The Silk Thread of Gorindo - Ottawa - Canada
Issue 13
Photo cover Claudio Iedwab sensei, November 2011, by Roxanne Standefer
Cool-down
Do not avoid a warm-up to ‘save’ energy for the work-out or neglect a cool-down to save time after the training. The risk of injury or strain and fatigue is too high.
You are training in an activity that involves self-defence and health at its base, so be smart and remember: “it is preferred to do the warm-up without the work-out than the work-out without the warm-up, and do a shorter work-out with a cool-down than a longer work-out without a cool-down”. Adherance to this golden rule will reward you with better health, consistant progress and greater quality and quantity of training.
Cooling-down (sometimes thought of as warming-down) is of equal importance as the work-out itself.
Do not stop training abruptly, because the lactic acid accumulated in the tissue as a by-product of anaerobic respiration and metabolic activity can make you feel stiff the next day. No matter how tired you are at the end of a strenuous work-out, keep moving and then cool down so that your system has an opportunity to adjust.
Special attention may be given to muscle groups or areas of the body that have been particularly exercised. After the class you should move to the wall for gentle calf and quadricep stretching. This helps loosen the ankles and prevents excessive pooling of blood in the lower extremities, enabling the heart and blood pressure to return to a pre-class level.
At the end of class a cool-down consisting of many or all of the warm-up exercises will be done as a group. The following exercises should be done individually after the class, before leaving the dojo.
Calf Elongation
Stance: Front Stance with forward foot one foot distance from wall.
Action: Lean forward to lightly support hands on wall, bar or ledge. With both heels on the floor, bend the forward knee and let the hips shift forward until you feel a gentle tension in the back of the calf of the outstretched leg. Exhale and slowly count to 20. Repeat, changing feet forward and bending the other leg.
Comment: Do not push against wall. Take care to not hyperextend the knee joint. Keep shin of forward leg vertical.
Quadriceps Elongation
Stance: Feet together facing wall or support.
Action: Place one hand out for support. Reach down to grasp the instep of your upraised foot with the other hand.
Gently pull up on the foot keeping knees together and spine straight. Tuck pelvis under. Exhale and count to 20. Repeat on opposite side.
Comment: Can be done with either foot. Maintain vertical plane of body, do not lean forward. With better balance this exercise can be done grabbing the foot with both hands allowing the shoulders to drop and the chest to expand.
by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
Originallly published in the Gorindo Student Manual and “The Secret Art of Health & Fitness – Uncovered from the Martial Arts Masters” by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
©2011 Photo & Illustrations by Claudio Iedwab
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