Fly Chi is structured jam driven by forms that rely on, exercise, and test, foundational disc dog jamming skills. Similar to Tai Chi, Fly Chi
I’ve mentioned imagination in training many times on the blog and in DiscDogger Weekly episodes. It can’t be stressed enough – putting your imagination in play and putting it to the test is putting your imagination to work for you.Â
Ron Watson answere a Patrons question on stereotypes of disc dog play and their effects on individuality, growth, and performance.
While the show is offline for a couple weeks, I’m still working on it. Getting ideas on content and also delivery. I’ve been assembling all of the DiscDogger Weekly Segments into a single show and am thinking that a single weekly show via YT Premiere with single episode segments following might be a better way to deliver the show.
Last show of Season 2 featuring freestyle jams with Abby Cline, Apryl Lea, Jack Fahle, and Ron Watson. We’ve also got another throwing lesson, some cuing and communication, and some more Give work with Eppie.
A few weeks ago Apryl & Jolene were featured in DiscDogger Weekly in a piece on Shapes & Flatwork. Their performance was notable because of the distinction between Flatwork and Shapes. Their Flatwork was solid but the Shapes were a bit weak. Apryl has since done some work on the Shapes part of her game with Jo, so let’s take a look at some subtle differences and distinctions.
A disc can be thrown in many ways. Two of the many ways of throwing a disc are Runners and Floaters. Runners fly long, straight, and far and have very little hover to them. A toss and fetch throw is a runner. Runners are chased down. Floaters rise up to their apex, hover for a moment, and then drop to the ground. Throws that are made in order to make your dog leap are most likely Floaters.
This really is an old lesson. It’s part of our foundation. I use this to teach dogs and teach people a Give all the time. That said, this is a bit of a different approach than normal, not technically or mechanically, but mentally. This session is just another layer of the learning onion, one more time of learning the same lesson, over and over…
Proper cuing is critical for successful disc dog performance. Issues with cuing and the resultant communication problems are, perhaps, the most common mistakes handlers make and the most common impediments to successful performance in all aspects of disc dog freestyle and disc dog games.
There are three main components that create Shapes in disc dog freestyle. Where and how the dog moves, where and how the throws are made, and where and how the handler moves. These three elements work in concert to create Shapes and Team Movement. So it is not whether or not you are creating shapes in your disc dog play it is what shapes are you creating in your play.
Not only does how and where you throw matter when it comes to disc dog Shapes, but your movement also has great bearing on the types of lines your dog runs and how your team moves.
How and where we throw the disc has great bearing on how and where our dog moves. This sounds elementary, but the application of this knowledge is not nearly as simple as it sounds. Or maybe it is just as simple, it’s just not super easy to understand.
Disc Dog Flatwork and Shapes are related but not the same thing. Just because you have good flatwork doesn’t mean you will have good shapes and vice versa. It is possible to have great Shapes and poor Flatwork. As it is possible to have great Flatwork and poor Shapes.
A judged subcategory in UpDog, Shapes are not well understood in disc dog freestyle. That said, they do have bearing in your score in other organizations depending upon the judges sitting on the panel and they definitely impact your flow and Team Movement.
Flying discs are magical missile objects. They seem to move in an impossible manner. It is this impossible movement that attracts people to the flight of a flying disc and disc play in general. Cool throws need not be difficult things and the coolest throws are often quite simple.
For many throwers, old and new alike, Hyzer and Anhyzer are like some kind of paranormal activity, like ghosts they are completely visible but ephemeral and difficult to understand. For those that are initiated and understand the concepts practical applications of the skills are often hard to find. Enter Catch with Curves…
Throw as many 42 yard throws as you want and you can still be surprised and affected by your rampaging frizbeast bolting up field and pressuring your throw. If only there were some way to practice Toss N Fetch throws under that kind of pressure… Well, grab a few discs and a partner and head on out to the field.
This is an excerpt from our Patrons Only Disc Quan Do Class. It’s about the connections between the Stance Shifting Form and functional disc dog Team and Handler Movement. Classes are about 1 hour long on Monday & Friday and are available to Patrons Only.
Tell, Trigger, Target is the disc dog vault sequence. Tell the dog where the disc will be caught and what type of vault is to be done, Trigger the dog’s movement with the presentation of the vaulting platform, and set the Target. It is your job to deliver this information so the dog leaves the ground knowing these three pieces of critical intelligence.
Obi has come a long way. He is paying attention to his handler, he’s following his handler’s movements and respecting and responding to positional pressure and body language. As a result he’s playing much more safely and successfully, and his leaping is coming along. That said, he’s still apt to get ahead of himself and run too fast. This could easily spiral out of control and lead to a return to unsafe and unsuccessful play.
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