Dancing for footwork/balance?

I'm a Thai boxer, and a JKD practitioner for close to a year now, and am planning on exploring the many areas that the Martial Arts world have to offer. And while participating in a manditory, school "fun" day of foreign language week, we learned the basics of Salsa dancing. Halfway through, I began to realize how what I was doing was close to exactly a slow motion version of Muhammed Ali's infamous "Rope-a-dope." Which got me thinking...

Is there a specific type of dance anyone has heard about being really good for footwork and/or balance for practical use in the MA? I've often heard of football players taken ballet to improve on balance...but we all know that football isn't technically a MA...if anyone has any advice or a link to any other information concerning my question, that would help me out immensly.

-Thanks


-Kagemusha-

If your salsa reminds you of Ali's Rope-a dope," you definately need to work on your Salsa.

JohnL

When I salsa I lean back as far as I can, I put my chin on my chest, I tuck up and lock down my guard. Elbows in to the body, hands along the jaw line, I flick out the occassional left hand and say:

"Is that all you got george?, they told me you could hit hard.....is that all you got?".

So I completely sympathise.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]

Alec

sorry!

one thing ive noticed about dancers, they can never keep their center low...they rise all the time when they put out technique, especially kicks...just another observation...but it definitely helps with balance...break dancers would make nasty fighters (i would think so)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kitoshakai Ed:
one thing ive noticed about dancers, they can never keep their center low...they rise all the time when they put out technique, especially kicks...just another observation...but it definitely helps with balance...break dancers would make nasty fighters (i would think so)[/QUOTE]

I so agree with breakdancers. My bro been doing breakdancing for like 3 years now the things he can do like 1 handed handstand spins and flares and all these toehr cool moves takes alot of strength and balance.

There is a dance MA, I believe from South America called something like Cloperta (?) I am sure I misspelled that. But as I understand it they hid their MA inside the moves of the dance.

SteveB

^^Oh, Capoeira. Yeah, it's a Brazilian MA disguised as a dance. Yeah I know all about that, I love that stuff. I'm planning on becoming a practioner of Capoeira as soon as I can find a place to practice it, and as soon as I get all done with school. Because it takes a very long time to become any good at it, I know people who have done it for 10 years, and are still getting the hang of it.

Thanks for the help everyone, keep it up!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Squiggle:
I so agree with breakdancers. My bro been doing breakdancing for like 3 years now the things he can do like 1 handed handstand spins and flares and all these toehr cool moves takes alot of strength and balance.[/QUOTE]

I'm a bboy (breakdancer) and an MA enthusist (beginner). I dunno if breakin helps or not, unless I could flare and kick the guy with it, lol. Breakin might help a little with balance, cause we do things like support all our weight on our wrists, or 1 handed handstands, etc. etc.
It also might help us take shots better, since, at least for me, we tend to fall a lot and toughen up our bodies through repeated attempts and odd, but sweet looking positions. If anyone has seen someone breakin and said to themselves, "that's gotta hurt, how did he do that?" well,it probably did at first, but you get used to it.

As far as Capoiera, I think it's more similar to breakin than MA, or it's a really fancy MA, because theyjump around a lot, do lots of flips and high kicking motions, and I don't think I've ever seen a video of them punching, but I'm no expert on the subject.

Yes, you heard correct, you have a breakdancing Martial Artist on the forum!! The double threat!

[This message has been edited by UofM Shorin Ryu (edited 03-20-2005).]

on second thought, I'm probably a lot stronger than I used to be since I started breakin, I KNOW my balance has improved, and I'm probably better at knowing body location and coordination because of it. Just haven't had any sort of test to prove any of this.

The funny thing is that I can spin on one hand, spin on my knees, hold sweet but difficult looking body positions (freezes/stalls), and all sorts of crazy footwork, but it still doesn't stop me from tripping when I walk, or going up or down stairs.

There's something seriously wrong with a breaker/ Martial Artist who's a clutz, clumsy, and trips walking on flat pavement......

Ok, I'm not really sure but...

In some asian land MA wernt allowed and the people wanted to get free st they snuck MA into the dancing and trained like that, eventially overthrowing the evil ruler dudes.

So it might be a basis in fact, but it might help... depending on your size and MA.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Squiggle:
I so agree with breakdancers. My bro been doing breakdancing for like 3 years now the things he can do like 1 handed handstand spins and flares and all these toehr cool moves takes alot of strength and balance.[/QUOTE]


Your bro's a bboy. Tight, where y'all at? What's his bboy name?
3 yrs, he's pretty good then.
I've been doin it longer, but haven't been diong it consistently until the last 2 years, I can't seem to get 90's (spinning on 1 hand), got mills, floorwork, freezes, stalls, tops. Absolutely no power.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by UofM Shorin Ryu:

Your bro's a bboy. Tight, where y'all at? What's his bboy name?
3 yrs, he's pretty good then.
I've been doin it longer, but haven't been diong it consistently until the last 2 years, I can't seem to get 90's (spinning on 1 hand), got mills, floorwork, freezes, stalls, tops. Absolutely no power.[/QUOTE]


Melbourne Victoria his nick is Spastic lol. Yeh to come to think of it his really good he got a medal a couple of weeks ago from some competition. Your pritty good if you can do that already in 3 years. it took forver for my bro to do 90-90's i remeber he pracited like non stop everyday for like 2 months now he can do like 2 90'90. But yeh practice makes perfect if you live in melbourne Victoria add me tuffy25@hotmail.com i give you some more information my bro don't like me talking about him for some reason but yeh.

i did breakdancing for a couple of months but wasent my thing so i now do muay thai kickboxing for about 2 months loving it way more then breakdancing just aint for me but yeh glad you care :P

O yeh and the one handed crickets (elbow in stomach area bounce around in a circle one hand)are tough everytime he dose it he has like this huge bruise on his hip stomach area and the way he falls with no shirt god damn must kain so i guess breakdancing would help in martial makes you fit quick and cordinated


[This message has been edited by Squiggle (edited 03-24-2005).]

Ya, 1990's (which is what my area calls them, but 90-90's work too. Thas the prob with bboyin, there ain't no official names for anything, everything is called something else in a different region) aren't easy.

Crickets are cool, if he gets those down he should work on jackhammers next (1 handed crickets). I've been workin on just holding that basic turtle position 1 handed, but strong enough so I can do it on either hand. I figure that way I'll have a lot more variety in freezes I do from there, or I could do some sweet switches from left to right and vice-versa.

Spastic, that's pretty sweet. I'm Go Banana!!

I'm reppin a crew called Lunchbox Jams, we've all got lunch oriented names like that. Snak-pak, Tots, spoiled milk, juicy juice. But we like JUST formed it, so we're not very well known. Plus, Michigan isn't very well known either.

If you want to develop your balance and footwork, just find some good excercises...

As a dancer and a MArtist i find the only benefit dancing gives my fighting is variety of excercises. This can easily be replicated with drills and excercises. Granted, you odn't always have the pretty girl there with you, but hey, you can't win at everything.