Schedule Page

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MAINTENANCE AND BODY MECHANICS MASTER CLASS

ROOM: TBA

DESCRIPTION:
Maintenance, Body Mechanics, and how to fence 'till you're 100:

The purpose of this class is to teach students how to prevent injury through correct movement, precise strength training, and remedial joint massage. The body is an amazing machine, which can, if properly maintained, serve its owner for about a century. But as with any machine, lack of maintenance and improper use leads to damage and breakdown. The stresses and strains of
training can stimulate the body to grow stronger. However, as none of us train perfectly, there will always be some wear and tear. Correct movement principles diminish the wear; strength training the joints improves their ability to handle the stress, and massage stimulates the body's healing systems.

In this class, we will start with a few basic movement principles that may be used to analyse the body mechanics behind any system of fence. This will help the student work out the risks attendant with whatever style they practice.

We will then examine briefly how joints are structured, and how muscles work, to enable the student to see how strength training should be conducted.

We will then move on to look at a few core strength training exercises for the stabiliser muscles of the torso, the knee, and the wrist. This will not be a workout: the point is to see how such exercises work so that you can adapt them to your needs.

Finally, we will look briefly at the main massage paradigms: classic "Western" massage, traditional Chinese "acupressure" massage, and see how they use different means to the same end. We will then focus on either the knee or the elbow (depending on what the class feels they need most), and go through a complete basic self-massage routine for that joint.

Requirements: Note-taking materials, a sword or stick, tennis ball (optional), drinking water. Students may also bring any massage oil or liniment they have.