Slendertone Flex: Unisex Ab Toning belt - product review

We've all come across this or similar products and we all have a fair idea of what the [[ Slendertone Flex Unisex Ab-Toning belt ]] is supposed to do, so I will skip all that and get to the nitty-gritty - does it work?

First of all, the product needs to be used maybe 2-3 times daily to see any results in any perceivable timeframe. Of course, if you are reading this blog, then you are likely a martial artist and are already training daily (or thereabouts). As such, regular use shouldn't be such a problem.

With persistent, regular use, results will be seen. The same can also be said for exercise, though. Having said that, this is much easier and can be worn while doing other tasks with only slight discomfort.

Having said that, in my experience, the product can be correctly used standing up and laying down. However, wearing the product and having it going while sitting down hurts too much or otherwise doesn't seem to work. That is a great shame. For those of us with a desk job, being able to train your abs at your desk would be a godsend.

Despite that, the product is well worth considering if you have more important things to concentrate on in your training than making sure your six-pack is up to scratch.

Working Bagua into your day.

The most difficult obstacle to daily practice for me has been the idea that I need to train all in one go.  For the average, western bagua player with a family, taking 60 minutes or more out of your day to train isn't really viable.  Not all in one go, at least.

I find that I can manage 20 mins after I get up in the morning or alternatively before work sometime.  10-15 mins can be racked up during my lunch hour at work.  Then maybe 40+ mins before bed.  So, on a good day, I can manage well over an hour of practice.

Even being more conservative than that, 5 or 10 mins here and there is much better than nothing.  Who can't spare 5 mins a few times a day?

So, really, even at my busiest or laziest times, there is no excuse for not practicibg Bangazhang every day.

Work-induced stress: Could internal martial arts help alleviate my woes?

At the moment, I am labouring under a cloud. I am stuck in a job I hate with a career going nowhere. Every day at work is like hell on earth. Home is an all to brief respite from the drudgery of a day spent at a company that grinds me down at every opportunity.

Should I be using this, though, as motivation to encourage me to train every evening. Our classes are very fighting/sparring based with lots of applications and two-man drills. But we are occasionally shown the more meditative sides of Gao style baguazhang. I know a few exercises that are purported to reduce stress, so why don't I use these to help combat my crappy workday woes and stresses?

Could be just one more way that my baguazhang training can improve my life. Here's hoping...

Training

Not strictly training today per se, but suffice it to say that my upper body has well and truly been worked. Upper arms and shoulders caining as I go to bed after having oiled the decking in our garden.

Sounds like a deleted scene from the Karate Kid!

Still no chop-sockey

Despite my renewed attendance at class and the extra training I am getting done, I still haven't seen a decent martial arts movie in ages. I have a real hankering for a proper 1970s chop-sockey movie but haven't got around to watching one yet.

This might be because we have been watching a lot of Netflix recently, and, while there are a couple of decent martial arts movies on there, proper cheesy chop sockey movies are conspicuous in their absence.

Might have to root out my old 'Half a Loaf of Kung Fu' VHS from the cupboard - or maybe some Jimmy Wang Yu. "One Armed Boxer", anyone?

Antici.........pation!

Manchester Bagua class tonight.

I can't wait!

Buying into the Baguazhang market concept

Baguazhang is such a big part of my life that, despite hardly being an avid consumer, I feel the need to express my love of the art through the medium of merchandise.

My wife often complains that I have way too many t-shirts, so bagua themed clothing maybe isn't a good idea for me. Regardless of how much I'd like some more bagua shirts (I have three shirts with our class logo, but that is it).

Books on baguazhang are always a consideration - but I prefer to limit those to just the ones recommended by my teacher, for obvious reasons.

More than anything, though, I find there is nothing I'd thirst for more after a class than some cool chop-sockey movies!

Dealing with inevitable lapses and obstacles

Returned to class at Manchester Bagua last night after quite a few lessons missed. A number of things have hampered my attendence - not least of which the closure of a whole train line which increases my travel time home considerably. Now, however, we have a car and the classes are back on!

It really felt like a homecoming. It felt so right to be back in class and I was pleasantly surprised both by how much I still knew and how much strength/technique I'd still maintained.

It was a relatively small class last night, this heat wave here in the UK is, after all, "beer garden weather", as they say. While disappointing to see, that was cool in some respects as it made the class more personal and, of course, made for more one on one attention from teacher for those of us who had turned up.

Now I'm settled into our new house, I have a much better situation for training at home. I have a large living room (which has room enough to walk a decent circle), a spare room (currently full of boxes and assorted stuff - but it has potential), a garage (again full of detruitus, but with enough room left for some practice) and even a garden for when the weather allows outdoor practice/scaring the neighbours.

The garage even has my wife's new crosstrainer (useful for warmups, maybe?) and my new 5ft heavy punchbag. It hasn't been hung yet, but leans provocatively against the garage wall. Soon, then, I hope to have something close to a personal training space. Once I pull my finger out and clear the garage before hanging the bag.

Still, first priority is to reinstill my daily training habits at this new address.

Watch this space!

Shameless promotion (www.manchester-bagua.org)

Just had someone ask me about my martial arts training.

We had a nice chat about internal martial arts, Tai Chi, Xing Yi and Baguazhang.

But I found it rather hard to stop myself from saying something like:

"Hey, why don't you come to our class. It's great! You'll love it. Come on... Come to our class this Friday!"

Thankfully, I just about managed to preserve my dignity and prevent myself from blurting it all out.

That said, he is still sitting across from me. Got about an hour to last til we finish work.

Maybe this is what televangelists feel like? Gotta spread the Bagua-love whereever I go!

Speaking of which! - www.manchester-bagua.org

More obstacles to training

I could list for you the many things that have prevented my training as regularly as I'd want. There are plenty to choose from. Finally having moved house and having a new home to mould to our taste. Having a crazy, three year old daughter (soon to be 4 - on June 23rd!), the current disruption to the trains (a whole line being closed, causing the once hour long trip to class to be closer to two). However, really, it comes down to my attitude letting me down again. I need to refocus and make myself attend, no matter how awkward getting to class might actually be. Now I have a car, too, gives me even less excuse not to attend. Add to that the fact that we now have a crosstrainer and a heavy bag in our otherwise-unused garage, and I have very little reason not to train at home every evening either. The very thing I've been telling myself will be the key to improvement in my Baguazhang. So, after tonight (cos I am falling asleep while typing this) I am back to training every night and attending every class - no excuses. It is all too easy to let the excuses take over and keep you from your goals. I am taking control of myself again and redirecting my path away from laziness and a flabby gut.

Dug this article out from ladt year...

Flight attendants learn martial arts to control unruly passengers http://gu.com/p/3tjhz

Update

Okay, so house move and all the pressures that go with that along with a decent sized cyst has prevented me from attending baguazhang class as much as I'd like. Really, now I have a new home, with a large living room, spare room, empty garage and decking in the back yard mean I can't really use not having anywhere to train as an excuse anymore. As such, I am working a little practice in when I can. So looking forward to Luo Dexiu coming to do his seminar toward the end of next month, too. He is always so generous and accessible that I never fail to improve my understanding by leaps and bounds when I train with him. Can't wait...

Needs must...

With our home life being so chaotic right now, I feel quite proud of myself having just managed 10mins of bagua practice in my lunchbreak here at work.

Wasn't very dignified, jiben shou fa in a toilet cubicle - but felt productive nevertheless!

Training

Well, new year has been well and truly seen in and so it is way past time to resume bagua training with renewed vigour.

Using '100 days of Bagua" as both an excuse, if validation is at all needed, and more importantlu as a hashtag to make the log of my meagre strivings easier to find (and pigeonhole).

Managed a little last night but a combination of Marlboro and single malts compromised the effectiveness of the routine somewhat.