Kick Your Balance Woes

[From 05 August 2008]

Need balance? Need grounding? You got it! Or had it? Oh…it’s back again. Think of balance in terms of degrees as opposed to absolutes. Balance requires movement and adjustments. At first the movements and adjustments tend to be large, and, over time, they become smaller and smaller. The adjustments never cease. Balance gets better and your body develops efficiency at maintaining it. The same with grounding. They never quite seem effortless. They’re both dynamic. Sorry, I’m not talking metaphorically here.

The kicks in the Yang Chen Fu Form give my balance a run for its money. In the beginning, my balance was all over the place. I’d fall out of all of the kicks, or, at least, I would make big, awkward adjustments, fighting to not fall out. My balance issues exasperated the slower I did my form.

Nowadays, I work my balance using the 4 Corner Balance Drill (4 CBD) from Scott Sonnon’s Warrior Wellness DVD (replaced by his Intu-flow DVD). As a part of my daily joint mobility exercises, I do a round of the 4CBD, holding each posture for 5 slow and even breaths. I attribute my increased balancing prowess to this ingredient in my routine, and I encourage those with balancing woes to try it out.

Integrating this exercise into practice improves balance and grounding while performing kicks. In addition to better balance and grounding, you’ll gain experiential knowledge of how gripping the ground with your grounded foot and toes helps root and balance. To top it off, you’ll gain functional flexibility.

Watch the following video and try it! Post your experiences, difficulties, successes, and ideas right here, please. If you can’t figure it out, shoot me a message or purchase Warrior Wellness.

Four Corner Balance Drill