Rolling

There are basically only two kinds of rolls that I know of, Gymnastic/Tumbling rolls, and Martial arts/Parkour(they are almost, but not quite the same) rolls.

In tumbling forward rolls, you roll straight forward, going directly over your head and the center of your back. You can’t really aim them in any direction, and they aren’t really useful in any situation where Parkour or martial arts would apply. (I.e they may be an important part of a gymnastics or tumbling routine but they aren’t going to help much the next time you jump off a wall or get into a fight). For backwards rolls, well I can’t really remember how to do them, but their pretty similar to forward rolls.

In Martial arts forward rolls, you roll at an angle going down your arm, over your shoulder, and across your back, so that the least amount of time/force is placed on the spine. You can aim the roll in any forward directional without moving your footing once you know how to do it. (I.e you can roll side ways, diagonal and forwards). It’s all the same roll. Martial arts rolls are meant to be used to dissipate the impact from a fall, or to recover from being knocked over, or to land from being thrown, either in an accident or fight. Back rolls again are similar, although I don’t know them as well, in a back roll you fall backwards and roll across your back and over your shoulder in reverse.

Now keep in mind, I’m just listing the different types of rolls here, not how you should do them. Also, I don’t really know much at all about tumbling rolls, I haven’t taken gymnastics in a while.

Here are some examples of rolls and how to do them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7b-ykpV … 40&index=0
Martial Arts forward rolls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooH61uam … 40&index=1
Same in slow motion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuLuLsk6UMQ
Parkour rolls (I’m dubious about his expertise though)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tJAyNxig_A
More parkour rolls, I like this video better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6I1J0zmE7U
Finally! This video kicks the other two videos asses, reminds me of watching dogens tutorials for the first times, must be the pleasant background music. Watch this to really learn practical Parkour rolls!

Now, I couldn’t actually find any videos of Gymnastic/Tumbling roll, aka a somersault. If you want to see one, just search gymnastics, or tumbling or something on youtube, and watch some videos of the Olympics or some such, you’ll see some rolls somewhere in their floor work.

Yakri~

Fighting/Sparring part 1

so I’ve been training for the nationals and I just thought I’d drop some sparring tips for those martial artists who’re looking to improve their skillz. (as a note: this is generally for kickers in tournament fights. For you peeps who like to punch, I’ll do a post on that soon)

So first, I’ll discuss your stance. The stance I use is your basic back-stance: feet apart facing forward with one foot behind the other. Your back should be straight and the hands up mid level, with one slightly raised to protect your head (fists can be open or closed depending on your preference). The hands are especially important! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten hit because I let my hands drop. So keep them UP!!

okay, next off: attacks. I’ll start by saying that variety is key. Sure, you can defeat an opponent with the basic kicks: round-house, front, side, and back kicks. But that’s no fun. So I suggest kicking off a fight with the basics, then pumpin’ it up with some spinning stuff, and head shots. Something I’ve noticed is that when people get tired, they have a tendency to use only one attack (it’s generally an ax-kick or roundhouse) throughout their entire match. I’ve seen this happen many times; it’s really pathetic to watch and easy to counter. DON’T DO IT!

Some people have asked me: “How do you get conditioned for a fight?”. Well, here are some ideas. Since you need to be throwing kicks almost continually for about 1 1/2 minutes(give/take), you’ll need endurance. Without it you are dead. Seriously, endurance is one of the key abillities a martial artist needs. You need it in sparring, for forms, and some other things but mainly the first two.

So anyways, here’s a couple of things you can do. Two minute drills (you’ll need someone to time you on this, or have an analog clock handy): It’s pretty basic, you take three exercizes (i use push-ups, sprints, and that kind of stuff) and do each for 10 (I do 20) seconds. You continue this for two minutes, every two min is a set. Do two or three sets. You can also increase the time to three minutes if you feel that my time is too short.

The other drill you can do requires a bag; your average puncing bag will do. You’ll also need a timer. So to start off, you have your timer set for thirty sec. , and proceed to throw any kick you want against the bag. You then increase the time to 40 or 45 sec. Then to 50, then one minute. After each round you’ll want to rest for an equal amount of time. After your last round you’ll probably be winded and/or sore so take a rest. This does several things for you 1) you can work on your kick cambinations, 2) it helps your wind 3) It’s a realy good workout.

-Beveld

Yakri& friends first video

Yay, we finally made a video, and I’ll tell you, it was one major pain in the ass to edit this, fing quicktime video format….

Yakri~

Yakri does a small kicking tutorial

Yakri~

Loop kicks dvd Vlog

I think i forgot the mention, the sound track kicks major ass.

Edit: You can learn more about the actual content of the dvd, (other then awesomeness in a can) and but it at http://www.loopkicks-dvd.com/ do it now! Support team loopkicks, and learn how not to break your neck!