Dancing and Martial Arts

[stl_karateka]

OK, so I recently started ligurical praise dancing. I love it!! Problem is five plus years of karate has hardened my up

 

I have a problem making moves look elegant and graceful.

 

It hasn't been all bad though! Some of the faster songs we do have pop / lock / snap type moves --- that's where I am most comfortable.

 

But the slower songs with the graceful ballet type moves is where I am lacking.

 

Does anyone else here take dance and karate?

 

Do you feel karate helps / hinders your dance?

 

(BTW, I've practiced 2 hard Okinawan styles)

 

Is there a style that in your opinion compliments dancing? Perhaps a soft style?

 

I've been thinking about taking a soft style anyway to expand my MA experience....if it helps me in dance...all the better!!!

[Pacificshore]

I've never taken dance in my lifetime, and on occasion I've been known to go out and shake my "groove thang" . Like in my martial arts training, I just let my body respond to the sound of the music to where I reach a "comfort zone" . Just my 2 cents .

[Karateka_latino]

Karate+Dance=Jean Claude Van Dame

 

TaiChi did wonders for me. It really helps to loosen up the muscles and make your moves more gracefull.

[karatekid1975]

I was going to say that LOL. I never took dance, but Taichi or yoga would be good choices. You can get yoga videos everywhere, so you wouldn't have to spend extra money on classes.

[ITSUKO]

Coincide with an incident over the weekend. I was doing a tournament match. Right after a match, this lady commented that she enjoyed watching me spar and that I looked elegant. I thanked her but was puzzled by the word "elegant". I thought I was sparring not dancing. or Anyway, i thought karate has both hard and soft techniques.

[Squawman]

Bruce Lee actually taught dance .

[WolverineGuy]

I had to make a transition from karate to musical theatre...karate makes it very easy to pick up the moves, but very hard to look graceful...or like you're not trying to kill someone. Work one on one with someone, it will help.

[stl_karateka]

Thats just it wolverine...I can learn the moves very quickly...but I still look like I'm fighting.

 

I'm not really looking to do TaiChi or Yoga....I want to start another art eventually but I've never been interested in either of those.

 

Perhaps a Chinese style. I dunno.

 

Maybe I'll just get a ballet tape!

[aefibird]

I have a friend who has the exact opposite of your problem...

 

She had trained in classical ballet, as well as jazz dance and tap for about 15 years until too much school work forced her to quit. A year or so ago she joined my Shotokan dojo and has real trouble in making the moves look like fighting movements, rather than just ballet excercies. Maybe you two could get together and trade tips?? lol

 

Maybe you try a Chinese style to help you relax a bit more into your dance moves, instead of it being like a 'fight to music'. I'd suggest doing some relaxation excercies beforehand to try and get you in the right frame of mind for dancing, as well as lots of stretching to get you relaxed and almost 'floppy'.

 

Just keep persevering with it and I'm sure you'll get it! Just think how long it took you to learn to do correct martial arts techniques - it's the same with dance. You'll not get it overnight but lots of practice will help you to 'get it' sooner.

 

Good luck with the dancing.

[JerryLove]

If you keep the relaxation and fluidity from dance, it should improve your Karate.