Understanding locomotion according to Ido Portal: origins, benefits and bases for beginning a fluid and instinctive practice of animal movement

One of the most visually appealing sub-areas of Ido Portal Method Movement Training is Locomotion.

This way of moving on the ground with fluidity, of linking movements with each other with grace and elegance and of being able to perform Flows by putting one's body in different positions which sometimes imitate the walks of animals .

In this article, we will see in detail what Locomotion is, in particular that taught by Ido Portal, a little more codified and which is inspired by the movements of Capoeira and traditional Chinese Martial Arts ,

What are the benefits for the body and health, what qualities does this practice help to develop and of course how you too can start learning your first locomotion movements.

Very good reading my move.

Where do Animal Locomotion and Movements come from?

Locomotion refers to moving from point A to point B in space .

So it encompasses all the movements you can use to get around. Walking from your bedroom to the kitchen is also locomotion.

When I stumbled upon Ido Portal's Instagram profile eight years ago, I was blown away. I discovered a way of moving I'd never seen before: close to the ground, fluid, and very aesthetic.

I told myself that I absolutely had to learn to move like that.

At the time I didn't know it yet, but I had just discovered the locomotion practiced in the Ido Portal method, named after the Israeli movement teacher who created Movement Culture.

The art of movement according to Ido Portal is a broad practice , which brings together many universes:

• Joint Strength and Mobility
• The Floreio and Locomotion
• The Coordination
• The Balance
• Object Manipulation
• The Rhythm…

The Ido Portal method aims to develop a maximum of physical skills . To this end, it draws inspiration from numerous disciplines ranging from martial arts, circus arts, dance, acrobatics, parkour, artistic gymnastics, etc.

We also find these multiple influences in locomotion exercises!

These movements are performed quite close to the ground , with bent legs or even in a squatting position. This allows you to use your hands as support on the ground and opens up a new world of human movement!

Ido Portal, before creating his method, was an experienced practitioner and teacher of Capoeira . We therefore naturally find many of the movements of this art in locomotion.

Capoeira, this Brazilian dance martial art, brings a mixture of aesthetics and power that gives a lot of elegance to these exercises.

This is also why locomotion has been used by many professional athletes as an additional tool in their physical preparation, as was the case with Conor McGregor in his fight preparation against Jose Aldo.

Other movement training methods incorporate ground-based movements, such as Animal Flow , Ginastica Natural , or MovNat .

Each of these methods uses this tool with varying degrees of complexity . For some, it is only used very briefly, for warm-ups for example, while for others, locomotion is central to their training system.

The locomotion of the Ido Portal method differs from it by more complex and less codified movements , as can be seen in Capoeira.

Traditional Chinese martial arts are also represented in the locomotion repertoire of the Ido Portal method.

It includes certain animal movements such as quadrupedal movements , monkey walks, or walks from the position of the Rider, Horse Stance in English and mǎbù (馬步) in Chinese.

Furthermore, Shaolin Kung-Fu draws inspiration from animals to develop specific movement systems . The same idea is found in animal movements of locomotion.

This is particularly the case with transitional movements inspired by animal body shapes from traditional Kung Fu such as the monkey, snake, tiger, praying mantis and dragon.

We introduce the body to a multitude of new movements, sometimes movements that can be broken down into smaller segments which will in turn be used to create new movements.

Like pieces of a puzzle that can be constantly rearranged with each other, to create a multitude of different complex puzzles.

The Ido Portal method uses a 3-step approach in its teaching of locomotion.

1. The first phase is isolation . Here we practice each exercise individually to familiarize ourselves with the technique and the different points of attention of the movements such as supports, transfers and the position of the body in space.
2. Then we move on to the integration phase, during which we begin to combine the movements together. By following these predefined sequences, we understand how to connect the elements together.
3. The final phase introduces the concept of improvisation . Using the movements and sequences you have practiced, you freely compose a sequence of movements. This exercise allows you to express yourself through movement and give free rein to your creativity.

This is what makes Ido Portal's Locomotion so special. It's like a real lexical field of Locomotion that can be learned, combined, and even transmitted, just like letters in an alphabet.

Some classic examples of these locomotion movements are:

• Monkey Walk
• the Role
• the Lizard Walk
• Cossack insertion
• the Back-Step
• the Queida De Rins (QDR)…

Movements that you can learn in turn in the Beginner Locomotion training or the Animal Locomotion training available in our Movement Academy.

What are the benefits of locomotion? Why practice it?

I'll be honest with you, when I started training with Ido Portal it was mainly to practice Locomotion. I wanted to access this physical universe and be able to move like that.

With grace, elegance, fluidity, spontaneity and as if with the instinct of a child .

However, the beginnings were very different from what I imagined. I didn't think it would be so physical! Well, it must also be said that the program I was following at the time was more intense with two-hour locomotion sessions.

I quickly noticed changes in my body. I had become very comfortable squatting , and my legs were much more resilient! My shoulders had also strengthened from crawling.

The benefits go beyond mobility and strength . When you immerse yourself in this new world, you'll reprogram your brain.

All locomotion movements provide different stimuli to the body , especially for the spine and trunk which must be more involved in creating and managing dynamic forces during movement.

Since we learned to walk, most of our movements have been on our two legs. So moving around on all fours and/or with your head upside down requires your spine (thorax in particular) to become much more resilient.

An added benefit to locomotion is how movements change your normal orientation in space . You explore the world while balancing, head upside down, looking between your legs, on the ground with your eyes looking up...

Besides, when I see a new locomotion movement, I often need to observe it several times before practicing it. Then practice it several dozen times before I begin to understand it .

It's only by practicing it hundreds of times that I feel I've mastered it.

Repetition is a fundamental concept here. It's what allows you to access other levels of knowledge about these movements.

I can explain to my students dozens of times how to perform an exercise, but only practice will make them understand what I am trying to convey to them.

So how can we cope with the repetition of movements that require both great physical effort and a high level of concentration?

It's the playful aspect of animal movement and locomotion that makes this practice so stimulating, enjoyable, and entertaining . When you see yourself go from a wobbly, heavy execution to a fluid, graceful movement, you feel very proud!

Locomotion brings us back into contact with the ground , we place our hands on it, we move like an animal or a child playing.

Placing your hands on the floor forces your back to work and stabilize itself to maintain correct positioning. This strengthens the entire scapular area (back of the shoulder blades).

These exercises will give you the opportunity to develop your strength and mobility while stimulating your mind and awakening your inner child!

How to start practicing Locomotion?

If you're interested in starting to practice these movements, I'd like to give you some tips on how to get started.

As I explained to you, most of these movements are performed quite close to the ground. We use the deep squat a lot.

If you're not comfortable in this squat position, I recommend investing some time to improve your mobility specifically to regain your deep squat.

You will get many benefits from it:

• improving your ankle, knee and hip mobility
• lumbar stretching
• more range of motion in your lower body strength workouts
• less risk of injury

With the right exercises, you will quickly become comfortable in this position.

Don't worry, while you wait to unlock this position, you can practice the movements by bending your legs less.

Another specific feature of these movements is the use of the hands as support on the ground . On this subject, I have two pieces of advice.

Don't neglect warming up your wrists! Following a proper routine before starting your locomotion sessions will help you improve their mobility and warm them up.

Now that you're well warmed up, you can move on to practice with these two perfect movements to begin Locomotion.

Finally, you can try this Locomotion workout for free on our online movement training platform.

This will give you a glimpse of what we talked about in this article. Prepare your wrists and hips well 😉

Thank you for your attention, my friend.

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS