Active for Life

Body surfing is an aquatic activity that humans have enjoyed for centuries. It involves riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant devices such as surfboards or bodyboards, relying solely on one’s body to catch and harness the power of the ocean waves. This article examines the art of body surfing, its history, techniques, and tips for both novices and seasoned body surfers.

Tracing the Origins of Body Surfing

An Ancient Pastime

The genesis of body surfing is believed to be rooted in ancient Polynesian culture. The Polynesians were known for their profound connection with the sea, and catching waves with their bodies was not only a form of recreation but also a rite of passage for young warriors. The art of body surfing has evolved over the centuries and has been adopted by various cultures around the world.

Modern Revival and Popularity

Body surfing was resurgent in the early 20th century, especially in places like Hawaii and California, where the surf culture was blossoming. Today, it remains an integral part of the surfing community and is revered for its simplicity and the intimate connection it offers with the ocean.

The Art and Technique of Body Surfing

Catching the Wave

One of the essential skills in body surfing is learning how to catch a wave. This involves timing, positioning, and a keen sense of the ocean. As the wave approaches, the body surfer must swim vigorously towards the shore, matching the speed of the wave. The goal is to position oneself in the wave’s pocket, where the wave is steepest, to harness its energy.

Riding the Wave

Once on the wave, the body surfer must streamline his or her body to reduce drag. This is done by extending the arms in front or to the side and keeping the legs together. Leaning to either side can help in steering. It is also essential to keep an eye on the wave and anticipate its movement.

Safety and Etiquette

Body surfing can be dangerous, especially in large surf. It is crucial to be aware of the environment, including currents, tides, and other surfers. Additionally, it’s essential to follow surfing etiquette, such as not dropping in on someone else’s wave.

Equipment and Gear for Body Surfing

Swim Fins

Though body surfing requires minimal equipment, swim fins are highly recommended. They provide additional propulsion and control, which are crucial for catching and riding waves effectively.

Wetsuits and Rash Guards

Depending on water temperatures, a wetsuit may be necessary. Even in warmer waters, wearing a rash guard can prevent skin irritation caused by extended contact with the water and sun exposure.

Hand Planes

Some body surfers opt to use a hand plane – a small board strapped to the hand. It helps to lift the surfer’s body out of the water, providing more control and longer rides on the wave.

Tips for Aspiring Body Surfers

 Choose the Right Conditions

For beginners, it is advisable to start in small, manageable waves and gradually progress as confidence and skills improve.

 Practice Swimming

Being a strong swimmer is essential in body surfing. Regular swimming workouts can increase endurance and comfort in the water.

 Learn From Others

Watching and learning from experienced body surfers can be incredibly valuable. Don’t hesitate to ask for tips and advice.

Pilates is a system for physical exercises developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s. He called his method Contrology, but today we know it as Pilates. In his book “Return to Life through Contrology”, Joseph Pilates describes his method as the art of controlled movements.

In 1980, Frank Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen published a modern book on Pilates, which helped popularize Pilates during the late 20th and early 21st century. In their book The Pilates Method of Physical and Mental Conditioning, the authors outlined six principles of Pilates: concentration, control, precision, centring, flow, and breathing.

Consistently practising Pilates can help muscle conditioning in adults, improve flexibility and build strength. Rather than simply focusing on muscle building or flexibility, Pilates puts emphasis on aspects such as alignment, coordination, balance and breathing.

The core of the body – consisting of the abdomen, lower and upper back, buttocks, hips, and inner thighs – is referred to as “the powerhouse” and is given special attention in Pilates, since it is believed to be a key for stability throughout the body.

Is it difficult to get started?

No, getting started with Pilates is not difficult, since the Pilates system allows for exercises to be modified to suit the practitioner. A good Pilates trainer will take your individual needs and abilities into account, and show exercises that are suitable for you right now. As your body gradually adapts to the exercises, intensity and difficulty can be increased over time.

Pilates principles

Several different versions of Pilates are thought today. A majority of them rely on the principles listed below, although not necessarily on all nine of them.

Concentration

Concentration is an important aspect of Pilates. It is important to focus on each movement.

Control

Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology” since he placed such a strong emphasis on muscle control. In Pilates, all exercises are carried out in a controlled fashion.

Precision

Precision is essential to Pilates, and using focus and control to carry out a movement with precision once is considered better than making several imperfect movements.

Flow

Pilates strives for flow – the elegant economy of movement. Concentration, control and precision will work together to allow for a flow of movement, where different exercises flow into eath others through proper transitions.

Centering

Collectively, the abdomen, lower and upper back, buttocks, hips, and inner thighs are known as the “powerhouse” in Pilates and seen as the body´s natural centre from which all movements of the extremities should be coordinated. The powerhouse is the centre, and centring is essential to Pilates. Movements should originate in the centre and move outwards from there.

Breathing

In his Return to Life through Contrology, Joseph Pilates calls attention to the benefits of correct breathing and how it is a method for “bodily house-cleaning with blood circulation”.

According to Mr Pilates, there is considerable value in increasing the intake of oxygen och also increasing the circulation of this oxygen throughout the body.

To this end, Pilates promoted what he considered to be full inhalation and complete exhalation.

During Pilates exercises, the practitioner is encouraged to breathe out with the effort and in on the return, breathing deep into the back and sides of the rib cage. During the exhale, the practitioner is encouraged to pay attention to their deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.

Postural alignment

Maintaining the recommended posture decreases the risk of muscle imbalances and helps with coordination.

Relaxation

Relaxation can be a key to attaining the right mental concentration and muscle movements.

Stamina

Increased precision will make the motion more efficient. This makes each motion feel less strenuous to carry out.

Tai chi originated as a Chinese martial art, but is today also widely practised for its health benefits and as a form of mindfulness training. Some forms of Tai chi are known for having slower movements compared to when utilized for self-defence, and since the late 20th century, Tai chi classes with an emphasis on health and well-being have become very popular in many parts of the world. From its native China, Tai chi spread worldwide and several training forms exist today, each with a different emphasis. Yet, most modern styles of Tai chi can trace their roots to at least one of the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao) and Sun.

These five major styles of Tai chi originated in five different Chinese families:

• Chen style (陳氏) of Chen Wangting (1580–1660)
• Yang style (楊氏) of Yang Luchan (1799–1872)
• Wu Hao style (武氏) of Wu Yuxiang (1812–1880)
• Wu style (吳氏) of Wu Quanyou (1834–1902) and his son Wu Jianquan (1870–1942)
• Sun style (孫氏) of Sun Lutang (1861–1932)

Tai chi for seniors

In Europe, including the UK, Tai chi classes are offered at many senior centres. They are focused on health and wellbeing and not on teaching self-defence from physical attacks.

Tai chi have soft movements, slow speeds and getting started is not difficult. It can be adapted for individuals with varying physical fitness and abilities. It is considered suitable for people of all ages.

In 2011, a comprehensive overview of systematic reviews of Tai chi recommended tai chi to older people for its physical and psychological benefits. The study found no evidence of Tai chi being able to prevent or treat diabetes, cancer, arthritis or Parkinson’s disease. For more information: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21586406/.

In 2017, a systemic review found that Tai chi could decrease the risk of falls in older people. For more information: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28736853/.

Tai chi can be performed even by people suffering from heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or osteoarthritis without worsening any issues concerning pain and breathing. For more information: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26383108/

Seated Tai chi

Seated Tai chi is a special type of Tai chi developed for persons who have trouble standing up. It is more similar to meditation than strenuous physical exercise and is commonly described as “meditation in movement” because of its gentle, flowing movements.

Seated Tai chi is chiefly based on the Yang short form.

Clothing

The Taichi tradition does not stipulate any dress code for Tai chi practitioners.

Modern-day casual practitioners usually wear loose and comfortable clothes that do not restrict their movements. Breathable natural fabrics is favoured.

Tai chi in the United Kingdom

In the early 1960s, Pytt Geddes from Norway started teaching Tai chi classes at The Place in London. She is believed to have been the first European to teach Tai chi in the United Kingdom. It is of course possible that Tai chi was taught within the Chinese immigrant community earlier than this, but there is no evidence of this. Pytt Geddes had learned Tai chi from Choy Hok Pang and his son Choy Kam Man in Hong Kong in the late 1950s, after first encountering Tai chi in Shanghai back in 1948.

Klootschieten is a Frisian sport associated with the Netherlands and the part of Germany known as Ostfriesland.

Each player throws a ball (called kloot) as far as possible. A skilled klootschieten player will utilize a rather complex throwing style that requires both power and speed. The current record is held by Stefan Albarus, who manged to throw his ball 106.20 meters.

Casual games of klottschieten typically involves two teams playing against each other. Zetten klootschieten, which is a more formal version of the game, is played as an individual endevour where two persons challenge each other.

More formal games are organized by the Nederlandse Klottschietbond, an umbrella organization comprised of over 40,000 players of klootschieten and the related game boßeln. The are also organizations persent in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, as well as one in Ireland.

European Championships have been held since 1969. The main participants are the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland.

The three styles of klootschieten

There are three styles of klootschieten: veld (field), straat (street) and zetten (standing).

Veld klootschieten

When you play veld klootschieten, your aim is to reach a particular patch of grass or sand in as few throws as possible. In this sense, it is a bit similar to golf. Also, the veld klootschieten course typically includes obstacles, such as curves and height differences. Therefore, strenght is not the only factor necessary to prevail.

Veld klootschieten is played between individuals or between teams.

The kloot (ball) is round. It is made from wood or a synthetic material, and lead is added to make it heavier. The diamater is usually between 7 cm and 8 cm, but it is up the participants to decide what is permitted, as long as the diameter is at least 5 cm.

Straat klootschieten

Stratt klootschieten is a version of klootschieten played in the street, in a country lane, or similar. The goal is still to get your kloot to a particular area using as few throws as possible, but the tactics differ since the course is different. There might for instance bee ditches and gutters that the players need to take into account. If there are uphill stretches along the course, a player could deliberately aim for “obstacles” such as a spot of tall grass to prevent the ball from rolling back downhill.

Straat klootschieten is played with a kloot that is heavier than the ones used for veld klootschieten.

Zetten klootschieten

This is a more formal version of klootschieten. The goal is to make the ball travel as far as possible in the air. In this respect, the game is similar to hammer throwing.

You throw your ball, and the distance between you and the point where it hits the ground is measured.

History

A long time ago, Frisian fighters were feared for their ability to throw harmful objects at their opponents and even damaging ships with their missiles. It is possible that klootschieten developed out of this tradition.

As early as 1659, Kloot werpen is mentioned in a text. It was the Dutch reformer Jacobus van Oudenhoven who included the game in his list of things that good Christians should not do on a Sunday.

Early versions of klootschieten involved two-pound iron balls and heavy flint balls. Later, Frisians started making fist-sized balls from applewood, pierce the wood and fill the cavities with lead.

The rowdy klootschieters

Today, klootschieten might seem like a harmless passtime, but if we look at history, it had strong associations with rowdyness and it has even been banned by the authorities. Klootschieten competitions often involved both heavy alcohol consumption and gambling for money and other valuables.

Some anti-klootscheiten voices even blamed klootschieten for causing pneumonia deaths, when it was practised outdoors in the winter with participants wearing light sportswear.

A competitive leage for klootschieten

The first competition league for klootschieten was formed on May 25, 1902, by klootschieten groups in Oldenburg och East Frisia. A driving force was Hinrich Dunkhase (1857-1905).