Crosstraining outside MA

[Brady]

Since we have a lot of eclectic backgrounds on this board, thought this would be an interesting topic.
What other movement arts or bodywork do you practice beside your martial art(s) of choice?
How have you found they have aided and/or informed your IMA practice?

Personally I do alot of somatics, some seated meditation, dabble in dance and yoga, and stay active with team sports. I find these activities help me pick up martial arts principles much faster than if I was to just train martial arts alone. Similar or contradictory experiences from anyone?

[TrainingDummy]

I'd been a professional massage therapist, but no longer practice, I specialized in Trigger Point Therapy. I've also been keenly interested in TCM, tuina and acupuncture, but never had a full training. I've done a few months full-time in the Alexander Technique.

I like hatha yoga, particularly the traditional styles that include pranayama, fasting, purging etc. I'm also trained a meditation style that most would call tantric, and has some parallels to kriya yoga of the Babaji lineage.

I read, a lot. I also do kettlebell training, and practice Scott Sonnon's Circular Strength Training (CST) system.

I've also done salsa dancing on and off for a number of years.

All movement, and stillness, helps IMO.

[Brady]

I bet we would get along TrainingDummy. Seems like you have some interesing stories to tell.

[everything]

a little yoga, gonna dabble in pilates, light sports with the kids (occasional coach) - trying new movements because of the kids learning something new is fantastic, probably better than anything else for building a faster ability to integrate new movements or improve on old ones.

[I'lls cappuccino]

jumprope ,lots of it.

[Areios]

i do other sports mostly for fun and to relax my minde. But it's not so common for me.
edit: it's mostly swimming, weightlifting, kettlebell and HIt.

[neijia_boxer]

skateboarding (use to compete half-pipe and street) snowboard, surfboard (just bought a short board),soccer, swimming, weight lifting, running.

done lots of yoga- bikrim yoga (go once a month), hatha yoga (back in college), kundalini yoga, sahaja yoga (often practice this one) and pilates (on the machines when injured back).

[fuga]

Lately I am enjoying yin yoga as well as playing around with clubs and maces. The yin yoga is interesting for targeting fascia related to meridians and gives me things to think about in my MA practice, especially in the area between the knees and the shoulders. It is interesting as a practice that synthesizes modalities (Indian yoga, chinese meridian theory, and buddhist meditation). The clubs and maces are all about working on circular pathways and strengthening the shoulders and core - I see it largely as injury prevention.

[Chris McKinley]

XBOX 360 (I love first-person shooters), Netflix, Guinness beer, single malt scotch, good cigars, jamming on my Mesa Triple Rectifier, cooking, fencing, pool parties with friends, and dressing like a medieval goofball on weekends. Strangely, it turns out that this precise formula allows me to kick the crap out of most other martial artists out there relatively easily. Or maybe it's the pretzels.

[Wanderingdragon]

XBOX 360 (I love first-person shooters), Netflix, Guinness beer, single malt scotch, good cigars, jamming on my Mesa Triple Rectifier, cooking, fencing, pool parties with friends, and dressing like a medieval goofball on weekends. Strangely, it turns out that this precise formula allows me to kick the crap out of most other martial artists out there relatively easily. Or maybe it's the pretzels.

with me it's Guiness beer, fine Cognac, rich ports and good cigars, with the rest it ads up to relaxation... disturb that and you give me the final piece of the equation, a good reason to kick the crap out of most martial artists out there relatively easily. OOor , it could be the pretzels

[johnwang]

I was folk dance instructor. I also love running.

[hopgarsansau]

wang lao shi, it was good to see you at the tournament! it was great sitting down talking to you and my teacher david chin, especially since i learned from the both of you, it was fun to sit down and hang out with you two.

[ppscat]

I dance regularly tango for over 4 years and salsa +10 years. Taijiquan gave me a hell of body awareness that made easier my dancing learning curve. Using own's and the other's elastic tendons, strech and release spirals, timing, sensitivity, sung, etc is all there, in plain and simple words, no qi model behind.


.

[Ian]

tango (is great for IMAs, though sometimes you feel like throwing your training... er... dance partner)
swimming and running - sprints or long distance
want to get into sky-diving and flying, with an eye on getting into aerobatics
rock climbing
surfing
and of course lots of beer to develop my fascia
wine, tea, cigars, skinny-dipping, drumming, geetah

[fuga]

and of course lots of beer to develop my fascia