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3 ways of improving your Meel swinging!

2/12/2014

9 Comments

 
Much to my delight there is a growing awareness of the benefits of Meel swinging and rising interest in its use as a functional strength tool.

As with any sort of exercise, in particular when handling an external weight that is swung in circular axis about the body, it is very important to pay attention to certain basic principles which will not only help prevent injury but also facilitate the learning and development process.


Picture
Breathing to create rhythm
The most important principle, IMHO, is to adhere to the principal of a unified rhythm. As you may know we all have an internal rhythm set by our regular breathing pattern. We may not pay attention to it; and often not even act in sync with it, but it is there and it becomes most noticeable when we run or jog. Soon a breathing pattern emerges; which if you fall into it it will make you a more efficient runner.

The same concept applies to Meel swinging, however you are now also moving, and moving with, an external object. When your breathing becomes more in tune with the movement, you achieve a kind of resonance phenomena, which can be very invigorating.

I will discuss the basic 4 count Meel swing breathing pattern, you will have to subtly adjust your breathing pattern to the specific exercise you are doing but the basics remain the same.

As you swing the Meel back (the backward swing phase) your thoracic cage expands, this is an excellent opportunity to take a deep breath in and vice-versa as you swing the Meel back to it's original position (the forward swing phase) you are contracting the same structures, so you naturally exhale.

In the initial (backward) swing phase I am arching through the spine so I need to engage my core abdominal muscles to maintain control and avoid hyper-extension. And in the second (forward) swing phase I am completely firing on the abdominal muscles while exhaling.

If you are not breathing in tune with your Meel swinging and notice that the majority of your effort is in balancing and handling the weight then be sure that the Meels your are swinging are too heavy for you! It is best advised to take a step back and progressively work your way up to the desired weight with a more tactical approach.

This rhythmical breathing are part of the reasons why you see guys like Pahlavan Farzaneh and Pahlavan Yousefi being able to swing those great Meels with seemingly effortless ease.


M
oving your head & Rotating through your spine
The great majority of beginners tend to over emphasize their focus on the arm movement. This is completely understandable since they are learning to handle and coordinate their bodies with a new instrument. And with time as their skills becomes more 'baked', as we say in Pahlavani (Persian Yoga), they will naturally develop a more integrated movement of the body with the Meel swing...but let's get there sooner.

Meel swinging is done with a set of Meels, and although there are various variations which involves the simultaneous swinging of both Meels, I will again focus on the basic 4 count Meel swing and to be consistent I will always start swinging with my left arm.

As you commence to swing the left Meel in the backward, as mentioned above, you are opening up and you can open up even further by turning your head and torso towards the right. Turn your gaze towards and look at the stripes/grooves on the Meel you are holding upright in-front of you. Persian Meels have these grooves on them for this very reason (as well as to serve as a decoration). Similarly as you swing the right Meel you turn and look to the left Meel which you would by now be holding in-front of you.

It is worthwhile to add that I am moving alternatively to the right or left during the Meel's backward swing phase and I am moving my body back to the center during the Meel forward swing phase. So I am effectively creating a 120-135 degree movement from side to side (left to right etc). In doing this you are creating a much more effective movement and stimulating the spine in flexion and extension as well as rotation as an added benefit.


M
oving your feet & Creating a pelvic rhythm
The final piece is to add footwork into the Meel swing to create a truly rhythmical, almost dance like, experience and to acquire the coordination needed for the more advanced variations, like stepping Meel swings. This technique also has the benefit of clearing the path for the Meel to swing behind you without hitting your leg.

In the starting position I am standing with my feet parallel, distanced almost shoulder width apart. As I am starting on the backward phase of the swing with my LEFT arm I will take a small step forward (instep) with my RIGHT foot as I am rotating my right foot almost 90 degrees to the right side, i.e. by the end of the backward swing phase the toes of my right foot are turned pointing to the right and my left foot stays where it was supporting my weight. The instep is small, I'm only moving my right foot forward to be leveled approximately to the midpoint of my left foot. However the turning of the foot is quite large in comparison, as I wish to completely open up towards the right and externally rotate my right thigh/leg. You will notice that this will prompt you to further externally rotate your right shoulder, especially if you are holding the Meel at waist level (as you should be doing).

Now in the forward swing phase I will again bring my feet to be parallel to each other and support my weight on both feet and prepare for the right Meel swing cycle; which means that now I will be stepping and turning with and shifting my weight to my left foot. This will complete the 120-135 degree side to side movement.

These concepts are much easier grasped, in fact there is often no direct emphasis on them but it is something that is intrinsically adopted, from the Zurkhaneh ambiance as everything is done to the beat of the Zarb (drum) and the chanting of the Morshed (Guru). This is why rhythm, be it music or simply your own breath, is complementary with and in my view necessary for Meel swinging.


I hope that this will add value to your practice. Feel free to share and subscribe to Persian Yoga to receive news about my upcoming instructional videos and/or if you're in Sydney look me up to learn more about Meel swinging and Persian Yoga.

One more for the road as they say, remember to keep your knees unlocked i.e. soft jointed, this will be of great importance as you start swinging heavier Meels.


Be tireless.

Kashi
9 Comments
Russell Sajadi link
2/12/2014 12:47:38

Doroud Pahlavan,
It is to late now but I will call you tomorrow.
Be tireless,
Russell Sajadi

Reply
Kashi
3/12/2014 07:44:57

Dorood Pahlavan'e Bozorg.

I'm happy you have returned and look forward to seeing you.

Sepas.

Reply
Khayam
2/12/2014 19:52:10

Yes: This is what my teacher taught me about meel. In fact when I see meel used where someone imitates the picture shown, I am always surprised! I was taught that the meel should be lifted and balanced (not touching the chest preferably). The path of the bottom of the meel should pass behind one's head (typically giving a _great_ stretch to the shoulder). Depending on the weight of the meel, the entire body _must_ rotate (head to foot) because the weight simply pulls the body there. And then after a motion resembling how one combs the back of his head, the meel orients itself behind the shoulder blade corresponding to the hand in which it is grasped and is then brought up and over the shoulder, back into position in front _not_ touching the chest. This is quite a challenge. I was told that this motion was derived from horseback warfare, where the meel provides training for the motion of a sword (only with a great deal more weight).

Reply
Kashi
3/12/2014 07:43:53

Hi Khayam, thanks for your comment. You make some very good point and I particularly like the combing analogy, it is so true.

You are also right in regards to the historical and functional aspect of the move.

The Pahlavans of the Persian fighting force, were mounted atop horses since Cyrus the Great's time. The fame of the Pahlavans being so skilled as to be able to use bow and arrows (during retreat) and other instruments (swords, maces, axes, hammers) as mounted warriors is the stuff of legends that have influenced the stories of the mythological Centaur.

The use of weapons while mounted on horseback must use an oblique angel, to avoid injuring the horse or oneself, and also it needs to be circular as to regenerate the momentum needed to strike the enemy again. This is the fundamental reason as to why not many Meel swinging variations are done in the mid-sagital plane but more often in a slightly offset and oblique angle.

Another thing you correctly pointed out which i would like to further clarify is that the Meel should not touch ANY part of your body , except your hands of course, nor should they touch eachother.

Who was your Morshed?

Be tireless Pahlavan.

Kashi

Reply
Khayam
3/12/2014 08:16:40

My Morshed was my Farsi teacher - not a Morshed so much as a good friend. I was of course shagerd av-val :) just kidding, tried my best all those years ago. I still work my meel. I think he might not like my putting his name out in a general forum. You may contact me privately Kashi Agha.

Matthew Mwangi
2/12/2014 23:44:41

It's a very informative anatomy and physiology aspect part of it. I would suggest that if IZSF can offer seminar for these basic sports science so that Coaches can understand when or to train athletes, we can have competitive events. Some of us are lacking knowledge on how to produce good athletes because we don't have this kind of information. Kudos and keep us informed as well as nutrition value.

Reply
Kashi
3/12/2014 07:20:22

Hi Matthew and thanks for your comment and support. Hopefully we can discuss these items at the next GA to be held this month.

Reply
Paul Taras Wolkowinski link
3/12/2014 12:19:11

Great article Kashi, I took great inspiration form this illustration when I first started swinging clubs. The following comment is based on your correcting me about my clubs, and my mistakenly calling them meels.
This years World Indian Club Tour 2014, took me back to Varanasi in India, followed by a tour of 4 cities in Iran, where received instruction and experience swinging meels in Zurkhaneh.
----- I would like to focus on the grip detail in the picture above ------- namely GRIPPING technique.
The Pahlavan in the picture is shown holding the meel at the front of his body, with his forearm well below 90 degrees, more like 100 degrees.
The meels in Iran have tapered handles with a small button at the end of the handle. This means that you can easily place your little finger underneath the button, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd fingers and thumb steading the balanced club. This grip position makes it also possible to bring the balanced club closer to the body, without actual contact.
Second this also enables a full range of motion by the arm lifting the club to swing it over the shoulder. Third, the tapered handle makes the meel slide in your hand during the back swing, which elongates the club giving a full stretch to the shoulder.

The original clubs I used to learn were made from a book written in 1905, and the handles of these clubs have parallel handles with a half ball at the end. The parallel handle configuration restricts the movement of the lifting arm considerably. Point 2 and 3 above are also affected.

Conclusion, I have become convinced that the clubs I had made originally, are actually a modified Indian Jori Club, which is nearly twice as long in it's true form, and the swing style relies totally on shoulder leverage rather than the Persian clean swing, without body contact.

However in saying that you may be interested to know that I have seen clear Persian influences in club swinging in India, with the Persian meel style used for swinging heavy Jori Clubs

Reply
Kashi
7/12/2014 13:51:13

Hi Paul and thank you for your comment.

Your points on the Gripping technique are spot on. In fact I was planning to do a separate post on just this topic but since you have raised the point, and with your help, I have fast tracked the blog post, have a look here: http://www.persianyoga.com/blog/how-to-handle-the-meel

Additionally I would like to add the following insight I have gained from my research into the history of Pahlavani; it is a well known fact that the Aryan tribes at some point in time split into the Indian and Iranian groups who settled these respective lands.

These people have a great deal in common, including linguistic, cultural, spiritual and social characteristics. It is not completely unlikely that they also had similarities in battle techniques and modes of combat, which would give clues to the heavy use of clubs in both Pahlavani (Persian Yoga) and Palawani (Akhara) traditions.

Furthermore these cultures have been in a sort of reciprocal relationship; with tales still told in the Zurkhaneh and recounted in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (Epic of Kings), of many great Iranian Pahlavans battling legendary Indian wrestlers in both India and Iran.

There's also the fact of the first great Iranian diaspora to India following the first Islamic conquest of Iran in 651 which would have, yet again been a fusion of the two (Indian & Iranian) systems.

So in trying to determine the definite origin of the Meel/club and to accurately say who influenced whom first we have a historical chicken and egg situation; but as far as I am concerned it doesn't matter because they are both very tasty.

Reply



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