8.31.2010

Giant Fröbel Toys

I subscribe to an excellent blog on martial arts and you should too! In fact, I've added it to my "KIN" sidebar at right - it's called Weakness With a Twist. I have posted videos here on sweetemploy before that I discovered there, and now again I must point to this gem from the youtubes:



At about minute 04:55 you will see the giant Fröbel toys in action, and you can read about the history of its inventor and demonstrator here. From what I understand of the narration, and my active imagination, it seems that these geometrically pleasing instruments are used to practice Push Hands in the absence of a partner, and they seem to give a soothing, invigorating massage as well! I think the garden globe (by the way, the one shown weighed 25 lbs) has found its true calling in this apparatus.

For comparison, the inventor of kindergarten, Freidrich Fröbel's desktop toys:

4 comments:

pagor said...

this is amazing.
now the wing chun wooden dummy
seems rather modest

pele said...

Isn't it? Although I assume the dummy demands a great deal of precision, else it exacts its revenge.

Dweller said...

Hooray you're back!!
What do you think one of those things runs? I've been looking to invigorate my tai chi practice...or maybe I could rev up the bandsaw and make one?!

pele said...

I know, right? I doubt these ever made it to market, but I'd love to come over and play if you're serious about putting one together. Looks like it might be accomplished with a sturdy canopy-tent frame, various lengths of bungies, pvc pipe and dowel for the one, and a garden ball on a ball-bearing swivel hook for the other. We can make a "bloopers" version of this video.