‘No pelvis, no Elvis’: Children, adults learn Jedi moves
Course allows people to learn proper techniques, while also exercising
New London — In a lightsaber duel worthy of Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Darth Vader, or Rey versus Kylo Ren, Sophie and Remi Lavergne, a married couple from Waterford, sparred to a draw Saturday afternoon.
Their battleground was Hot on Bank, a yoga studio offering creative workshops such as Saturday’s “Jedi-Do: Way of the Jedi,” which also will be taking place on Jan. 11 and 18. Kids can take the workshop with teacher Zachary Kraft-Shinn from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and adults can do so from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $20 per person.
Hot on Bank owner Meghan Smith has opened her space for KraftShinn’s “Star Wars”-driven meditation, breath work and lightsaber training course before, in December, but Saturday was the first time it was offered to adults. Smith said Hot on
Bank will soon expand with a new space in a currently vacant Union Street building.
While one child and two adults came to this week’s sessions, Smith counted 12 children in December’s session and expects higher attendance in the two coming Saturdays.
Smith said Kraft-Shinn is the only male instructor out of maybe two dozen at the studio. She credited him for coming up with the creative workshop, and admired how he teaches children.
“Moving and breathing, that’s something we don’t naturally do. Everyone can picture themselves as Jedis, but when you have to actually move and breathe like one, you’re just like, ‘Oh, I’m old.’ ” REMI LAVERGNE, WATERFORD
“This kid right now, (KraftShinn) brought him out to mindfully retrace his steps when he entered,” Smith said. “He had thrown his jacket on the floor, and (Kraft-Shinn) said, ‘OK, so I’m going to have you pick up your jacket, hang up your jacket, and then we’re going to walk.’ He’s a very attentive teacher.”
Kraft-Shinn, who said he’s still a child at heart, argued the most difficult part of teaching adults how to be Jedis is teaching them to be kids again. He said he relates to the kids he teaches.
“They have so much energy, and a lot of the times, like at school, they’re forced to sit still: ‘Don’t think about this. Don’t think about that,’” KraftShinn said. “When I was a kid, I was never able to sit still, my mind was always on ninjas, and lightsabers, fighting battles and all that. So because I’m still into that mentality, it’s easy for me to connect with them.”
Of course, the highlight of the workshop, for both children and adults, is the (foam) lightsaber training and sparring. But before anyone gets there, KraftShinn takes them through a series of breathing, stretching, jumping and precise movement exercises. Kraft-Shinn constantly compares these activities with “Star Wars” — before the actual lightsaber fight, KraftShinn references Yoda’s training of Luke Skywalker in Dagobah, a swampy forest area, for example.
Kraft-Shinn, who lives in Deep River, wants his students to be close to the earth, and to “Star Wars,” even as they work in a yoga studio on Bank Street. He mentions the wind, the forest, the ocean at different parts of his lesson. He sounds like Yoda, his favorite Jedi, when he says, “Every movement creates a ripple.” This mix of nature, yoga, different martial arts disciplines and “Star Wars” is a distinct combination stemming from Kraft-Shinn’s extensive training. He made sure to praise
Mark Spear, his sensei and the owner of Black Bear Dojo in Stonington, and Micah Mortali, the dean and founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. He also pointed to his experiences traveling to China and Israel as powerful influences.
“With my most recent training over at Kripalu, it’s basically forest bathing and meditation and feeling that connection to Mother Earth,” KraftShinn said. “I try to bring the forest with me. So you know ‘May the force be with you,’ — ‘May the forest be with you.’”
Forest bathing means “taking in the forest through our senses,” according to Time Magazine.
Prior to having the Lavergnes put helmets on and battle each other, Kraft-Shinn taught them balance and measured, purposeful movement, which he said he was borrowing from karate weapons training. One exercise he had them do was he would throw a playing card toward them, and they’d have to try and hit it with their lightsabers from varying directions.
“All power comes from the hips, whether you have a lightsaber in your hands, or you’re doing the dishes,” Kraft-Shinn said. “No pelvis, no Elvis.”
While participants are usually laughing, this workshop is not to be taken lightly. KraftShinn makes time for multiple water breaks because of the intensity of the exercises.
“Moving and breathing, that’s something we don’t naturally do,” Remi Lavergne said. “Everyone can picture themselves as Jedis, but when you have to actually move and breathe like one, you’re just like, ‘Oh, I’m old.’”
Kraft-Shinn switched on “Star Wars” theme music, and the Lavergnes competed. Kraft-Shinn watched closely, chiding them to stay on balance, to attack, to anticipate their opponent’s next maneuver, to refrain from turning their back to their opponent, and always, always, to keep moving.
“Zach showed us tricks and how to be aware of our environment,” Sophie Lavergne said. “It’s fun to be a Jedi.”