Music Moods and Fighting

[Johnlogic121]

If you are familiar with "Rush" music, you know that it inspires a mood in which the body is at a low state of arousal and the mind is at a very high state of arousal. "Rave" music, on the other hand, puts the body into a high state of arousal and the mind goes into a low state of arousal like the brain is sedated. Working out to these different rythyms can be a mind expanding experience. Physiologically, there is a certain arousal level for the limbic system and the body and a related system for the cerebral cortex. When the body is in a low state of arousal, the mind can be very active, and when the mind is in a low state of arousal, the body can be very hyper and agitated. The "Rush" and "Rave" music formats are polar opposites and there are many levels in between, like "Industrial" music which is a step below raving. For fighting, you need a mixture of high body energy through the muscular system (limbic system) and enough thinking ability in the cerebral cortex to guide your moves wisely. Does anybody have any good bands they can recommend for experimentation with music backgrounds for workouts?

[bushido_man96]

That is interesting information. I never really work out with music, so I don't experience too much of this.

[yingampyang]

Yes that is true , but it doesn't work for everyone.

[sangngak]

In the 60's one of the pioneers of Karate in the US, Robert Trias, had a daughter. At Ed Parkers 2nd Int'l tournament she did kata while accompanied by conga drums. Definitely made the blood move faster. (The drums that is)

In the 60's I had a friend from India who had played tabla (drums) with Ravi Shankar, the Sitar player. He and some friend, at a party, had me do Tai Chi over and over and they put together some indian music that definitely added a "something" to my practice. I practiced to a recording of it for a long time. Also check out the big drum the Hung Gar use sometimes to accompany there forms. Dynamite beat to move to.

[bushido_man96]

Perhaps this is part of the reason that Capoeiristas play to the music in the rodas.

[Throwdown0850]

I always listen to music while working out, and before a tournament.. it gets me pretty pumped..

[yingampyang]

mmmmmhhhh , i use to listen to music back in the day. But now i usally just listen to my body and clam my self down , ready for the next fight.

[sangngak]

To reply to Bushido...Yeah I did Capoeira until I retired. The funny thing was that even when you went non-stop in exercising (for over an hour, or even two hours non-stop) the music seemed to keep yor attention off the tiredness, and kept you smiling even if you got wiped out in the roda. A lot of days we'd stay after practice and just enjoy playing and singing. I'm not really sure how you'd hook up music to , say, Karate, but I bet it would lighten to atmosphere a bit.

[bushido_man96]

Yeah, you may be right there. It wouldn't have to be anything loud, but some nice, subtle background stuff.

Doing Capoeira would be so much fun. Lots to it that not everyone really sees.

[sangngak]

Yeah, Capoeira was funny. I did Angola style. A lot like Silat I'm told. One o my teachers said the old school way was to do only ginga until you could do an hour non-stop, using high, medium and low ginga. After I could do this I began to see how this continous motion was very hard for Karate-ka (as an example) to deal with. They wanted to set, then throw a kick etc from a firm, solid stance, but all I did was keep going round and round them, never giving them a chance to get set.

I taught my guys to incorporate anything they had ever learned into their capoeira, including carrying a straight razor (which several did). Shame I'm not still teaching. You aren't far from Wichita and we are just south of wichita (OKC), and I'd invite you and your guys down for some fun playing capoeira with us.