Teep Game With a Ball (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum

I am guiding a practitioner through a movement game.

The rules are as follows:

• The practitioner must follow me.
• The practitioner must stay in front of me.
• The practitioner must maintain six feet of distance.
• As I approach the practitioner with the balance ball, their task is to execute a teep and push me away without compromising their balance or placing their foot down.
• The practitioner should load, execute, and reload (bringing the foot back to their body) before placing their foot back down.
• Hand positioning is of secondary importance here, as our primary focus is on the legs. It's important to avoid overwhelming the practitioner with excessive constraints, as this could hinder their learning process.

This game allows the practitioner to make real-time decisions, move, explore their space, and develop game sense.

The balance ball provides instant feedback on the accuracy of their push. Any downward force will be evident in the ball's response. If there's any asymmetry in their push, they will inadvertently rotate the ball instead of effectively pushing me away. If they kick the ball without pushing me away, I'll continue moving forward. The ball is three-dimensional and is responsive in three dimensions. This helps the practitioner grasp the differences between one-dimensional and three-dimensional aspects, ultimately facilitating the differentiation of physical movements and objects.

Rather than instructions (prescription), I provide reminders, visual descriptions, and prompts. Instead of dictating the teep technique, I encourage them to "draw as straight of a line as possible" so that they can interpret based on their own body and circumstances. I do very little, and that's the secret to their rapid improvements.

Practitioners often focus so intently that they forget to breathe, necessitating occasional reminders. Little known fact: if you don't breathe, you die.

The objective is to push the ball away, not push themselves into it or themselves away. Doing so will compromise their balance.

– Sam