thegirlsclub

[Cunian]

Trying to think of any.

[Amaris]

nope,...

But, I still have problems swinging my hips into a shot. Everyone seems to take this for granted,..but,..really,... I actually have to THINK about it.

I'm about to try belly dancing.

Amaris

[audax]

I don't hink there are any gender specific shots.
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Martel le Hardi
squire to Meser Lyonel Oliver Grace, fostered to Sir Gaston de Clermont
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The Minstrel's Champion

[SuGyong]

Bellydancing is awesome for fighting. Actually, any dance is. It gets you to be able to "dislocate" and think about your separate body parts, and it helps you to make them all work fluidly together. My fighting definitely got better after I started middle eastern.
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Opinions? Great! Flames? Oh well. I probably deserve it.

[Dorothea]

I think there are some gender specific techniques (in a very general sense, everyone is different...) Here is one of the more major ones, in my opinion:

Since females seldom can count on arm and upper body strenght to throw a good shot, at least when trying to throw more than one shot at a time, women have to in larger degrees than men to rely on the torque generated by the correct hip movements. I don't think I have heard anyone refute that. However, and here is the difference:

To utilize the full force generated by the the hip rotation, one have to maximize the rotation. It is easier to understand what I mean if you visualize this:

- Stand with your feet in a straight line, toes facing your opponent (very awkward, I know) - If you usual stance is shield foot forward, use that foot in front here as well. Angle the toes as you need them, outwards, for balance.

Bend the knees slighly, and rotate your hips making sure you do not "dip" the hips. The rotation should be in the horizontal plane. (this is sooo hard to describe in text form!) Note the maximum range of your hip rotation. Note where it starts from and where it ends.
Does this help(?):
(---> meaning feet, the arrow where the toes pont, and X is the opponent)

---> ----> X

- Now, stand with your feet almost next to eachother, toes almost parallell, angle the toes (outwards) as you need them for balance.

---->
X
---->

bend the knees slightly, and test your hip rotation again. You will notice that the hip rotation you can utlize in this position generates MORE power for hitting the opponent due to the longer path of rotation.

- Most (if not all) people do not have these "extreme" stances. However, guys tend to lean more towards the first one described. This means that when beginning to fight, this is the stance shown as the basic one: (something like this, but with the toes angled outwards for balance, obviously) (had to do dots... formatting didn't allow space)

..........---->
X
..---->

- I found that in general, to generate the force needed for good shots, a woman can use the stance with the feet more parallell in the beginning. I also found that after some time fighting, the core, upper body and arm muscles developed, in combination with good hip technique, will allow you to lean more towards the "guy" stance above. This is beneficial since it stabilize the balance in the front-back direction, which is a good, as the shots and punchblocks tend to push you backwards.

- Tip: Try this out on a pell on which you can hit full force.

- Tip #2: Since balance is crucial, do this test of your stance once in a while: Stand in your stance and just concentrate on the rotation of the hips while beating on a pell (wax-on wax-off anyone?). Bend your knees deeper and deeper as you keep the rotation and rythm. Once you hit your bottom, keep rotating and slowly straighen your legs again.

- Tip #3: Do "instant checks" of your balance: Dip straight down in the position you are in. (bend your knees quickly). If you fall to either side, back or forwards, you're off centre. You will also notice what sort of adjustments you need to do with your feet, or whole stance, to correct that imbalance.


-----------------

This became a rather long post. I hope I managed to explain what I meant.. if not, just ask. Maybe one day I could make a short movie, much easier to demonstrate it!

[Naqid]

wow that was very informative thank you... I really like the balance checks .. and talk about a thigh work out

[Cunian]

It is good technique for anyone, male or female, to use their body to create force. Just that stronger upper body types can get away with substandard technique.

In our area, we used to teach novices the traditional flat snap technique first. We have altered this and now teach a no arm movement, body rotation only blow first. Ideally, one should learn how to access rotational power from lots of positions since one must be able to move as one fights.

[Wrenn]

The balance, timing and technique are more necessary for us to work on right away. All "elite" fighters master these but newer male fighters who have to come into this sport with more upper body strength can put it off longer. I think it's good to learn proper technique right away so you don't have to "re learn" it later- giving us some frustration in not being able to get out and hit as hard right away, but after a few practices I find that teaching new male and female fighters they both are hitting as hard within say 5 practices (Likely neither is hitting consistently yet, but that's another post)

The Armoured Rose book goes into some differences in shots- of coarse not applicable to everyone, but it is very interesting.

I have found that due to body shape (large chest) I have some differences in right crosses, and how I hold my center boss shield. I'm certain that folks with bellies get this too.
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Adwen Wrenn, Squire to Sir Hrothgar Thorvaldsson

[audax]

I don't think any of this is gender specific technique.

Some strong guys get away with bad form at first but will pay for it with joint problems later on. Muscles are almost always stronger than the joints they connect to, so using muscle power with bad form inevitably leads to painfully messed up joints.

I'm really strong but I use the best technique I can so I don't screw up my joints.

All my teachers have been men and not once has anyone said "you're a girl so you have to use this girly technique."
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Martel le Hardi
squire to Meser Lyonel Oliver Grace, fostered to Sir Gaston de Clermont
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The Minstrel's Champion

[Dorothea]

In my opinion nothing is ever gender specific, except maybe give birth... not even glittery pink high-heel pumps and matching nailpolish are gender specific. That does not mean that there are certain things that a certain gender tend to do more than the other, so for the sake of generalizing, I don't mind using the terms.

Anyhow... in response to audax:

[audax]

Not the same as a gender specific technique.

There is good technique and bad technique. There are plenty of men out there who can't use the same big gorilla bad technique that alot of big guys try to get away with. Good technique lets you throw shots without injuring yourself. Bad technique does not.

There are people out there with weird freaky joints who can do weird stuff from weird angles. Not the same as technique.

Perhaps we should define what technique means. Cuz I do not think it means what some people think it means.
_________________
Martel le Hardi
squire to Meser Lyonel Oliver Grace, fostered to Sir Gaston de Clermont
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The Minstrel's Champion