A Process for Movement Practice
My approach is designed to get people moving well and developing new skills using preparation, progression and play. It is not always as simple as to just start moving - you need a process and an approach, to get you from point A to B. Starting with reclaiming the basics of human movement and ultimately aspiring to movement complexity, play and freedom in a holistic, engaging and fun way. Using core principles to underpin the practical application, you will develop your love for movement and help you see why "exercise" is a modern construct or invention. A child moves because they can, and so should we, recovering the joy to move and play is essential. Treating anything as play can create an optimal learning experience, but we also need a process to acquire new skills - a balance between the classical and romantic approach, as Frank Forencich puts it. Whatever your goals may be - to ultimately look good and feel good - movement and the journey will be its own reward.
Biomechanics: Gravity and Evolution
Understanding how gravity and evolution affect the way we (are supposed to) move is a key principle to my training.
Terminology
Creates and develops a tangible language to communicate and teach mainly through preparation, joint mobility and body perception drills and will help with coaching cues.
Lay the Groundwork
Call it rehab or pre-hab - specific and intelligent preparation drills address weak points and prepare for the unknown, ensuring you have the movement patterns, mobility, stability and strength to progress safely and are not an injury waiting to happen. Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) principles are applied.
Restore the basics
Reclaim and improve a broad foundation of fundamental human movement skills and movement patterns (such as archetypal resting postures, ground transitions, squatting, crawling, walking and hanging), as the basic building blocks from which to build further competence.
Turning Humans into "Movers"
Humans are movement generalists or unspecialised by nature. Becoming a well-rounded mover ensures adaptability, longevity and freedom by not being limited by the constraints of one discipline.
Movement Quality
Sometimes it is not IF one can perform a movement but HOW they perform it. We set high standards for skill and technique, and aim for precision when executing. Establishing movement quality is a priority before progressing. Acquiring a skill or establishing high movement quality requires the necessary technique, physical conditioning and mindfulness.
Movement Complexity
The process of learning complex movements is by increasing movement complexity in your training progression (providing quality is maintained), greater intensity and capacity are guaranteed, but not necessarily the other way around.
Honour, study and evolve from many quality sources
We are always a student first, always learning and digesting new movement material. I will always be flexible in my approach and continue to compile an evolving and effective toolbox and movement palette to serve movement development.
Beware of becoming information rich, but experience poor - understanding and knowing is not enough, we must experience, practice and implement.