discipline required our full attention
at all times. There was no letting up from
focusing our mind or body. The emphasis on
precision, intent, and form pushed us beyond
our edges. Determined to grow and improve,
for over a year, four hours a day, four days
a week, we studied and practiced.
We slowly integrated information and introduced
Tae Kwon Do movements and concepts into our
class. Our students were surprised. We
had gone from jump aerobics, to bare feet,
to Tai Chi, and now this: kicks, stances, blocks,
and vocal noise. The kicks, steps, and stances
were easy. Tae Kwon Do gave us room to play,
make noise, be brats, and have a blast. We
eliminated concepts we felt might be dangerous
when presented out of context. What we left
in gave Nia its passion, fire, electricity,
and voice.
The Body’s Way
Tae Kwon Do teaches you to stand your ground,
offering the body the sensation of stability
from the inside out. Powerful stances and kicks
give us the ability to eliminate the miserable
floor work that traditional fitness uses to
strengthen and shape the legs, buttocks, and
abdomen.
The attitude of Tae Kwon Do positively affirm
you in any situation, both in and out of class.
It teaches you to take physical action and
to speak up for yourself with an empowered
voice. Sound invests power in your movement,
and offers an emotional release as you yell: “yes,” “no,” “yeet,” and “hai.” These
emotional releases affirm your sense of self
and free the body to release pent-up energy
and tension. Through the energy of Tae Kwon
Do, Nia students discover authentic strength
and power, while building a positive relationship
to assertion and conflict.
The arm blocks, hand techniques, and precise
leg motions build whole body strength, joint
mobility, and agility. Even the most basic
steps, stances, and arm and hand techniques
require your physical core to engage. Core
abdominal muscles strengthen. The detailed
and precise hand techniques produce elegantly
sculpted arms without the use of free-weights,
while the powerful and precise movement of
chi along the bones and through the joints
cultivates alert relaxation and palpable physical
vibrancy.
Tae Kwon Do brings a powerful spirit into
Nia. This movement form allows many people
for the first time to experience the thrill
of physical, mental, and emotional power. A
power that comes from taking conscious and
decisive action to positively affirms oneself
in the world. Tae Kwon Do offers Nia dynamic
choreography and integrates moves that physically
and mentally challenge every part of you. Tae
Kwon Do gives Nia the guts that balance her
grace.
Tae Kwon Do Teaches You
• The whole body generates systemic
power.
• Power in the limbs comes from relaxing
muscles and joints.
• Energy drawn into the body and back out in cycles mimics the action
of breathing — in and out as a complete
cycle.
• Stability comes from spiraling energy
along the spine, feeling the core, and including
movement of the pelvis, chest, and head.
• Stances and kick motions deliver
more power when the pelvis is integrated
into the movement.
• A physical connection to the sensation
in your hands and fingers will strengthen
the arms and allow you to remain relaxed
in the upper back and neck.
• To ground your stance as the way
to move freely and powerfully with the whole
body.
• Proper technique is the means of
achieving maximum effect with the minimum
amount of effort.
• If at any time a great deal of power
is needed, your execution is incorrect.
• Circular movement enables you to
add more power and weight into the movements,
picking up more energy within each cycle.
• To use the smile line of energy flow
to generate the greatest amount of chi, power,
and balance.
• Speed is a vital element of fitness that must be gauged in relationship
to all of the elements you’re working
with.
• Timing is the synchronization of your own movements with the elements
you’re blending with.
• By shifting body weight, and by adjusting
its distribution over each foot, the force
of any technique can be doubled.
• The degree of effectiveness of your
technique depends upon the extent to which
you can properly utilize your weight.
• If your legs and hips are weak, it
is impossible to generate any real strength.
• The mind, as well as the body, must
be strong and pliant.
• Movement should be repeated until
it has been thoroughly absorbed and becomes
a reflex action.
Martial Arts and the Pelvis, Chest, Head, and
Spine in Nia
The Move |
Description |
Head and
Eyes |
Links body
to mind and to the energy fields. What
the mind thinks can be seen through the
eyes. Eyes connect the energy body to
the real body. Use the eyes to direct,
focus and empower the intent. Energy
follows attention and the eyes focus
and direct attention of energy body and
mind. Eyes remain fixed and expanded
to include the peripheral vision; what
is called a gaze. Use soft eyes and look
through and into- beyond. |
Head Spine
and Eye Integration |
Practice
using eyes and moving the head in various
directions. To improve balance, look
in the opposite direction you walk. Direct
and focus energy using the eyes, looking
where you kick, punch, strike, chop and
move energy. Let the eyes begin the movement.
The body will follow. Play with myopic
and diffused, gazing eye energy. Look
at, into and through. Practice “Qigong” and
other energy exercises. |
Martial Arts and the Fingers, Arms, and Hands
The Move |
Description |
Spear Finger |
Index and
Middle extended; thumb, ring and little
finger pulled back. Creates tension along
the inner arch of the hand, dividing
and balancing energy flow along the arm
so there is an equal pull of tension
moving in and out. When tension is equal
there is greater strength in a body part.
Use this movement to increase flexibility;
to protect joints in extensions and thrusts;
to increase definition; to release tension
out of neck and shoulder girdle. |
Spiral Finger |
Middle finger
either crosses over the index or ring
finger. Middle finger crossed over index
increases sensation and awareness of
engagement of the inner arch of the hand.
It improves flexibility in the hands.
It opens and stretches the front of the
shoulder joint, and pectorals muscle
and improves spiraling action of forearm
bones. It also extends energy along arm
bones, eliminates over use of shoulder
girdle and neck, particularly in the
sternocleidomastoid muscles, and improves
neck and arm flexibility and strength. |
Directing
Energy |
Each finger
connects us to an emotion and helps to
direct energy flow. The thumb—heart,
index—desire, middle—power,
ring—commitment, and little finger—boundary
or edge. Use them individually in your
work to connect the mind to body action;
extend energy along arm bones; initiate
personal interaction and a more mindful
and conscious use of hands in movement;
lengthens muscles and improves flexibility
and strength. |
Martial
Arts and the Feet-Stances, Steps, and
Kicks
The Move |
Description |
Rock around
the clock |
Used to strengthen
the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Movement
mimics a hoola-hoop motion. Feet are
in closed stance or open and you rock
and roll around the outside edges of
your feet while maintaining balance and
vertical alignment. |
Duck Walk |
Used to strengthen
the front of shins and ankles. Keeping
the body vertical, the toes lift and
lower, like a duck. Lifting and lowering
the balls of the feet, you alternate
and avoid sticking the buttocks out. |
Squish Walk |
Used to strengthen
the whole leg, particularly the feet
and ankles. Rising up onto the balls
of the feet you slowly lower one heel
at a time into the earth. As if squishing
the heel onto an orange. Lower slowly
to strengthen the feet. Sift and lower
the heels, alternating left and right. |
Stances
Closed Stance |
All stances
improve strength and flexibility. Big
toes touching, heels slightly apart.
Hara is the furthest away from the earth.
Requires more b All stances used for
strength and flexibility and to improve
agility and mobility as you come into
and out of them in various speeds, and
in various ranges of motion. This is
a small base. Feet underneath the body. |
Open Stance |
Feet are
hip width apart, with the Hara closer
to earth. A wider base and therefore
the nervous system begins to relax more,
as the Hara gets closer to the earth.
Feet underneath the body. |
A Stance |
Feet wider,
creating the shape of an “A,” with
the Hara closer to earth. The feet now
outside the hips, not underneath the
body. A wider base for more stability. |
Riding or
Sumo Stance |
Horse Stance,
as if sitting on a horse, knees spring-loaded,
slightly bent, with the Hara closer to
the earth. Most stable and biggest base. |
Bow Stance |
One leg drawn
back, like the bow of an arrow. The front
foot is flat and can be slightly turned
in for balance. The back foot is on the
ball, and the knee and hip and foot face
in the same direction. |
Cat Stance |
One leg balance,
with one foot resting up against the
supporting leg. |
Steps
Sink and Pivot |
Used for
agility and with more momentum than the
stances. Bow stance that turns from left
to right, using momentum and rhythm and
at different levels. Feet can change
place and it is important to pick the
feet up and place them each time. |
Cross Back |
Used for
strength, flexibility and balance. Making
a small “X” with the ankles
and shinbones, the feet stay directly
under the body and you remain vertical. |
Traveling
1-2-3-4
|
Used for
agility and mobility and to improve relationship
to body moving in space. Move on and
off line or around the room, on 4 you
vary the movement; a kick, throwing the
arms up, sinking, etc. |
Kicks
Front kick |
All kicks
are used for balance, strength and flexibility.
The frontal thigh points up towards ceiling,
and you maintain vertical alignment.
Sound and breath help to execute the
release of the heel away from the buttocks,
the ready position that prepares the
body to kick. Remain upright and elongated
through the spine. |
Back Kick |
Back of thigh
points up towards ceiling. Lower than
other kicks. |
Side Kick |
Side of thigh
points up towards ceiling. Look in direction
you kick in. Point with knee and buttocks
into the direction. For higher sidekick,
the supporting foot turns out to open
the hip. |
Lateral Traveling |
Crouch cat
like, step behind and look into direction
you are traveling; step together step. |
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