Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Floating the idea

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  • Isabel Hitchings, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Oh you better believe we've looked into all that and he's spent quite a bit of time in various activities that encourage the crossing the mid-line thing (carefully balanced against not distressing him or putting him off physical pursuits). At the moment he does aikido which he loves enough to persist at without me pushing. He's never going to be a great athlete (but being related to me that's hardly surprising) but he's doing fine.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    @Tamara,

    Makes me sound like a hot-house Mum but honestly, I'm not!!

    Quite the opposite, from my understanding of the term. A hot-house Mum would protect their child from ever needing to crawl, in just the way hot-house flowers are protected from pests and plant competition

    @Jackie, it was interesting to hear what they do at Avondale Primary, where my boy is going next month. Every morning they do an exercise routine first thing, most of which sounds like it's based around sound principles of encouraging those brain connections. They said it has an amazing calming effect on the children, and is a good way to get them ready for classes - the body and the mind are fully awake by the end of it, and some excess energy has been burned off. I don't know how widespread this is in primary schools.

    @Isabel, a lucky lad, by the sounds of it. I'm curious about his Aikido, being the belt before black belt myself. For most children the martial art I'd have recommended is Judo, but Aikido could very well suit a child with less physical ability than most - in Judo classes they'd end up being thrown around by anyone their size during randori (sparring) and it could be very discouraging immediately.

    Aikido actively discourages crossing the midline for nage (the person doing the throwing), but uke (the person being thrown) is forced to challenge every aspect of their body's natural position. Everyone has to be nage and uke half the time each, except instructors.

    The idea is that nage's aim is to remain in the most stable, balanced, strong position possible, and take uke immediately to the opposite of that. That is what makes Aikido throws look so effortless - nage does not need to be the least bit athletic. The way they move is sometimes compared to a "Thunderbirds puppet" in that their arms simply refuse to move outside of quite a restricted range, the upper torso doesn't twist much, the legs don't splay. There are a lot of very, very old people who can still be very competent nage s. The founder of Aikido is in a lot of old films doing his thing in his 80s.

    Uke is the opposite, they are spun around, twisted, hit, rolled, tied in knots, stretched, slammed. In a controlled and cooperative way. This is where the physical training of Aikido comes in, being uke means you become agile and supple, and very good at protecting yourself from damage when put in an awkward situation.

    This could be very good for your son. We had a teenager with Asperger's syndrome in my club, and whilst he was not especially good at Aikido, he did continue to:
    A: Attend
    B: Improve
    both of these are quite major accomplishments in a contact sport for a condition that often manifests in a total aversion to physical human contact.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Parker,

    I don't know how widespread this is in primary schools.

    A number of schools in Hawkes Bay are doing this. We've had some professional development in the Perceptual Motor Programme Jackie was talking about. There are certainly kids out there who benefit from it.

    Napier • Since Nov 2008 • 232 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    It's so fundamental to human movement

    Yep. Try briskly walking/running up a relatively steep slope without swinging your arms.

    Anyway, I was inspired by this thread to take my 14-month old on her first sea swim last night. The surf was pretty fierce down at Narrowneck - a good 4-5 inches at one point. I think dad was more concerned than she was, though. She's not quite walking, but will walk if you hold her hands and shuffle along behind her.

    A beeline from the beach to the sea and straight in up to dad's waist, with a total lack of fear. My biggest concern was an inadvertent head-dunking that might put her off, but no problems at all. Wouldn't want to do it in the winter, though.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    The founder of Aikido is in a lot of old films doing his thing in his 80s.

    Ben, do you mean Gozo Shioda? Have you read 'Angry white pyjamas'? If not, then I recommend it.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Ah, Fentanyl – that would be what they give to US soldiers in lollipop form when they get hit?

    Sure would. Interesting article generally about how rough it is as airborne rescue in Afghanistan.

    Sam, the guys in that article are described as pararescue jumpers, or PJs. We talked about Sebastian Junger's 'Restrepo' book a while back. If you haven't read 'The Perfect Storm' yet, then I recommend it again. It has a fair bit of description on the training and work these guys do. 'Rough' is an understatement...

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Rich Lock,

    A beeline from the beach to the sea and straight in up to dad’s waist, with a total lack of fear.

    Wonderful. Some kiddies scream and shy away from waves. Perhaps it's the sudden coldness of the water, and of course, it's incredibly noisy sometimes.

    I was born near the sea, but lived far inland most of my childhood. Catching a glimpse of the sea on car journeys back to New Plymouth was magical. Swimming for me was in the local rivers in the Wairarapa, or at the Carterton baths - a huge (well, to an eight year-old anyway) freshwater (um......yes, well, 'nough said probably - it was green and opaque) pool. There was a family of Dutch immigrants who would arrive, every summer it seemed, with yet another small, blonde child new to swimming, who would be thrown by her mother into the pool towards her father, and who would thrash around, little arms going like the clappers, feet paddling furiously. I was always amazed at how quickly these children mastered the swim. They had no fear, and heaps of encouragement.

    Every child should be given the opportunity to learn. Pools are ideal.

    On a negative note, though: I was put off going to local Auckland pools by seeing, not just once or twice, but many times, people standing over the side of the pool, hoiking and spitting and blowing snot into the wash. I found it impossible to swim without putting my head under the water, even though I'd seen these things happening and subsequently opening my eyes under water and seeing "filmy matter" floating about was it for me. Wuss....

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Some kiddies scream and shy away from waves. Perhaps it's the sudden coldness of the water, and of course, it's incredibly noisy sometimes.

    Yes, good point. We have built her up to it fairly slowly. She used to be pretty frightened of surf noise, for example. But there's been enough paddles and visits to the beach in the last nine months to get her fully accustomed to it.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Rich Lock,

    We talked about Sebastian Junger's 'Restrepo' book a while back.

    It's called just "War" in Australia and, as I missed the earlier conversation, I thought it was a compelling book.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Rich Lock,

    Sam, the guys in that article are described as pararescue jumpers, or PJs. We talked about Sebastian Junger's 'Restrepo' book a while back. If you haven't read 'The Perfect Storm' yet, then I recommend it again. It has a fair bit of description on the training and work these guys do. 'Rough' is an understatement...

    There's an article in Nov or Dec Metro (??) by Charlotte Grimshaw (nee Stead) about her experiences as a child at Piha, her father being airlifted from the beach after being dumped by the waves, and her becoming a Lifeguard, including being dropped from a helicopter behind the waves and told to swim back to the beach*.

    Wish you could link to the articles on the web, seems quite apposite.

    *"Authors with attitude ™". Might pitch a reality series. Can think of a few candidates here, as it happens.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rich Lock,

    Ben, do you mean Gozo Shioda? Have you read 'Angry white pyjamas'? If not, then I recommend it.

    No, I meant Morihei Ueshiba, also known as O Sensei, under whom Shioda learned Aikido in the very early days of the school. It was considerably rougher in the early period, since Ueshiba invented and developed it across his life, adapting it from the arts he was trained in, particularly Aikijutsu, a very bone-crunching art.

    It does rather sound like the Japanese are pretty old-school even now in their Aikido training, that injuries in training are quite common. I don't admire that at all. It's much less like that in NZ, possibly because, for starters, people don't just accept the right of someone in authority to hurt you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F, in reply to Rich Lock,

    We talked about Sebastian Junger's 'Restrepo' book a while back. If you haven't read 'The Perfect Storm' yet, then I recommend it again. It has a fair bit of description on the training and work these guys do. 'Rough' is an understatement...

    Oh yes. Read that one many, many times - probably again this summer.

    (And I could never quite buy Ashton Kutcher as a PJ in The Guardian a few years back...)

    The new book is called War in all markets, I'm pretty sure - Restrepo is rather the name of the doco film that resulted from the same trip to Afghanistan.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Isabel Hitchings, in reply to BenWilson,

    Ben - last year several classes from his school did a term of aikido for PE and several kids kept going so about half his class is people he already knows. The sensei is awesome - really encouraging and happy for kids to progress at their own pace. Crispin has to work hard and is often the last kid to grasp a new move but he gets there and is so proud when he does.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Crispin has to work hard and is often the last kid to grasp a new move but he gets there and is so proud when he does

    That's great. It's the instructor that makes a great dojo, not the art.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Isabel Hitchings,

    I would imagine that any form of martial arts would be tremendous for making those body/brain connections, Isabel. The physical thing I'm talking about isn't so much about ability really (let's face it, I was never athletic, though I did like swimming). I think it's just the doing.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Sam F,

    And I could never quite buy Ashton Kutcher as a PJ in The Guardian a few years back

    That wasn't a "real" PJ. The guys in USAF Pararescue, who go in behind enemy lines - swim, walk, jump - to effect rescue of military personnel, would likely be quite offended at being mistaken for the nonetheless-heroic USCG rescue swimmers. Especially since it was USAF PJs who went down in the perfect storm.

    Another good book on the PJ's is That Others May Live (the PJs' motto). They're some seriously gutsy, seriously insane guys and girls.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    I would imagine that any form of martial arts would be tremendous for making those body/brain connections....

    I hear Ballroom Dancing
    or becoming a cunning
    linguist helps too...
    ...I saw Wellington Councillor,
    John Morrison on telly, reacting to
    Mayor Celia Wade-Brown's suggestions
    - he can drop the Mystery nickname
    and go straight to Misery...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Also saw that. Of course he could try the more obvious Morris dancing.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to recordari,

    Would you trust him with your handkerchief and bells?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Martial arts can be good, but pretty much any sport that you do a lot of gives improvements to physical coordination. It's mostly a matter of finding something that inspires. After a few years of training, even if you haven't kept up with the pack, you're still way ahead of people who haven't done any of it. Swimming's definitely like that. If you trained frequently, then even if you never win any events for your age group, you'll still find you're head and shoulders better than the average person at swimming.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to nzlemming,

    Would you trust him with your handkerchief and bells?

    In a word, no. But this league of extraordinary gentleman just might.

    Britannic Bedlam Morris Gentlemen.

    It's bedlam, I tells ya.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Nick Shand,

    Perceptual Motor Programme Jackie was talking about.

    PMP operates at most/all of the Auckland schools I relief teach in.

    auck • Since Aug 2008 • 79 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    There's an article in Nov or Dec Metro (??) by Charlotte Grimshaw (nee Stead) about her experiences as a child at Piha, her father being airlifted from the beach after being dumped by the waves, and her becoming a Lifeguard, including being dropped from a helicopter behind the waves and told to swim back to the beach

    Sandra Coney's essays about growing up at Piha under a somewhat authoritarian father who was a big cheese at the surf club are quite interesting, too.

    The new book is called War in all markets, I'm pretty sure - Restrepo is rather the name of the doco film that resulted from the same trip to Afghanistan.

    Yes, my mistake.

    It does rather sound like the Japanese are pretty old-school even now in their Aikido training, that injuries in training are quite common. I don't admire that at all. It's much less like that in NZ, possibly because, for starters, people don't just accept the right of someone in authority to hurt you.

    Yes, that's the impression I get, too. Although you still get a flavour of it in the old-school, traditional martial arts (dojo-dependent). I was always really put off by the whole 'bow to the mat to show appropriate respect' aspect of it.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rich Lock,

    I was always really put off by the whole 'bow to the mat to show appropriate respect' aspect of it

    Me too, I discontinued partially because of their grading system, in the end, despite being only a few months from black belt. The belt means nothing to me, never did, and it got in the way of what I actually wanted to learn. But I think belts are quite good for people in their first martial art, they give milestones, and something to aim for. Good for kids.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Joshua Arbury,

    So this argument is over something that will at most cost around $10 million in extra council funding. Meanwhile, between October 2010 and June 2011, the Council will spend about $300 million on capital funding for roads in Auckland.

    Auckland • Since May 2009 • 237 posts Report Reply

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