Why is learning centerline important to your workout?
Because without it you can cause jarring motions which are bad for your back but with it you learn to move your body as one connected unit.
When you achieve centerline motion your body will move more naturally, with more focus and grace. You’ll learn to use your legs more for strength rather than trying to rely on the weaker shoulder muscles which tend to throw you off balance and strain your back.
Why is learning centerline important to your workout?
Because without it you can cause jarring motions which are bad for your back but with it you learn to move your body as one connected unit.
When you achieve centerline motion your body will move more naturally, with more focus and grace. You’ll learn to use your legs more for strength rather than trying to rely on the weaker shoulder muscles which tend to throw you off balance and strain your back.
Very few disciplines utilize the principle of centerline. Ballet, skating, and a few types of Kung Fu use this principle. Centerline means that the spine remains straight and the body erect. This especially includes the head, as it is important for balance. All motions are around the body’s center of gravity.
The body’s centerline remains constant as the body shifts, rotates or drops. Centerline takes the pressure off of the back and keeps the body balanced. This forces the body to move as a unit rather than the different parts moving independently of one another.
All momentum of body mass is focused. In Kung Fu centerline is for balance. In exercise it keeps the practitioner from stressing the back.
I’m a full time Kung Fu instructor and I know centerline is one of the hardest things to teach. However it’s benefits are amazing. I know a lot of people who swear that learning centerline through learning kung fu has either cured their back problems or at least taught them to move in a way which alleviates the problem. I can tell you I’ve seen some absolutely amazing results.
The people that have the worst time learning centerline are strong men. Why is this? Because they are used to using their upper body strength. They are not used to using their lower body strength or their body as a whole. Once a person learns to move with centerline their power increases dramatically since they are using their legs muscles (which are much larger) rather than their upper body.
When you learn to move with centerline you will move more naturally and with much better balance. This tends to alleviate back problems.
Try to be very critical of your centerline. Watch yourself in the mirror as you move. Try to find the motions where you tend to reach or bend at the back. Try to make your shoulders move only with your hips. All motion starts at the ground and comes up through the hips.
The back should never bend and the shoulders should never reach. In the coming days we’ll send you videos of exercises. When you watch them pay attention to the centerline. Kung Fu Shifu’s (black belts) move with near perfect centerline and this is one of the secrets.
Learning centerline takes effort and time but it’s worth it as you will feel your body change. You’ll feel the way you move change.
Stay tuned for your next lesson
Shifu Liz Weaver
Liz Weaver