The value of Kettlebell training through the eyes of a Yogi and Martial Artist

 

This Blog entry is dedicated to all of my fellow Yogi(ni)s and Martial Artist who dedicate a good portion of their existence in nurturing their inner Warrior Spirit and forging strong able bodies. If you’re one such person, you probably dedicate more than 2hrs a day to your craft at minimum on top of your daily responsibilities and commitments. You make time instead of excuses to integrate your practice sessions and even extend your practice beyond to everything you do.

As a Yogi(ni), your daily asana practice, meditation and applications of the eight limbs of Yoga provide one of the most complete wellness systems (or what my former Guru like to call “Human Maintenance”) in existence. The Breathwork I’ve learned, whether from the Indian, Indonesian or Himalayan Yoga heritage or from the Chinese Taoist or Buddhist traditions, have all contributed a unique approach or application to my other activities in my Health Matrix. All are invaluable in contributing the universal understanding of such practices. Each of these systems had a physical counterpart to the internal practice and together forged a body and mind of great potential. You learn to value “Ha (Sun) Tha (Moon)” as it applies to your life.

Same thing if you practice a Martial Art. Doesn’t matter what style you practice or type (Internal or External). At the highest levels, the hard blends with the soft and the soft blends with the hard. As you develop your fighting skills, you learn that economy of motion (result of laser precision coordination of firing and relaxing the correct muscle fibers at the correct time), alignment of structure and integration of correct breath all produce the most formidable fighter. In the act of a well balanced martial art practice (not all martial art practice is healthy) will forge a body and mind of great potential. You learn to value “Yin” and “Yang”.

If you already reap the rewards from your Yoga practice or Martial Art practice, why add Kettlebell training you may ask. My answer is simple. Its another opportunity to learn more about our personal potential.  It adds another dimension of understanding to our respective arts in relation to our bodies.  At this point, you may think I’m just going overboard in my claims of Kettlebell training benefits. But bear with me.

True, any endurance sport will force one to explore the depths of one’s psyche and challenge one’s mental toughness. But Kettlebell Training if done correctly, is totally complimentary and synergistic to a balanced Martial Art practice or Yoga practice.  Now I must emphasize that how we train as oppose to what we train is more important here.  Anything I say here can easily apply to any other activity.  Kettlebell training as taught by Head Coach Valery Fedorenko is one such protocol that synergistically blends with a Martial Art or Yoga practice.  When doing timed sets, one is forced to learn the most effiicient technique, one is forced to learn optimal body alignment, biomechanics, use of leverage etc.  Only through such careful attention to detail can one excel as a kettlebell lifter.  Result is a stronger body with stronger tendons and ligaments.  Such traits can be claimed in successful Internal martial arts practices such as ”Tai Chi Chuan”, Bagua, Hsing-i, or Aikido.  And finally, this way of lifting kettlebells integrates correct breath via correct structure.  In short, the Kettlebell Athlete/Lifter will obtain another dimension of understanding of these key elements of Body, Breath and Mind so prevalent in high level studies whether it be a specific yoga practice or martial art style.  Lifting Kettlebells for “Timed Sets” will add or supply the much needed skills so valuable in our everyday sport call LIFE.