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Animal Flow for Martial Arts and Combat Sports Multi-Media Book

$149.00

Whether you practice boxing, BJJ, Kung-Fu, Karate, or other martial arts, you’ve no doubt experienced how demanding the training is on your body and on your time. It can take thousands of hours to develop your skill set, making the thought of adding in even more seem daunting. However, adding in quadrupedal movement training can be an excellent way to improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, and increase sustainability in your sport. Animal Flow provides a pathway towards greater mobility, strength, power, coordination, and flexibility. It can also be done in a time efficient manner with zero equipment, so that you don’t have to compromise on your sport!

The Animal Flow for Martial Arts and Combat Sports (MACS) multimedia book provides a complete guide for the novice or advanced martial artist to successfully integrate this ground-based movement system. Over 230 pages, the 9 chapters cover topics including the science of energy systems, strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and 4 chapters dedicated to specific martial arts practices. More than 170+ videos provide detailed tutorials for each of the techniques, as well as drills, interval training, and full workouts. This book is ideal for you if you are ready to level up your MACS performance.

Your purchase gets you immediate access to the downloadable PDF-formatted book, with videos included as hyperlinks or downloads. (If you have taken the L1 workshop, make sure you are logged in to see your automatic 20% discount.)

SKU: AF-MACS Categories: ,

Description

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

AF for MACS is much more than just a book. This multi-media training tool includes:

  • Complete library of full-length video tutorials covering every Level 1 movement in the Animal Flow system
  • Detailed workout plans targeting a range of training goals
  • Sample drills and flows that easily integrate into your regular training schedule 
  • Chapters covering strength & conditioning training, energy systems (aerobic/anaerobic training); and injury prevention
  • Chapters delving into a range of specific MACS disciplines, explaining how Animal Flow enhances each practice
  • Scientific references, citations, and full glossary to help increase your knowledge around the subjects covered
  • 3 full-length classes covering Flow Skills, Interval Training, and Mobility
  • Access to the AF for MACS Home Page, where you can stream or download the videos and watch the classes

170+ VIDEOS!

The book includes 170+ videos that you can stream or download, including:

  • 71 sample flows, workouts and combo drills
  • 30 detailed tutorials covering all of our Level 1 movements
  • 67 demonstrations on how to perform various AF and non-AF exercises
  • 3 full-length Animal Flow classes (access provided through website)

See the Table of Contents +

table of contents page 1
table of contents page 1
table of contents page 1

WHO ARE THE AUTHORS?

We brought together a team of experts and practitioners from within our Animal Flow team to produce AF for MACS. Individual chapters were written by Mike Fitch and Animal Flow Master Instructors Alisha Smith, Andrew “Chaddy” Chadwick, Chris Flores, Miroslaw Basciuk, Richard Scrivener, and Sascha Mueller. Additional contributions were provided by Master Instructors Jeseung Lee and Roshan Chopra, and Regional Leader Bryan Wither. Editing was done by Alisha Smith, Freyja Spence, and Karen Mahar.

WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM AF FOR MACS?

AF for MACS is a complete training tool for anyone who practices martial arts and combat sports. From total newbie and novice to advanced competitor, anyone training in these disciplines can benefit from the full body conditioning and mobility work you’ll find in the Animal Flow system. If you already know Animal Flow, you’ll find plenty of new workouts and applications in here. And if you’ve never tried Animal Flow, you’ll be provided with all the info you need to get started right away. Check out what some of our recent customers have to say about it:

FAQ: Format, Technical and Pricing

You will receive an email with the PDF download immediately upon completion of the order. You will also be granted immediate access to the AF for MACS homepage, where you can access extra information about the book and download the videos if you wish to do so.

You’ll receive the book in PDF format. The best way to read it is to download it to your computer or tablet, and open it in Adobe Reader (available for free). You can also open it in other reading programs, including Preview or any software made to read PDFs.

You have several options for how to view the videos.

  • Hyperlinked from book: If you have the book open in one of the PDF readers or a browser, you can simply click on each video as you come to it and it will automaticaly open in Vimeo. On some browsers, you might need to “right click” to force it to open in a new tab, so you don’t lose your place in the book. In most cases, it should automatically open Vimeo in a new tab for you.
  • View of AF website: We have also made all of the videos available in one place on the Animal Flow website, on the AF MACS Home Page which you’ll have access to after purchase. That would allow you to keep that video page open on one device, while you read on another device, allowing for easy scrolling through the videos in the same order presented in the book.
  • Download: And finally, you can download all of the videos if you want to have them on your device for offline viewing. Zipped download links are available on the AF MACS Home page.

*NOTE for customers in Indonesia and China: Vimeo cannot be played in Indonesia or China, and thus the videos cannot be streamed if you are in those countries. You would still be able to download the videos.

The book is provided in Adobe PDF format, with hyperlinked videos embedded into the document. When you click on the videos, they will open in Vimeo. You can also choose to download the videos to a computer if you intend to view them offline. The book is NOT provided in a standard e-reader format due to the large amount of videos included. Therefore it will not work in a Kindle, Nook or other standard e-reader.

We do not currently offer the book as a hard copy, due to its multi-media format. We may in the future offer the book for sale as a boxed set that contains a USB drive with the book and all associated videos.

The book is currently available only in English. We are exploring whether we will translate it into Spanish and other languages.

Anyone who has taken the L1 workshop will already have access to all of the Level 1 Tutorials included in the book. Therefore, you are entitled to a 20% discount. When you are logged in to your account on the Animal Flow website, the sales page and checkout out will automatically display and apply the discounted price. If you do not see a discounted price listed, please contact us at [email protected] to confirm that your AF account recognizes your L1 status.

If you are currently enrolled in high school or college, please email us at [email protected] to enquire about a discount. Please email from your school email account, tell us what year you are in, and attach a copy of a current school ID.

If you are unable to download the book or play the videos for technical reasons, we will provide you with a refund if requested within 7 days of purchase.

Otherwise, all purchases are final. We will not provide any other refunds. Because the book is provided as an electronic download immediately upon purchase, there is no way to “return” it. We are confident in the quality of the content in the book, and believe that once you have downloaded it, we have fulfilled our duty to provide you with the product. For this reason we will not be able to process returns if you change your mind.

FAQ: Content and Program

The book includes an introduction to Animal Flow; tutorials for all of the Level 1 movements; chapters on energy systems, strength and conditioning, and injury prevention, and chapters discussing how to apply Animal Flow to specific MACS training. We provide tons of sample workouts and drills, make sure you have enough information to properly perform and apply the Animal Flow movements, and discuss the science in language that is easy to understand.

Scroll up on this page to check out the complete Table of Contents!

The book is designed to be applicable to all kinds of martial arts and combat sports, including both striking and grappling variations. Many of the chapters address underlying elements that are universally helpful to training in martial arts, such as energy systems, strength training, and injury prevention. There are also some chapters that discuss applying Animal Flow practice to specific disciplines, such as Kung Fu, Karate, Boxing, and BJJ. Many of the techniques, drills and workouts provided in those specific chapters have a high carry over to other MACS styles.

When we decided to write this book, we knew we wouldn’t be able to devote individual chapters to every MACS discipline. We chose to focus on the specific styles where our own Master Instructors have experience as practitioners or instructors. Thus we ended up with chapters that cover Kung Fu, Karate, Boxing, and BJJ. (Of course, much of what is included in those chapters is easily applicable to other areas.) We then also included a number of chapters that are more general in nature, covering energy systems, strength conditioning, and injury prevention.

We think all MACS styles are equally valuable, but we didn’t have internal expertise in every area. We stuck with writing about what we know, and trust that you’ll be able to see where you can still apply the information to your own area of training.

No, Animal Flow has not expanded to include martial arts. This book is about how to use Animal Flow to improve your MACS training and performance. We’ll leave your fight-specific training to you and your coach!

Animal Flow draws upon numerous bodyweight disciplines, including primarily breakdancing, parkour, gymnastics, and hand balancing. Our program is based around Quadrupedal Movement Training (QMT), which is a specific type of bodyweight training that incorporates animal locomotion patterns with other movements that center all four limbs in contact with the ground throughout most of the linked movements.

Many “movement” disciplines can look similar, since they all incorporate some elements of “flow” while moving your body through space without using equipment. However, just as all rock bands are not the same, not all movement disciplines are the same. Animal Flow utilizes a specific set of movements, taught in a specific way with their own techniques, rules, and intentions. While it shares a visual quality of “body movement” with some other disciplines, Animal Flow is a unique program. It does not have any martial arts or combat components, and does not draw upon any of those areas.

We also note that while some of the Form Specific Stretches may initially appear yogic in nature, due to the fact that they involve slower movements holding stretches at their end ranges of motion, they were not developed from a yoga background and are not actually yoga movements.

You will see an influence of breakdancing in many of the movements. Recognizing that breakdancing itself draws upon a long history with roots in African dance, salsa, Capoeira, and other disciplines, Animal Flow can visually bring some of those disciplines to mind. However, Mike Fitch had no direct training in martial arts or yoga when designing Animal Flow and thus makes no claims to incorporating those schools into the program. Rather, he gives credit to the coaches he had in breakdancing, parkour and gymnastics in providing him with the basis for developing the Animal Flow program.

Check out our movie We Invite You to Move for a deeper look at the roots of Animal Flow.

No, this is an entirely new book. The original AF for Fighters book, which we discontinued 2 years ago, did cover a similar topic in offering ways for martial artists to utilize Animal Flow in their training. However, this book represents a significant upgrade to the quality and quantity of content. We started out to write a “second edition” to that first book, but once we got started we decided to start over and create an entirely new product that approached the topic in a more comprehensive and useful manner. We added in all of the Level 1 tutorials, tripled the number of pages, included chapters specific to various MACS disciplines, produced all new workouts and new videos, and included more background and science in every chapter. So, even if you had purchased the previous book, this book will provide almost entirely new content for you.

AF on Demand is our subscription platform, which allows subscribers to watch tutorials, follow full-length classes, and practice flows of varying difficulty. Users can watch online, through the AF OD app, or through Amazon Fire or Roku. We add new content every week. It is designed for anyone who wants to learn Animal Flow and then be able to practice different flows and classes. It contains Tutorials for Levels 1, 2, and 3.

This AF for MACS book is a one-time purchase, with no subscription available. It is designed for people engaged in MACS training who may not have the time or desire to learn the entire AF program. No new content will be added to this book. The Level 1 Tutorials are the same L1 tutorials included in AF On Demand. None of the sample drills, workouts or flows included in the Book are included in AF On Demand – the only overlap in content is the Level 1 Tutorials and the 3 full-length classes.

Only Certified Animal Flow Instructors can teach AF classes. We offer a two-day Level 1 Workshop for individuals who want to become certified, offered both on-line and in-person in many cities.

Just knowing how to perform the Animal Flow movements isn’t enough to qualify you to teach others. The workshop focuses on making sure you understand the science behind Animal Flow; know how to regress and progress the movements for different skill levels; and are familiar with the technicalities of the movements and the nuances of the AF language.

We understand that many individuals working as coaches or instructors in martial arts fields may not have an accredited fitness credential, as many martial arts systems operate differently. Therefore, for individuals coming from martial arts fields who wish to become Certified Animal Flow Instructors, we will instead look at your experience as an instructor. It is not enough to be a high-level practitioner in your field – you will need to have at least two years experience working as a coach or instructor. Contact us if you have questions about your qualifications.

REFUND POLICY

If you are unable to download the book or play the videos for technical reasons, we will provide you with a refund if requested within 7 days of purchase.

Otherwise, all purchases are final. We will not provide any other refunds. Because the book is provided as an electronic download immediately upon purchase, there is no way to “return” it. We are confident in the quality of the content in the book, and believe that once you have downloaded it, we have fulfilled our duty to provide you with the product. For this reason we will not be able to process returns if you change your mind.

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