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An advanced version of the fabric cloth training

The hanging speedball exercise (read Basic tools: the cloth) is one of the fundamental technical training of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///). The idea is always to imagine to face real opponents but the risk to get used to the dynamics of the basic version of the most practiced exercise is always lurking. To avoid our mind and our body to forget the fighting goal (read Same exercises, different execution) we continuously add:

Alterations
Handicaps
Obstacles
Different versions
…

Some of these variants have specific objectives (and we have to insist on them), some other are only a way to do not let our adaptability fall asleep. In the specific case of this “alternative version”, the goal is more than a simple diversion.

The Dragon control exercise

Our body, in its entirety, must be ready to react instantly with a solid, liquid or fluid state (read 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch) based on the opponent stimuli and on our strategic choices.

When we are in close contact with our opponent (read Sparring type 2: close combat), we must be able to change our state, swiftly and consistently. An exercise that helps us is the so-called “Dragon control”, starting from the concepts of the fabric cloth training, let’s see how it works:

Let’s take one of our elastic ropes (without carabiners, read The basic equipment for training in 6DKF)
Let’s start to move the rope over our arms (wrists, forearms, etc.)
Let’s allow the rope to slip on our limbs (let’s start using the arms only, with the time we can also include the legs)
As for the fabric cloth, the rope must not drop down to the floor
We can not grab the rope with closing hands
We have to launch, hit, rotate (etc.) the rope
We must avoid the rope to twist (too much) on our limbs and grab/lock us
Let’s never stop the flow of rope (let’s try to voluntarily control its accelerations and decelerations)
Let’s do not stand still, let’s move fast, freely and dynamically on the space around us
Let’s never forget that we are fighting (we have to try to execute attacks, defenses, etc.)
Let’s free our mind, this exercise should be done instinctively, without thinking (let’s forget the physics of the elastic rope)
Let’s always try to perform difficult movements (as for the fabric cloth, to limit us to small movements is completely useless)

Final tips and details

As we said, this is an important variant (the first times slightly harder) of the fabric exercise we talked about earlier; the goal is to accustom our bodies and our minds (mechanically and instinctively) to:

Manage the tangle of the rope
Find the equilibrium points of a very flexible moving object
Apply the right strength / softness in the right direction and moments
Learn to manage improvise accelerations and deceleration
Dynamically learn to do not be captured
…

By the time the results will be amazing, we will evolve enormously:

Sensitivity of touch (extremely important when in close contact with the opponent)
Spatial intelligence (read The most important skill in combat)
Coordination
Reflexes
Speed (read Speed and quickness)
Precision (read Introduction to the idea of Precision Control)
Flexible weapons management (read Stance and basic rotations of the rope)
…

To conclude, it must be said that:

In no cases, this exercise can replace the basic practice of the fabric cloth training
This is not a beginners practice (it is not dangerous but it can slow down our martial growth if we are not conditioned with the fabric cloth)

In-depth articles

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Can you manage the motion of rope without losing it?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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