Information intensive courses & workshops
PHYSICAL PREPARATION WORKSHOP
The Physical Preparation workshop aims to increase the participants' sensitivity to the subject of movement and to create a better understanding. A changed perspective on the topics of movement and training means that priorities are redefined and structured. Using various theoretical and practical tools as well as principles, the workshop will provide more clarity about the structure of an ongoing, process-oriented movement practice. In a broader sense, the workshop deals with the physical and psychological improvement and conditioning of potentials and shows various concepts and their application.
Physical preparation is the targeted preparation of the body and mind for advanced, multi-layered and complex movement or for more chaotic situations in training or in life in general. This part of the practice serves primarily to get to know, understand and develop potential. The workshop is very in-depth and explains the most important principles and methods. Furthermore, exercises, techniques and practical application ideas are not only shown, but also applied directly.
This workshop basically consists of a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part deals with various definitions of the term "movement" as well as various influences, functions and relations of movement. The theoretical part ends with the presentation of our movement practice and the reasons for this. Theoretical discussion and reflection as well as theoretical knowledge are an important part of qualitative practice.
The practical content relates to the first five sub-categories of our physical practice, which offer a meaningful introduction or a detailed and helpful continuation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIVE CATEGORIES
1. Coordination (EN)
Coordination is the basis of movement and requires the interaction of individual parts. In general, coordination means agreeing and assigning different areas to one another. The quality of movement coordination depends on the functioning of the individual coordinative skills (which are initially only considered potentials) and their interaction. Movements of individual parts in relation to others as well as the interplay between them are practiced. From feet and legs over the center of the body, through the back and shoulders to the arms and hands. Standing, walking, jumping and on all fours. The question is what happens when and how.
It is important to understand that the quality of movement increases with rhythmic ability, which is one of the basic coordinative skills. Without a training rhythm in different scenarios and rhythms, we can no longer achieve quality of movement.
2. Isolation
The isolation category deals with the articulation of the spine and the other joints and describes the ability to move individual areas of the body independently of one another. The idea of decoupling and coupling according to Moshé Feldenkrais is in the foreground here. While existing parts and patterns are decoupled, new parts should be coupled and thus new patterns created. The understanding and the skills that are learned through this category are also extremely valuable for independent prehabilitative and rehabilitative processes and the associated gain in independence and freedom.
3. Mobility & Prehab (EN)
This category deals with the concept of active mobility (Mobility) as well as the active avoidance of injuries (Prehab).
What is the exact definition of these terms, what is the difference, when and how do I apply these things and what are the methods and concepts? These questions are dealt with in theory as well as in practice and explained in a small extra lecture.
Good 'Mobility' and targeted 'Prehab' are decisive keys for progressive training, complex movement as well as health and general quality of life.
4. (Basic) Strength (EN)
The basic strength training shows important principles and details for progressive strength training. The focus here is on training the lower and upper body as well as the core of the body. The fundamental strength training is intended to build a strong basis from which one can work towards more complex movements and which is helpful for various movement and life practices. In addition to practical content, this also deals with important theoretical basics that can make the difference between sensible and less sensible strength training.
5. Softening (EN)
Softening is not to be confused with being flexible. 'Softening' describes the ability to have a permanently low muscle tone and to be soft - both physically and mentally. The looseness practiced here is what it takes for a wide variety of organic scenarios such as throwing, hitting and jumping. The training also learns to work with effortless power transmission within the kinetic chains, which leads to incredible speed, efficiency and softness of the body.
IMPORTANT CONTENT OF THE WORKSHOPS
- Movement is more than you think
- The dose makes the poison: there is no inherently wrong / bad movement
- Know your body
- Use or lose
- tension & relaxation
- Progressive overload
- Decoupling & coupling
- Withstand gravity
After the workshop, each participant receives a PDF document with reading material and the material dealt with in the workshop as a video format.
NOTE: The workshop is open to all levels and does not require any prior knowledge.
PHYSICAL EXPLORATION WORKSHOP (LEVEL 1 & 2)
The Physical Exploration workshop is the counterpart to the Physical Preparation Workshop described above and deals with locomotion and exploration of one's own body as well as the various possibilities of movement that are given to us. The ability to move increases the space in which perception as an exploratory activity can take place. This opens up new perspectives on an expanded environment and opens up previously unknown situations and experiences. Both the health-promoting benefits and the creative and artistic-artistic context are discussed.
The focus in this workshop is on movement diversity, which is characterized by different levels. In the levels, your own body and the environment are perceived from various perspectives and these have different effects on our feelings and our physique. A distinction is made between:
1) the deep level - lying
2) the middle level - sitting / crouching (Support Level 1) & four-legged or tripod level (Support Level 2)
3) the high level - standing
In the levels, the use of the spine, hands and feet as well as moving close to the ground play an important role.
FOCUS LEVEL 1
The workshop level 1 offers an introduction to the direction of movement described above and deals with the question "what health benefits this type of movement brings". It is obvious that we humans in western culture neglect our physical activity potential. Pain, tension and blockages in certain movement sequences or in general are not uncommon. The Physical Preparation workshop offers a good opportunity to get to know methods, concepts and principles in order to supply your body with essential 'nutrients'. Nevertheless, the material presented there also has its limits. In order to be generally healthier and thereby to guarantee an important aspect of freedom, learning and performing new forms of movement and principles play an important role. Those who constantly expand their personal exercise repertoire create diversity - and that is crucial for a balanced and healthy body.
Questions that this workshop would like to answer are, for example:
- what movements are there in the levels?
- what options are there to switch between levels?
- What are the characteristics and qualities of movements in the different levels?
- What benefits does this type of transportation bring to me?
To answer these questions, not only the movements themselves serve, but above all general concepts and principles that are closely related to the topic and train both body perception and orientation about oneself in space.
FOCUS LEVEL 2
The workshop level 2 offers a deeper insight or an extension into the acrobatic and dance movement as well as the movement in the levels under the aspect of creativity and artistic expression.
Which movements are aesthetic? How can movement be used to create a certain aesthetic? How can different physical abilities be combined and brought together in a meaningful way?
The content of the workshop ranges from breaking down individual complex elements and conditioning them, through integration, to sequencing and free or open form.
Some of them are:
- Preparation: warm-up & activation
- Movement in the plains
- coordination and imitation
- Breaking down & building up individual movements
- Use of concepts: positioning, transitions, the creation and use of kinetic energy
- Open form and research
All in all, the different levels and concepts should be viewed as a whole, in which one can move around with different principles and qualities.
In addition, our physical movement as well as our entire structure and health benefit from the changing dynamic movement on different levels. Strength, softness, balance, flexibility and speed are just a few of the skills that Planes Work demands and encourages. In summary, I like to refer to it as the "stay young practice".
Among other things, it is an insight into the world of movement in dance, acrobatics and martial arts. How can we deal with this type of movement, what principles can we take advantage of, and what various benefits does it bring us in our general practice? The workshop shows the structure and application of movement complexity, which, based on basic movement patterns, leads to complex, multi-layered movement. The spine is used as the leading link in the chain.
'Acrobatics' includes various acrobatic directions, with the focus in this workshop on soft acrobatics. In addition, more tension-oriented elements are used in order to be able to work and deal with the principle of tension and relaxation even in complex movement scenarios.
Acrobatic movements of course require a certain amount of coordinative and physical skills. The aim of the workshop, however, is not just to carry out the various skills, but to convey a generally meaningful approach to complex movement patterns, through which the physical and mental level is prepared and improved.
I would also like to show that stubborn concentration on a supposedly special skill can overlook many other beautiful movements. However, all these movements can be process-enhancing and represent other beautiful possibilities for acrobatic locomotion.
NOTES: The workshop is open to all levels and does not require any prior knowledge. However, when registering, I would ask you to provide a brief description of your previous knowledge and whether you already have experience with this topic.
SURROUNDINGS & GAMES WORKSHOP
The 'Surroundings & Games' workshop represents the two sub-categories of our physical practice named in the title. As the title shows, it is about movement with the environment as well as various approaches on how we can enrich our training, movement and life practice with games.
The category 'Surroundings' goes hand in hand with the third movement relation, the relation to the environment. It includes running and sprinting, balancing, jumping, hanging and swinging, overcoming obstacles, climbing and bouldering, and swimming. We are in dialogue with the environment on all of these issues, and the environment also determines how we move.
This practice is not necessarily about health and longevity, but rather about exploring and experiencing and feeling alive and in touch with the world. It is about developing and using creativity, improving problem-solving strategies and training the eyes and mindset by dealing with different emotions and feelings. Being outside and using the environment in a playful way gives us a different perspective on what is happening and is around us. In addition to body preparation, we use information, knowledge and experience from various areas to make this practice safer.
'Surroundings' offers many possibilities to use the environment and what is already there in a "realistic" context for your own training and development. There are many other sub-categories of physical practice in this category. We use coordination, manipulation, strength, flexibility, rhythm, improvisation and capacity for this type of movement depending on the context.
'Games' stands for the game. The person as a player, Homo Ludens - the person playing, should help us to avoid stagnation in our ability to react and, on the contrary, to improve it. It's about "breaking form" through games, alone or with a partner, and throwing yourself into various chaotic and unpredictable environments and situations.
The game helps us not only to move in relation to ourselves or to people with the same skills and rules, but also to react to different scenarios and rules and to adapt to the new requirements - as Nassim Nicholas Taleb would say: anti-fragility instead of resilience.
This type of exercise and training keeps us fresh, relaxed, and adaptable, and improves our awareness and response to things that are happening around us.
EQUILIBRE 1 & 2 WORKSHOP
CONTENT EQUILIBRE 1:
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Preparation - coordination, mobility, and joint placement
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capacity
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Structure and approach to the handstand (from 0 to)
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Exercises and progressions
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Processing of different levels up to the current level of the individual participant
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Cues and sensible structuring
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PDF document with reading material as well as the edited material
NOTE: The workshop is open to all levels and does not require any prior knowledge.
CONTENT EQUILIBRE 2:
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Preparation - coordination, mobility, and joint placement
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"Aligment Work"
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"Shapes Changing"
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"Handstand Integration" - how do I use the handstand outside of the line
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Further skill and strength development (e.g. handstand press, stalder press, wheels, etc.)
NOTE: The EQUILIBRE 2 workshop requires 30-60 seconds of free handstand.
OPPORTUNITIES INTENSIVE
The intensive OPPORTUNITIES is primarily about opportunities. The main topic is therefore the diversity and variety of a practice. What can I do and what can I do?
As described above, the exact content of the intensive is not announced in advance and allows the student to free himself from expectations and to be open to whatever happens.
Ignorance, Tension, Relaxation, Observing, Copying, Exploring, Creating,
Imagine qualities, breathing, kinetic energy, doing, analyzing, feeling
Why? What? How?
NOTE: The intensive is open to any level and does not require any previous knowledge, but an open mind and expectations are required.
HAMBURG MOVEMENT INTENSIVE
The Hamburg Movement Intensive takes place once a year. Every year I teach other guest teachers who have their own, somewhat special definition of the respective topic.
The topics can vary from year to year.
The Movement Intensive is intended to bring people from different areas of life and training together and offer a platform for mutual exchange.
Four teachers teach their experiences and their knowledge on different topics and thus give the participants the chance to get to know different approaches, methods and philosophies.
The intensive lasts two days. Every day has two long classes of 3-4 hours each. The length can vary.
More information about this year's Hamburg Movement Intensive can be found on my Facebook page or by contacting me directly.
NOTE: The HMI is open to every level and does not require any prior knowledge.
STUDENT INTENSIVE
Student Intensive. Or the week with no announcements or expectations.
The Student Intensive takes place once a year and lasts 6 days.
NOTE: Participation in the Student Intensive is only possible for long-term students (at least six months of group training, online support or individual lessons).