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Other/Mixed Indian Clubs - any experience?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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There's these

Easy - To - Swing Blooper Bat

The Original Fat Bat & Ball, Hometown USA Stores

Sharp knife and cut hole in very end of handle. Put in weighed amount of whatever material, tap bat on ground to "seat" the filling and get out air bubbles, then follow with spray can expanding polyfoam to keep it down in the business end and prevent shifting. Like this but the bats I linked are bigger.



Had one 100 years ago
====================
Possible bat fillings:
  • Flour
  • Rice
  • Flour and Silica sand mixed
  • Sand
  • Cement - quickcrete
  • Cement and Lead (tire balancing weights?)
 
I got some great input from Master SFG Phil Scarito that other Indian Club practitioners may benefit from. I asked him about the shoulders; should they stay packed as much as possible, as with kettlebells? He said, "As a kettelbell person, yes we are taught to pack for safety and strength. With clubs you still want to keep the shoulders down, but we don't need to pack them hard like we do for bells. If we did, then you would have choppy movements." So, he says, just let them do their thing, and be mindful of them.

As for when they are packed, or anti-shrugged --- whether with clubs, kettlebells, or bars --- don't try to pinch the shoulder blades together. "Always think instead to pull them towards the hips, down and away."

Good stuff. Love the Indian Clubs. Hoping to make a video of some basic practice to share sometime soon!
 
A bit of Indian Club practice from this morning. Comments welcome... self-teaching from DVDs.... I might not have any idea what I'm doing here... o_O

 
Anna:

Great to see your use of, and enjoyment through, Indian Clubs.

It is apparent that you're following 'Club Swinging Essentials' in your pursuit. With that in mind, I would recommend perusing a more current video of Brett Jones swinging the Indian Clubs. You may notice a difference in the position (height) of the clubs, particularly when crossing in front of the body (e.g. they're lower). As an SFG Instructor, you may want to think about the top of a Kettlebell Clean, rather than having the Clubs cross in front of your face.



Of course, when the footwork begins, the hands seem to creep upwards. You can take that up with Mr. Jones!

Other than that, keep up the good work. I look forward to your progress.

If I can be of any assistance, let me know.

Be well,

Brian P. Gill
 
Wow, the precision is awesome there! Thanks, Brian! More references for practice... awesome. I am keeping an eye out for another July workshop. Hope to make it next year.

For anyone who can make it to NYC on Jan 31, 2016, there is a one-day user course with Phil Scarito. I won't be able to make it to that one, but I am aiming for the next opportunity.
 
.. you know it, when you see it...
that swinging with clubs... is flowing, harmonizing, lubricating, healthy and beneficial in/on many aspects.
A fine art, very subtle. Just a few random thoughts from an unexperienced eye.

The iron(y) is, that I have already some light wooden clubs at my disposal.
My father was a mechanic for his occupation. He used to turn steel on a lathe.
He is retired and got a few years ago a lathe for turning wood, in which he is engaged almost every day.
He does some very fine craftsmanship.
He once made me these clubs to juggle with.
I think I have something to order from him.
And doing a bit of juggling more often,
oh yes, and emerse a bit into clubswinging.
 
So, a question for the club swingers, or anyone who might know something about this. [Especially, @Brett Jones ] As I move my shoulders through the range of motion for the clubs, I hear noises in my shoulder, like strings (ligaments?) moving over bony protrustions, or maybe irregularities in the joint itself. It doesn't hurt, but I'm also thinking that this can be aggravating to the tissues over time. So I try to find the path of motion that minimizes this, but it doesn't go away completely.

Any thoughts? Is this anything to worry about? Any chance it will improve with time? Are movements like clubs helpful or hurtful in this situation?

Thanks for any inputs.
 
@Anna C
I have this issue, too, but only in my left shoulder, and not always. Some kind of grinding sound, sometimes when only circling just the arm, but never any pain in any shouder. It was so for a long time. My little observations are as follows that make it better (not existent):
- since back from my cert (10/20/15) I did daily dose of armbars, Brettzels for the T-spine to better my lockout
- since a week or so I do a drill for shoulder mobility as outlined in "Return of the Kettlebell": I lay down with my whole body on the floor with a light kettlebell in both hands (the arms are really close together then) of my extended arms (elbows locked out) and lower both extended arms with packed shoulders over behind my head. The first times, the hands were maybe ten inches of the floor, the extended, packed arms where then resting in tight (joyful pain indeed) shoulders. Now I am able to rest my hands with packed shoulders on the floor (by the way: I get a nice losening sensation on the t-spine)
- in clubswinging I am actually just a bit, trying to lead with my elbows, and for now I would say, that, if my shoulders are loosed up that way, I use my full range of motion, than no sounds anymore. For reference I am using this outstanding short video (and play it in slowmo) of Brett's performance. As I told earlier, "I knew it, when I saw it"

my notions regarding clubswinging so far:
- this is something I want to learn more about
- to go outside and having some fresh air is...just refreshing
- it was a considerable time, since I juggled then mostly with balls and plastic juggling clubs
- as I told, I ordered my wooden clubs by my father, but actually did not use them, because
they have a really fast turnaround compared to the plastics and when they hit the digits, well, it hurts
- doing a bit of clubswinging, and voila, I have a decent groove to juggle three wooden clubs
- even better performance on my current bottom up pressing
- yin and yang of tension and relaxation
- the body-mind is a deeply interconnected amazing gift of live
 
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Harald, thanks for those suggestions and observations. I think I have made some progress with shoulder mobility (better halos, etc) but I need to work more on T-spine. Lead with the elbows... yes.

@Steve Freides , thanks for that suggestion; I may look into that in a month or two... A few too many irons in the fire right now ;)
 
been working on my movement fluidity with wooden clubs. the same repetitive movement in uninterrupted variations...is connecting the bodymind. meaning body and mind. which one is first, i don't know. body, mind, the hen or the egg. i don't really care. the only thing i know, is that all is interconnected. clubswinging makes strong(er). just my observation's so far. thanks Anna for opening this thread.
 
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I swing my sledge hammers as Indian clubs. I have never tried proper clubs, but you can do so much with hammers

I never know where to place club swings in my training, warm up, finisher, or tinker/off day(I don't really have off days).
 
Hey,

I've never used proper Indian clubs. Like @Geoff Chafe I (sometimes) use a sledge hammer. Such a tool gives a more important lever than an Indian club. A more important lever means you have to your whole body - "deep muscles" - to control the different trajectories.

Here is a demo with different exercises:

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@pet'
Such a tool gives a more important lever than an Indian club
in my not so educated experience... with Indian clubs it is not about the leverage, neither the weight, sets and reps. It is about movement fluidity, alignment, breathing, relaxation, soft style, harmonization, coordination, playing. I find it a great match to heavy lifting. It makes stronger in another way.
 
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