66th Birthday
IS IT REALLY MY 66th BIRTHDAY?
Today is my 66th Birthday, and I frankly cannot believe it. The brain feels like I’m a 30 year old, and yet time stops for no one including me, and I have to accept that I am 66 years old.
How can you use your Legs?
I am always looking for something new when I swing Indian Clubs, and one of the questions that keeps coming up. How can you use your legs when you swing Indian Clubs?
Looking for something New
I have done squats in the past, and I thought I would try something new.
A Simple Step to the Side
The movement is a simple step to the side. Starting from the upright central position, you take a step to the left, and back to the centre, then a step to the right, and back to the centre.
Keep the Indian Clubs Moving
The idea is to keep the Indian Clubs moving throughout the stepping sequence. When you step away from the upright central position, you are knocking yourself off balance. As you put your foot down you have to be sure that your body is balanced and steady so that you can deal with the momentum of the swinging clubs. Once you have swung the clubs through, you then have to push off and bring your legs together to the upright central position.
Start from the Central Upright Position
You will see in the video that I start with my legs together in the upright central position, and perform four swings of the heart-shaped pattern. Then I step to the right on the count of one, back into the centre on the count of two, step to the left on the count of three, and back to the centre upright position on the count of four. All the stepping is done with the clubs in motion.
Freeze and Swing
As you can imagine timing is really important, on stepping to the side, you have to be prepared to hold or freeze the position until you have finished swinging the clubs and are ready to step back into the upright central position.
Keep it Simple
I recommend that you keep it simple and begin with the outward heart-shaped swing, inward heart-shaped swing, parallels to the left, parallels to the right. Mastering the stepping with these movements is essential before you try to progress to alternate swings.
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Happy birthday Paul. You have an advantage on me as you started swinging as a young man in your early sixties. I didn’t find you and your methodology until I was sixty six so I’ve been swinging clubs for four years. I did go to the gym fairly regularly but I didn’t really enjoy the experience (miserable bunch of so and sos) I’m amazed I can still keep up the rate because at our age previous generations would have found it difficult to perform this level of exercise. Thanks for all your help with the clubs and keep the videos coming.
Thank you Charles, so good to hear that you are actively swinging clubs. I think that we are very lucky to have discovered this form of exercise rather than falling into a sedentary lifestyle as the years pass by. What’s more I simply love the huge amount of brain work that comes into play, I find that I plateau ever so often, and then I get a trigger, be it an inspiration, something I read or the analysis of a mistake. Then suddenly I’m chasing down a NEW idea, and this video is a prime example of just that, something unexpected and a NEW idea.
Great stuff in the video and I’ll try the step. It’s good to get more of the body moving. Have you tried the Qigong ball as shown by Colin at Sheffield?This is an extremely deceptive piece of equipment because it looks so benign just to circle it in front of your body for ten minutes. I use your drum beat to keep a rhythm and to keep the circles evenly paced. I also put in a forward and backward step in the Kung Fu style of exercise (I make it up so it may not be entirely orthodox) rather like you are doing here. I feel like I’ve been on a jog after I finish with the breathing about the same level. I agree on the mental requirement to swing the clubs – it’s very demanding and I really feel the benefit in my bowling because I can concentrate for the whole three hour match much better now. You see a lot of bowlers who start well but their skill level declines after about 90 minutes because they are not fit (I mean take no exercise at all) and their concentration disappears. I create a lot of amusement at the rink by warming up first with the same routine I use for club swinging – I’ve never seen anyone else do it. But the irony is that if more people of our age did a little more exercise, a lot of the health problems in modern society would disappear. By the way, do you supply the handled style of club you were using at Sheffield, I think they are Keyhoe style – around 1kg would suit me? Best wishes.
Charles
I think you should get Indian Club classes going for your fellow bowlers Charles. What do you think?
Hi Paul. I don’t know about starting club swinging at the bowls club. I’d be dead scared of someone getting injured because most people are in a poor physical state. It is encouraging to see the numbers we get bowling because at least people are doing something in the way of exercise. I was discussing this with my neighbour who is a Yoga instructor, same age as me. He says motivation is the problem and a lot of people our age just stop doing anything physical and their bodies go into a rapid decline. Weight has become a terrible problem in our society, not only for older folk but for people who are much younger – I can’t remember seeing such large people around when I was a younger man. I’m very happy with the feeling of well-being club swinging gives me and the best I can do is to try to communicate this and hope others will follow and take it up.
Hi Charles, Goodness, what you are saying is really quite sad. The sedentary lifestyle takes over as people age, and they seem resigned to becoming sick and infirm, oblivious to the fact that they can actually do something about it. As you say the general over weight problem is huge, I was really shocked in the USA this year, all airports have massive wheelchairs used to ferry obese passengers between departure gates. They are too lazy to walk, I saw one woman in particular, who was to my mind fat rather than obese, having a huge hissy fit at a porter who had suggested she walk. The porter obliged, and she walked up to and sat in the wheelchair without assistance, looking really smug having got what she wanted. Pathetic. This was total motivation to me and I walked up the stairs rather than take the escalator. Maybe you should arrange to give your club members a small seminar about Indian Clubs, and see what response you get.
Happy birthday paul keep on swinging
Thanks for the birthday wishes, plenty of swinging in 2016
Happy Birthday, Paul!
Looking forward to 2016 being the year that we can meet in person and train together!
Warm regards from Rio de Janeiro,
Frank
Thank you Frank, I’ll start planning my trip
Paul this is a great routine i have just tried it i need more practice keep making mistakes at the moment but thanks i love enjoy your day
Hi Malc, Thank you, glad you like it. It takes a bit of practice and requires a surprising amount of effort.
Clues:
Sep 5 1970: Kingsford Park Hotel Colchester
Gilberd Tec
Cronies: John Tweed, Steven Croger, Pat Coy
Your mum’s house off Maldon Road
Well, well, well now let me see, with you quoting those names I think you must be Trevor Lansdown. Great to hear from you, my email is paul@indianclubs.com.au drop me a line. Are John Tweed, Steven Croger, Pat Coy still around? Next time I come over to the UK, I’ll have to shoot over to Colchester and pay you a visit.
Happy birthday, you are catching me up! I like the mills with the movement as I thought this looked the most fluid. If you make it to Colchester next UK visit, give me a call as I’m only thirty miles away and would love to hang out with you again.
Hi Charles, Will do, not sure when at this stage. Paul