Self Care Arts

I'm disabled. I have really bad problems with my muscles. They're a complete mess.
I can't do any kind of heavy exercise as I pay for it for weeks afterwards.

Walking is enough pain as it is.

But... I really do need to do something.

Right now I'm looking for ways to strengthen my ankles and wrists as I'm getting a lot of pain in them whenever I put any kind of weight on them.

If anyone can give me nice, gentle exercises that will slowly strengthen them to the point where I can do something a little more strenuous, I'd be really, really grateful!


I've cross-posted this to a few communities, so for some of them, there's really obvious stuff in the above.

It is sometimes said that you shouldn't lift weights if you are training an internal "soft" style like Tai Chi, because those styles require you to get away from muscular strength. But Dr. John Painter is living proof that weight lifting and internal styles go together like, well, Yin and Yang.

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The following topic was submitted by kungfu_fightin:

The intent of this post is to start a discussion on standing meditation as it relates to internal martial arts. We will discuss "standard" elements, posture, breathing etc. We will also discuss the effects of this training, for example does it really make a difference in your kung fu skills. With that in mind let the discussion begin.

Martial arts generally fall into two categories: technique-based and principle-based.

Technique-based martial arts teach you sequences of moves designed to counter specific attacks. For example, a defense for a right punch might be the following technique: left outward block, step in, right punch. Most martial arts popular in America today are technique-based.

Principle-based martial arts do not teach specific sequences of moves. Instead, they teach principles of motion, such as "the knee and the elbow always move together." Students practice applying these principles in various situations, until they come naturally without thought.

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Self Care Arts is a kung fu studio in Colorado Springs specializing in principle-based martial arts. Most of our students study a system called Mountain Dragon Martial Arts, founded by our Sifu Martin Kelly. It is a reality-based blend of Wing Chun, Aikido, and Jujitsu. We also have students in the internal arts of Tai Chi, Baguazhang, and Hsing-Yi.

All Self Care Arts classes focus on whole-body principles of motion, for generating efficient power. Even our internal systems such as Tai Chi are taught for effective martial application, not as ornamental forms.

Because this principle-based, whole-body focus is rare in martial arts schools, Self Care Arts has started this journal as a place for students all over the world to discuss and share. This is a moderated journal, meaning your posts will be reviewed before they are accepted on line. We would like to keep this forum respectful and free of spam.

Thanks for your visit!

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