What is Ido Portal Method Floorwork? What are the benefits for the body and for improving floor movements?
Feb 15, 2022
One of the sub-domains of movement taught in the Ido Portal Method is Floorwork . It can be simply defined by movements on the floor.
Very inspired by modern dance, the movements of Floorwork allow you to develop a certain agility, fluidity, grace and elegance to move your body in very close contact with the ground.
We roll, turn, slide, reconnect with the ground and use all parts of the body, even some that we use very rarely like the neck, elbows, knees...
This is a fascinating field that we will discover in detail in this article:
What is floorwork specifically, the difference with dance, locomotion or Floreio, what are the benefits for the body, for which sports can it be an excellent complement , and of course, how to start Floorwork simply.
Very good reading my move.
What does Floorwork consist of in the Ido Portal Method?
Floorwork is a form of movement of the body in space. Like locomotion and animal movements .
The difference is that floorwork is practiced closer to the ground.
In locomotion, the basic position is the deep squat, which is used as a starting point, arrival point, and transition between movements.
This is what I call the middle level .
Floorwork is practiced sitting or lying on the floor .
We are at the lower level .
Ido Portal did not invent floorwork, which is widely used in contemporary dance or breakdance.
But it is above all its methodical and systematic approach that differentiates the Ido Portal method and its exercises from the floorwork of contemporary dance.
As always with Ido Portal, the emphasis is on technique before beginning to express itself in movement.
If you've ever taken a contemporary class, you know it's often the other way around.
The time I took a dance class, I had already been training with Ido Portal for a year . This allowed me to keep up with the frenetic pace of the class (beginner level, by the way).
It was a great experience, but I could feel the frustration of people who were unfamiliar with this type of practice and who thought they were participating in a teaching initiation.
If you are a beginner, floorwork as I discovered it with Ido and as I practice it will familiarize you with this universe to discover a new way of using their body.
What are the benefits of Ido Portal Floorwork?
Like many practices highlighted by the Ido Portal method, floorwork will help you expand your bodily universe.
You will increase your vocabulary with new exercises.
The big advantage is that you develop your ability to learn. The more moves you know, the easier it is to learn new ones.
This is why dancers are able to learn choreography so easily. Unlike me, who struggled during contemporary class!
Then the particularity of the floorwork lies in its proximity to the ground .
It reconnects us with a world we've often neglected since we learned to walk. If you count correctly, that's a lot of years!
So, we relearn how to move while lying down , back on the ground, stomach on the ground, side of the body on the ground, head upside down, body compressed... If you have never practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Breakdance, it can be quite confusing at first.
You relearn how to use your supports , transfer your weight without being on your legs.
It's frankly exciting!
Floorwork can be a good complement for Grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners because it brings a different perspective on ground movement.
Moving their body with ease while lying down will make it easier for them to manipulate their partner during their training.
If you have the chance to practice it on a hard floor, like parquet or concrete, you will quickly understand that your body is made up of hard areas and soft areas .
Soft zones are the parts of your body where the bones are not covered by flesh or fat. Soft zones are the fleshier parts of your anatomy.
When you press a bone against concrete, your body isn't a fan. By necessity, you'll seek a gentler route that utilizes the softer areas of your body.
It’s a way of rediscovering your body through the ground .
We therefore use the ground as a vector for exploring the body.
We learn a new way of communicating with the ground, of understanding a language different from the one we are used to in everyday life.
I often say during my movement workshops that the floor is a hard, unforgiving surface. The floor gives you back what you give it!
If you move rigidly and tensely, it will be hard and dry. But if you move gently and loosely, it will become welcoming and transform into a play partner.
It is this bi-directionality between what I give and what I receive from the ground that makes this practice exciting.
In the same way as learning inversions, acrobatics, or even ground throws, we must first understand how the ground works in order to be able to absorb jumps and impacts, take off explosively, bounce back, etc.
What is the difference between “Floreio” and “Floorwork”?
Earlier in this article, I told you about the medium and low levels which correspond respectively to Locomotion and Floorwork in the Ido Portal method.
There is another term that appears when we are interested in Ido Portal and Capoeira: Floreio .
This is also the term originally used by Ido Portal to designate his movement exercises.
In the world of Capoeira, floreio refers to the movements that enhance the game. These are movements that can be practiced individually.
Floreio therefore encompasses locomotion, floorwork and gentle acrobatics. It is a broader concept that I discuss in detail in this article .
It is important to understand these distinctions and to see the different practices of the movement as part of an ever-larger and more encompassing whole : the Movement.
We often hear the metaphor of a cloud encapsulating all physical practices when we talk about movement, but I like to use the image of Russian dolls.
The Movement <The Floreio <The Floorwork> >
How to start Floorwork simply?
To start, I recommend wearing pants and long sleeves . This will protect your skin and help you glide better on the floor. With practice, this will become a necessity.
In my experience with my students, a good starting point is understanding how to move from one position to another.
The basic positions are as follows:
- On the back
- On the side
- On the stomach
A sequence you can practice to get started is:
- Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Your arms are bent, elbows at your sides, and hands in front of your chest.
- Roll onto your side without changing the position of your hands and feet. You will normally find yourself in the fetal position.
- Stretch your legs and arms to roll onto your stomach.
- Fold your arms and legs over to the other side.
- Come back on your back.
I invite you to practice this sequence slowly and consciously with the intention of making the movement as efficient as possible .
I really enjoy practicing floorwork movements with my eyes closed. I find it helps me focus on my sensations.
This is all the easier in the context of these exercises used by the Ido Portal method since we are placed in a position which does not require balance.
When you are comfortable with this sequence, you can practice it smoothly and continuously.
My favorite method is the one I used in my Ido Portal workouts: start a 5-minute timer and let myself be absorbed by the movements for the allotted time.
This concludes this introduction to the Floorwork of the Ido Portal Method.
As always, you can learn and practice this training methodology with the TRAININGS and the DOJO , the movement and mobility training room.
I have also created several Floorwork training courses to help you learn more than thirty movements and combinations and start creating your own movement flows on the floor.
If you have any questions about Floorwork, don't hesitate to ask me in the comments below the article.
Thank you for your attention my move
Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS
