Start moving with the rope

How to master flexible weapons

Before proceeding with the study of flexible weapons (read Learn to use basic weapons) we must emphasize that:

• This path must be consistent and absolutely gradual, not rigid weapons are 10 times more difficult to manage in relation to the others
• The rudiments that we are going to illustrate may seem trivial but they are the basis of the most articulated movements and must be intensely trained
• There are no shortcomings, the day when we will approach real weapons, we will not have to have gaps; we will have to be fully in control of their (seemingly) unpredictable mobility

We can start exploring the spatial mobility with the rope when we realize that, from a standing still position, we are able to:

• Perform rotations perpendicular / parallel to the ground (read Stance and basic rotations of the rope and Loop rotations of the rope)
• Maintain the inertia of rotations without any discomfort, especially on the wrists (who uses flexible weapons must have steel wrists)
• Do not miss the control of movement (and especially do not strike our body involuntarily)

Adding the movement to the practice

Mobility adds to the previous circular rotation exercises and to the loops a slight increase in difficulty, we must learn to:

• Coordinate the movement of arms and legs so as not to hinder the evolutions of the rope
• Manage times and spaces in which to pass our flexible weapon (read The most important skill in combat)

It’s for this reasons that we stress the weapon practice, it helps a lot to use our body at its maximum level.

A few exercises

Here are some simple exercises:

• Perform loops or circular rotations walking in a straight line (forwards and backward)
• Perform loop or circular rotations walking in a circle (forwards and backward)
• Make free rotations by moving forward in a straight line and reversing the direction at its end (we must turn back trying not to interrupt the flow)
• Perform random rotations, freely and changing direction continuously (without slowing down the rotation inertia)

Notes:

• Gradually we can pass from walking to “running” (but always being sure to do not lose the quality of movement)
• We must care not about speed or power but the precision and uniformity of rotations (perpendiculars, parallels, flow, etc.)
• Let’s do not forget to be completely relaxed (shoulders, elbow, wrist, etc.)
• Let’s remember to maintain our the center of gravity perfectly balanced (read How to improve balance: tricks and exercises)
• Let’s not forget to get involved our entire body in the motion  (read Use the body power: the muscle chain)
• The duration of each session is typically 10 minutes
• The safety instructions apply to those mentioned in the previous articles of this series

In the next step of this discussion, we will see further advancement in 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s rope training.

In-depth articles

• How to train in 6DKF: specific exercises – The most important exercises types in 6DKF
• Learning to have coordination: the cyclical concentration – How to start a good body coordination path

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

• What are the bigger difficulties in rope (or flexible weapons) training?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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