I've been doing shoulder rolls for 16 years ...

... but all on the same side.

 

The good news is my right side is great!  The bad news is I have a 16-year imbalance.  Seriously, the muscle memory is so ingrained that I start going right even with my left leading.  I felt so discombobulated as I have to literally do the opposite of what feels natural with every part of my body.

 

My first martial arts instructor said I only ever needed to learn one side.  No I need to spend a couple months undoing this advice.  Wish me luck!

I feel you Not 16 years though, but enough to feel comfortable leading with my right arm, while worrying about falling flat on my face while leading with my left. 

Best of luck! I don't think you need 16 years to get it balanced though

Sensei JP said:

... The bad news is I have a 16-year imbalance. Seriously, the muscle memory is so ingrained that I start going right even with my left leading. I felt so discombobulated as I have to literally do the opposite of what feels natural with every part of my body ... My first martial arts instructor said I only ever needed to learn one side. No I need to spend a couple months undoing this advice ...

Right side only? And what would have happened if a real life opponent had thrown you to the left side?

This flaw you have discovered in your prior training is exactly the reason why world class gymnastics coaches are so adamant about mastering flawless basics and mastering them equally well on both sides of the body.

To the inexperienced, working only the good side and avoiding the bad side seems to have no adverse affect on training at all. In fact it can appear to be a god send; a way of fast tracking progress. Of streamlining the process. Of removing the non-essential.

It is only later on down the road when more advanced work is attempted, and the athlete not only fails; but fails miserably, that the flaw in previous thinking becomes apparent. Often painfully so. The issue is that beginners often confuse convenience and personal preference with 'non-essential'.

As you have already discovered, there is only one solution if you would like to continue moving forward; you must go back and re-learn those fundamentals, correctly this time, that were glossed over previously.

I have found it quite illuminating the way most people have approached T1 in these early days. Despite the course recommendations of mastery first, they are still treating T1 as a buffet; "what do I feel like training today?" As though because it is only movement, and not 'real' training, somehow the sacrosanct GB rules of quality and mastery no longer apply.

The solution. Slow ... down. Way ... down.

If you have not yet mastered the diagnostics and shoulder rolls; do so. If you have physical deficits; address them.

Make the pursuit of quality and perfection, the primary emphasis in your movement training. If you find this frustrating, good. If you find it boring, tough. Learning how to constructively deal with frustration and handle boredom is the only way to achieve true excellence.

Once the diagnostics and shoulder rolls have been mastered, then proceed onward to forward and backward rolls. You will quickly find out here if you have been skimping on your thoracic bridge and forward flexion work.

Once these have been mastered, then proceed onward to handstand forward rolls and back extensions. And yes, if you have been short changing your handstand training ... your progress with handstand forward rolls and back extension work is about to come to a screeching halt.

After handstand forward rolls and back extensions have been mastered, then proceed onto the cartwheel variations. Note; if you are not proficient in a static two arm handstand (H1), how are you going to be productive with moving transitions into and out of what are essentially moving one arm handstand variations?

And finally once all of these have been mastered, you may proceed onto the Integrated Roll variations; where you will quickly find that you have no hope whatsoever of achieving mastery unless you have also been taking your H1, H2 and the preparatory elements from H3 seriously.

Now this is not to say that you may not experiment with more advanced T1 skills prior to mastery of earlier basics. However as I have already said numerous times in the past, this should be restricted to 'play' at the end of a workout; not the bulk of the workout.

Remember, play must be earned.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Right side only? And what would have happened if a real life opponent had thrown you to the left side?

This flaw you have discovered in your prior training is exactly the reason why world class gymnastics coaches are so adamant about mastering flawless basics and mastering them equally well on both sides of the body.

To the inexperienced, working only the good side and avoiding the bad side seems to have no adverse affect on training at all. In fact it can appear to be a god send; a way of fast tracking progress. Of streamlining the process. Of removing the non-essential.

It is only later on down the road when more advanced work is attempted, and the athlete not only fails; but fails miserably, that the flaw in previous thinking becomes apparent. Often painfully so. The issue is that beginners often confuse convenience and personal preference with 'non-essential'.

As you have already discovered, there is only one solution if you would like to continue moving forward; you must go back and re-learn those fundamentals, correctly this time, that were glossed over previously.

I have found it quite illuminating the way most people have approached T1 in these early days. Despite the course recommendations of mastery first, they are still treating T1 as a buffet; "what do I feel like training today?" As though because it is only movement, and not 'real' training, somehow the sacrosanct GB rules of quality and mastery no longer apply.

The solution. Slow ... down. Way ... down.

If you have not yet mastered the diagnostics and shoulder rolls; do so. If you have physical deficits; address them.

Make the pursuit of quality and perfection, the primary emphasis in your movement training. If you find this frustrating, good. If you find it boring, tough. Learning how to constructively deal with frustration and handle boredom is the only way to achieve true excellence.

Once the diagnostics and shoulder rolls have been mastered, then proceed onward to forward and backward rolls. You will quickly find out here if you have been skimping on your thoracic bridge and forward flexion work.

Once these have been mastered, then proceed onward to handstand forward rolls and back extensions. And yes, if you have been short changing your handstand training ... your progress with handstand forward rolls and back extension work is about to come to a screeching halt.

After handstand forward rolls and back extensions have been mastered, then proceed onto the cartwheel variations. Note; if you are not proficient in a static two arm handstand (H1), how are you going to be productive with moving transitions into and out of what are essentially moving one arm handstand variations?

And finally once all of these have been mastered, you may proceed onto the Integrated Roll variations; where you will quickly find that you have no hope whatsoever of achieving mastery unless you have also been taking your H1, H2 and the preparatory elements from H3 seriously.

Now this is not to say that you may not experiment with more advanced T1 skills prior to mastery of earlier basics. However as I have already said numerous times in the past, this should be restricted to 'play' at the end of a workout; not the bulk of the workout.

Remember, play must be earned.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

 

Thank you for these comments.  I have started T1.  I went through the quadrupedal development and started on the should roll development.  I want form and strength to be excellent and without question at mastery so I am on 2.1.  I am happy to roll around back and forth until I am absolutely sure that mastery is there.  But then reading all the posts about people going all over the place, as far as selecting movements to work on, I was concerned that I was not approaching this series properly.  You reaffirmed for me the need for patience and diligence.  Thanks again for your awesomeness.

 

[quote name="Coach Sommer" post="201141"

...If you have not yet mastered the diagnostics and shoulder rolls; do so. If you have physical deficits; address them.

Make the pursuit of quality and perfection, the primary emphasis in your movement training.

So, it appears we need to first master quality behind the back shoulder extension and overhead shoulder flexion?

Ahhhh... I am noticing a humbling pattern here ;-/