Movement teacher Stefan Crainic joins the host to discuss free movement, Fighting Monkey, creativity, the cost of practice, parkour, play, expressing oneself, constraint-led learning, stress responses, and the middle-aged guy challenge. They also explore the concept of affordances in ecological psychology and the importance of integrating movement into daily life.
The importance of playfulness, creativity, and finding new solutions to movement problems in movement education.
The value of using constraints in movement practice to foster self-organization, creative problem-solving, and adaptability.
Deep dives
Movement and learning as the focus
The podcast episode explores the enthusiasm and deep thought behind movement and learning. The guest, Stephen Krainit, is a movement teacher who emphasizes the importance of developing a body capable of engaging in life and different activities. The focus is on expanding action capabilities and perceiving more affordances in the environment. Stephen discusses his journey from swimming to martial arts to discovering the Fighting Monkey practice. He highlights the value of interdisciplinary movement education, integrating different principles from various practices. The emphasis is on playfulness, creativity, and finding new solutions to movement problems.
The impact of social media and constraints on movement
The episode touches upon the influence of social media on movement practices. Stephen acknowledges how the algorithm and desire for engaging content can shape the way practitioners present their practice. However, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining awareness and not being overly controlled by social media. He also discusses the effectiveness of using constraints in movement practice to foster self-organization and creative problem-solving. Stephen explains how creating challenging yet manageable simulations can help practitioners learn to cope with stress and develop adaptable movement strategies.
Making movement a part of daily life
Stephen provides practical advice for incorporating movement into everyday life. He suggests integrating 'movement snacks' throughout the day, such as bouncing or shaking, to increase well-being and expand action capabilities. By reminding ourselves to engage our whole bodies and explore movement opportunities, we can maintain a playful and exploratory approach. Stephen emphasizes the value of simplicity and finding joy in basic movements which don't require extensive time commitments.
The significance of simulation and feedback loops
The episode highlights the role of simulation and feedback loops in movement practices. Stephen discusses the benefits of creating simulations that provide valuable learning experiences without significant consequences. These simulations allow practitioners to explore stressful situations and learn how to cope with them. The episode also touches upon the importance of calibration in movement practices, finding the right level of complexity and consequences to enhance learning and development.
Movement teacher Stefan join me to talk free moving, Fighting Monkey, creativity, the cost of practice, “affordances”, parkour, performative movement, play, expressing oneself, how social media impacts movement, constraint-led learning, stress responses, middle-aged guy challenge and more! A great movement geek out.