Welcome to the ELVT Rope Flow Academy Series: Blue Belt. In this journey we are carrying the lessons over from the White Belt Program into the world of circumnavigation. In this part of the system we will refine the body’s ability to change direction, load into positions, and explosively transition out of positions. Rope Flow is a full-body movement practice that helps refine efficient movement from the ground up. Weight distribution, foot & low body action, and efficient movement will all be discussed and examined. Pursuing down the path of Blue Belt assumes that you are able to execute each of the four fundamental patterns (Race & Chase, Matador’s Wheel, Dragon Roll & Sneak) competently in both directions.

When practicing Rope Flow, the body is either Forward Facing, or Side Facing in relation to the direction of the rope. The body can be Square while executing Overhand or Underhand movements, however be aware that the Square Stance is not a primed position to generate dynamic movement. When we Stagger our Stance and lift the heel of the back foot, it lowers our center of gravity, activates the muscles of the lower body, lightens our base and allows us to more efficiently shift weight from the back foot to the front foot. This results in a more fluid and athletic flowist.

When in Staggered Stance, the side leg that is the hind leg is also the direction you would turn to to open your stance to the side. While Forward Facing in Staggered Stance, the movement can be broken down to the body being weighted on the back leg, or on the front leg. While opened up into side stance, Movements can be broken down to Frontside or Backside, or Left/Right in directionality.

Overhand patterns simulate ‘Throw’ mechanics and are downward in nature, while Underhand patterns simulate ‘Swing’ mechanics and are upward in nature. In Side Stance Dragon Rolls highlight both the upward and downward motion we can harness to change directions, or transition into a swing or throw. The Propellor movement also works like this, harnessing the upward direction to pivot into underhand, or the downward directionality of the rope to pivot into Overhand Position. Doing repetitions of these patterns will help refine these mechanics, and wire the brain and body to move with efficiency and grace. Blue Belt is the refinement of these mechanics, using sequences and drills to smoothen the flow, and open up our ability to move with more speed and complexity.

The Rope can be used for so much more than flow. One of its many functions is as a tension strap you can hold to engage muscles during your Prime and Prep. Follow along as we show you some of our favorites including Shoulder Dislocates, Rope Assisted Squats, Single Leg Balance challenge, Full-Body Roll-Downs, and Rotational Lunge & Reach. Full Body Roll Downs Wide Legged Fold to Runner’s Lunge Reach & Twist Rotational Body Circles & Around the World Shoulder Rotations Pivoting Lunge Twist & Reach transitioning through Wide Legged Position Refer to White Belt for Example 1.

The Cardinal Directions The Cardinal Directions are your means of navigation while moving with an ELVT’d awareness, and Martial intent. With eyes, energy, and intention moving forward, North becomes your target. The body may flow, spin, jump and change levels, but the intention is always in focus. Whichever direction your gaze and intention is becomes north. This is merely a guide to help determine which move to execute and how, and not a rule meant to limit your flow. When in Open Side Stance, ‘North’ can be constantly switching in flow, or the Flowist may choose to face the side, minimizing the gaze shift and weight shift from side to side. The Flowist may choose to designate a direction as North for the duration of the flow, but when changing directions frequently, letting go of that basic principal will allow for more creative flow design. Being fixed in position can get confusing when mixing in overhand, underhand, and side facing movements. Direction of the Rope / Intention of the Body As you become more proficient, you’ll be able to synchronize the patterns of the upper body, lower body, and rope. The Rope is a guide showing us when to shift our weight forward or back, the timing to transition from facing northward or southward, and how to do this with maximum efficiency. A body conditioned with this practice will unlock new levels of awareness and control. Rules are Meant to Be Broken These notes and observations are with the intention of athletic or martial movement with the utmost efficiency. One could break the cardinal directions and flow more freely without these guidelines, however that leaves the scope of the RFA practice. Explore and play as you improve, this will only add to your experience and reinforce the fundamentals.

Staggered Stance With a slight bend to the knees and back heel of the hind-leg lifted, we shift the weight of the body from back leg to front leg with the rhythm and tempo dictated by the figure-8 motion of the rope. The deeper the bend of the legs the lower the center of gravity will be, resulting in more muscular engagement from the low body, and a more dynamic movement rhythm. This enables us to use the figure-8 motion for spring like movements forwards and back. Open side stance With a slight bend of the knees and weight forward-shifted in the feet, we shift bodyweight from head-over-foot on one side of the body to head-over-foot on the other side of the body. This transition is actively switching the roles of each leg from hind foot to front foot. The pivoting foot action becomes a highlighted movement pattern that is the catalyst for the rest of the body. From rotating in on the big toe, or first metatarsal, the chain action of rotation happens up the ankle, knee and hip all engaging to complete the movement, and transition the entire body to face a different direction. The open side stance is the 90º transition point the Flowist uses to make a 180º turn, going from North to South and vice versa. This point can be labeled West or East facing depending on the directionality of the Rope and Flowist. Dragon Roll and Propellor are two possible movements in the open side stance. Mastering this transition point in both directions is pivotal to improve the speed and complexity of your practice. Overhand and Underhand Sneaks can be used as a modified Open Side Stance movement if quickly transitioning directions, a concept for the more advanced flowist (this will be covered in more depth at Purple Belt ).

Transitions The process of flowing from one movement pattern to another in the Rope Flow movement practice. The movements we choose to execute determine the position and momentum of each component of the body. We call this concept ‘Steering’ because the position of the foot and momentum of the rope will encourage the rest of the body to follow in that direction. At the end of each movement pattern we have the ability to repeat the pattern, alternate to the other side, or allow the endpoint of one movement to become the starting point of another. Transitions also allow to blend overhand and underhand patterns together into a sequence. This is Circumnavigation, the skill we become aware of and evolve during the Blue Belt portion of the journey.

Circumnavigation With proper movement mechanics the energy of the body can navigate around the energy of the rope without disturbing it. The Rope allows us to become aware of this rhythmic pattern, and one could use it to move with less effort and more energetic output. Knowing these finer points allows us to spin, change direction, advance forward, or retreat backwards while always maintaining balance and the capability to change position.

Arm wraps are an interesting movement that is a bit 'off beat' compared to the Base Patterns. Follow along Coach AJ as he explains these quirky movements, and discusses going beyond the scope of the Rope Flow Academy; Learn how to navigate all aspects of your Rope Flow Practice.

Journey to Mastery Race & Chase, Matador’s Wheel, Dragon Roll and the Sneak are the basic letters of the alphabet that creates the beautiful language of Rope Flow. Add transitions and the idea of circumnavigation, and what we end up with is a basic understanding of this incredible movement system. This course empowers you to explore these possibilities and engrain the lessons into your body with repetition and refinement! The journey to mastery is a lifelong pursuit, and with the ELVT framework we can continually evolve and elevate our practice and lives.

Summary & Earning Your Blue Belt Congratulations on completing the Blue Belt course from ELVT Rope Flow Academy! Although it's the end of this Manual and Program, it's merely the beginning of your journey to mastery of both Rope Flow and your life. The essence of this part of the journey is taking the vast amount of information from white belt and engraining it into your brain and body with mindful practice. This is arguably one of the more valuable and impactful parts of the journey, so enjoy the frustration and agitation of learning new patterns, knowing that it's leading to adaption. Once you are spinning, jumping and changing directions with speed and relative ease, you can test out and graduate to the next phase. A Live online Test-Out is also available! Value the process and take your time! The journey is the most magical piece of all. Practice leads to progress, which leads to proficiency!

Preview to Purple Belt Series As we level up to the next phase, the Purple Belt Series, we add Acceleration and Deceleration to the mix! We take our awareness of the rope and our body and use it to find new rhythms and patterns that increase your athletic efficiencies. Swing, Throw, Jump and Run with more power output and less net-effort. This is the true benefit of Rope Flow to any movement artist!

The point of Blue Belt Sequences are to give a framework to the Flowist for building their own unique flows. The RFA Short Form is how we write down the language of Rope Flow, Refer to the manual for the Short Form Glossary

DR > OH MW > DR > UH MW

DR > OH TH > DR > UH SW

OH MW ST > FS DR RV ST > OH TH

DR > OH MW > DR > UH MW

OH SK ST > FS DR RV ST > OH MW

FS DR ST > BS DR ST > UH SK

BS DR ST > FS DRH ST > FS DR RV ST > OH TH

It was a historic day in Austin when the RFA crew held the first Rope Flow Coach Course! listen in as we recap the day, and also discuss progressing down the journey of both White and Blue Belt program!