| Subtle, Yet Real On The Dance Floor | | | | - Circling while dancing, and smoothly changing |
| At a filming of the show America's Got Talent, I | | | | direction. Just don't make it look too "boxer like." |
| witnessed a mini dance competition for audience | | | | - Raising and lowering your arms on the beat, and |
| members, between taping and judging the show's | | | | then cleanly switching to the half beat, and back. |
| real contestants. (I guess it's AGT's way to keep | | | | This doesn't have to look like a punch... just play |
| the audience both enthusiastic and entertained.) | | | | with the timing. |
| During the dance competition, I saw a | | | | - Doing a couple of speed motions with your feet, |
| phenomenon that I have seen for years. A | | | | by having them close together. We all know this is |
| percentage of males (teens and young adults) | | | | the most efficient way to move quickly. |
| incorporate martial arts techniques into their dance | | | | - Dropping down. It doesn't have to be splits ouch |
| moves. | | | | at the thought of "me" doing that. In the Filipino |
| Have you seen this, too? | | | | martial arts, there is a quick drop down to one |
| I even saw some young "karate move flashers" | | | | knee... except the knee doesn't make contact |
| at my daughter's middle school dance. | | | | with the ground. Hmm. |
| Whether at a taping of America's Got Talent, or a | | | | - Leading any motion with your elbow(s). Don't |
| kids' dance, the moves are messy. They are pure | | | | make it look like an elbow strike. Simply use the |
| slop. | | | | dance move as an excuse to get your elbow out |
| This started me thinking... | | | | there quickly. More Creative Martial Dance Practice |
| Martial Arts Can't Mimic Dance Exactly | | | | Do I have any other ideas? |
| You shouldn't make your dance moves mimic | | | | Sure, I could go on and on. But let me leave you |
| martial arts moves exactly. The crispness, | | | | with a potential gem.... |
| stances, and so on would make you look | | | | What if you could have your arms or your feet |
| ridiculous. In fact, a lot of what I see borders on | | | | describe the exact path that you'd need to punch, |
| the silly, as it is. | | | | move, or kick in a real fight... but what if you hid |
| But what if... what if...you could isolate a | | | | the fact that it was a martial arts move? |
| movement that's necessary but hard to learn | | | | You'd execute the "path" of the punch without |
| smoothly, and practice this over and over? | | | | your hand being clenched in a fist. It would be |
| Isolated and Concentrated Martial Arts Practice | | | | slow and smooth. You'r train your brain... acquire |
| What I am proposing is that you make your | | | | muscle memory for when you do practice at full |
| dancing look like dancing. (If you do martial arts | | | | speed, during martial arts class. |
| moves, "because" you don't know any dance | | | | Take any of these ideas and practice them over |
| moves, then... learn some.) Subtly incorporate a | | | | and over, "karate kid style," and you might just |
| motion that's needed for advanced martial arts | | | | have the ingredient necessary to help you master |
| application. | | | | some aspect of your practical training. |
| What did I have in mind? | | | | And we didn't even talk about the aerobic |
| - Broken rhythm of darting in and out on different | | | | benefits of dancing for the martial artist. |
| beats. Mix it up. | | | | Just dance, dance, dance... all night long! |