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Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

Posted By: ParRus
Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials
DVDRip | English | AVI | 640 x 480 | XviD ~1585 kbps | 23.976 fps
MP3 | 128 Kbps | 48.0 KHz | 2 channels | 01:30:39 | 1.09 GB
Genre: Video Training / Health, Rehabilitation, Sports

Few tools are more elemental, natural and enduring than the Club. Certainly primitive or developing humans picked up heavy sticks to crack open food or swung them for defense. Children pick up spoons and other objects and bang on whatever is available. As adults, the games we play can involve clubs in a variety of shapes and designs, including the golf club, baseball bat, and cricket bat. A look at ancient Hindu texts reveals pictures of Hindu deities carrying clubs. These images indicate that the club has roughly a 5000 year history.
So called Indian Clubs made the trip to the West as a result of British Colonialism. They eventually gained popularity in the United States in the late 1800s and were widely used in the German Gymnastics system called the Turnvereine. One of these, which became known as Turner Halls in the US, was still active when Dr. Ed Thomas was growing up in Davenport, Iowa.
Club swinging was highly developed and popular in Davenport for several generations when Dr. Thomas began training with them around the age of eight. He eventually began teaching the art to a few of his university students in the early 1980s, and continued searching for instructors. In 1988, he went to Burma as a Fulbright Scholar and studied under a classical club swinging instructor for nine months. Along the way, he has also found club swinging instruction in Korea, Germany and other places.
Despite its illustrious history as an Olympic sport in 1904 and 1932 and its presence in Army physical training doctrine from around 1885 1980, we currently find ourselves in the perplexing situation of it being reintroduced as a training implement. Add to this the fact that there are at best only a handful of people alive today who are truly familiar with the art of classical club swinging, it is truly a skill worth learning.
Club Swinging Essentials seeks to ground Club swinging as a restorative art and to bring Mindful Movement to the extreme fitness culture. The manual and DVD reveal, and detail, an essential group of classical Club swinging movements and provide a bit of history and perspective.
Below is an excerpt from the introduction of the Club Swinging Essentials Manual. Gray Cook and Brett Jones have been extremely fortunate to work with Dr. Ed Thomas in taking his club swinging system to the public. A disappearing art, club swinging provides a high neural demand on movement and coordination.

Why Swing Clubs?
Not to answer a question with a question but allow me to ask you: Do you have a restorative art as part of your fitness regime? What is a restorative art?
The fact that you may have felt the need to follow my question answering the first question with a question means you probably dont have a restorative art in your fitness regime.
A restorative art seeks to bring the body back to an optimal state of balance. It is the balance to the heavy, extreme training common in todays gym. In the past there were three systems in physical education: Martial, Restorative and Pedagogical. Today we are heavily slanted toward the Pedagogical (games and sport) where the push is to achieve what we call fitness. This push to run faster or farther or lift more weight pushes us out of balance. A restorative art like club swinging seeks to release the tension and stress of extreme fitness training.
In addition to being a restorative art there are great benefits to upper body mobility and integrity, coordination and just the plain fun of swinging clubs. So my final question is: Why not swing clubs?

Arent they too light to be of benefit?
Clubs used as a restorative art are usually light (in the 1 3 lb range), and unfortunately some people consider these weights useless. In discussions with Dr. Thomas he has simply stated that while there are club swinging systems that use heavier clubs all of the classical systems begin with the lighter clubs. Grapplers and wrestlers would tend to move towards the heavier systems while boxers would move along with the lighter systems. But again everyone learned and got started with the lighter clubs.
Are you a kettlebell athlete, a powerlifter or do you participate in sports or activities that place significant load on the body? (Take running for example where roughly 6 times your bodyweight is moving through your body every step.) Then you do enough heavy and light club swinging is again that restorative art that can help restore balance to your body.
Dr. Ed Thomas Indian Club Instructional

Martial artists past and present have stressed the importance of complementing external power with internal harmony. This balance between restorative and martial arts remains an essential thread running through the fabric of both Eastern and Western martial arts philosophy.

Martial arts are often defined as techniques that allow for appropriate responses to external aggression. Restorative arts bring the body toward its optimal state of harmony and compensate for the stresses of daily life. These two concepts are integrally related, and both have roots in Western as well as Eastern physical culture. The search for and celebration of these common roots and relationships allows the martial artist to better understand the universal principles that unite all fighting systems.

The rediscovery and growing popularity of Indian clubs may well be the decade’s most interesting development concerning modern restorative and martial arts in American culture. The clubs originated in the East, but they came to America from Europe. The story of their evolution, disappearance, and rediscovery in American society is intriguing, and the amazing effect of their practical application is relevant to any martial arts system.

Indian clubs are usually made of wood and resemble either club-like weapons or bowling pins. At one time, they lined the walls of our gymnasia, and countless Americans swung them in marvellous and complicated circular patterns that stimulated the brain and invigorated the body.

BRIEF HISTORY…
The clubs originated centuries ago in India. They were developed by soldiers, police, and others whose caste required strength, agility, balance, physical prowess, and martial arts skill. British officers involved in the annexation of India were surprised to find the natives marvellously expert in swinging clubs in various graceful and fantastic motions, and they noted that besides the great recommendation of simplicity the Indian club practice possesses the essential property of expanding the chest and exercising every muscle of the body concurrently. (Spalding, p.77)

The British brought the Indian clubs to Europe where the Germans and Czechs eventually adopted club swinging into their physical training systems. German immigrants brought Indian clubs to the United States in the mid-i 1800, and the clubs were soon introduced into both American school physical education programs and military physical readiness training.

The United States Army Manual of Physical Training (1914) notes:
The effect of these exercises, when performed with light clubs, is chiefly a neural one, hence they are primary factors in the development of grace and coordination and rhythm. As they tend supple the muscles and articulation of the shoulders and to the upper and fore arms and wrist, they are indicated in cases where there is a tendency toward what is ordinarily known as “muscle bound.” (p.113)

In 1982, Dio Lewis, a pioneer in American physical culture, included Indian clubs in his system of physical education. He wrote of the clubs: “They cultivate patience and endurance, and operate most happily upon the longitudinal muscles of the back and shoulders, thus tending to correct the habit of stooping (p.171).

In 1885, Baron Nils Posse, a Swedish soldier and physical educator, came to America and introduced the Swedish system of medical and military gymnastics. In 1984, his book was published explaining his system, and in it Posse details the difference between lifting dumbbells and swinging clubs. Lifting dumbbells, he explained, adds weight to the lever (this is the commonly practiced linear lifting). Indian clubs, he continued, increase the momentum of the pendulum (this is the circular nature of club swinging). In otherwords, Indian clubs can be described as circular weight training. Posse also called the Indian club the oldest known implement for military gymnastics and related it to the broadsword (p.24).

Indian clubs gradually disappeared from the American physical education landscape in the first two decades of the 20th century as sports and games replaced the European-based systems of restorative and military exercise. In 1916, Joseph Cermak joined the futile chorus of Indian club defenders in noting: “I have heard, and still hear among the professional men and women unfavourable comments about club exercises, but knowing that there is no other kind of hand apparatus that would admit such a great, almost inexhaustible variety of pleasing exercises as the clubs, believing that the clubs should have a prominent place in educational gymnastics, that by collaboration of mind and muscle in these exercises we can develop the highest degree of co-ordination.” (Preface)

In the hands of an expert, the powerful flowing motions of the clubs somewhat resemble the patterns of Filipino Kali. This resemblance is probably because the 5th century Indian Sri Vishaya warriors invaded the Philippines and eventually merged culturally with them. The Visayan people of the central Philippines can be traced to the Sri Vishaya culture. In terms of basic movement patterns, the relationship between Kali and Indian club training is best illustrated by comparing Danny Inosanto’s (1980) explanation of Kali attack angles (Inosanto) with Warman’s illustration of club swinging. Both systems stress flowing circular patterns and the figure-eight motion.

MODERN APPLICATIONS…
The shoulder girdle is probably the most movable area of the body, but it is also one of the most fragile. Strength of the shoulders should be complemented by flexibility, and the clubs can contribute to both. When the ball and socket joint of the shoulder works in harmony with the elbow and wrist joints, an almost infinite number of circular patterns is possible. The basic club patterns are the foundation of all shoulder girdle movements, including those applicable to martial arts. The key to effective use of the clubs is concentration, precision, and practice.

Many if not most Americans do not fully develop their natural shoulder girdle mobility and muscular balance. Ill fitting furniture, poor posture, and our tragically inadequate system of physical education in our nation’s schools are among the many cultural factors that keep us from realizing our highest potential. Basic club skills offer a safe and very effective means to regain essential shoulder girdle mobility. More advanced club movements include complicated arm and footwork that contribute to overall agility, timing, and dexterity.

The 14th Century French physician Tissot wrote, “movement as such may take the place of many remedies, but all the remedies together can never take the Place of the effect of movement.” Tissot was of course referring to rational and natural human motion. In this regard, a humble respect for the past will create a stronger and more productive present and carry us into a strong and secure future.

Club swinging was rediscovered several years ago at Northern Illinois University near Chicago. Last year it was introduced into the Cho Kwang Do martial arts system based in Atlanta and the U.S. Army off-duty education fitness leadership program at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Club swinging can undoubtedly improve shoulder girdle efficiency, and almost certainly help you become a better martial artist. But maybe more importantly, it is one of those links to the timeless history that binds us to long forgotten martial artists who mastered themselves in order to better fulfil our common challenge to wisely rule this earth. Perhaps the 17th Century philosopher Pascal said it best–”Those we call the ancients were new in everything.”

also You can look:

Dr. Ed Thomas - Indian Club Instructional

Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami with Gray Cook & Brett Jones

Gray Cook - Secrets of Primitive Patterns (2 DVD-set)

Gray Cook - Athletic Body in Balance

Gray Cook - Secrets of Core Training: The Backside

The Certified Kettlebell-Funct...st (CK-FMS) Home Study Course

Gray Cook - FMS: Applying the Model to Real Life Examples

Gray Cook - Secrets of the Shoulder

Movement Functional Movement Systems

and other: Rehabilitation-post

General
Complete name : Club Swinging Essentials - Gray Cook, Brett Jones, Dr. Ed Thomas.avi
Format : AVI
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Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]

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Gray Cook, Brett Jones & Ed Thomas - Club Swinging Essentials [repost]