The workshop starts with a focus on the mobility of the six extremities: neck, tailbone, feet and hands. These are often the first points of contact with the floor so we need to have a strong understanding of them before doing, for example, further stretching of the hamstrings, arches and folds. After growing the awareness of those six extremities we’ll explore them throughout improvisations and puzzles, leading into different falling strategies (Ukemi) and basic “catabatics” which have nothing to do with karate, but literally means “low(er)-(acro)batics”. These include acrobatics such as cartwheels, stepovers, rainbows, mini rodeo’s, around the clock wheels etc. These (rather new) elements are all about coordination, rather than virtuosity, strength or flexibility.
Alexander Vantournhout
