Introducing the Anatomy of the Monkey. Follow along if you want to. Self-mastery through movement.

The wildness within.
It wants to grow freely.
To move carelessly as it feels.
To express without heaviness.
To expand according to its nature.
It communicates with us as it runs through us.
It beats inside of us.
Will you respond... To the wildness within?

We all have the ability to feel amazing in our bodies. There is no authority who can deny this from us.

There are only deeply rooted habits of ignorance and submitting to the established behaviour of the majority.

An open body with new dimensions is within your reach. It’s a powerful life force and a resource that has always been there.

Connect to the ground, touch it, slam it, stomp it. Take steps. Let loose and discharge the heaviness.

Stretch the lines of your body. Notice the sensations clearer than ever before.

The outcry of the restricted pathways as they’re pulled open. You’ve carried these for a long time. Now it’s time to shed them away.

Return all the way to the beginning. For a while, forget the achievements, the plan and the goal.

A forest grows all by itself. A lion hunts for it is a lion. We move as we are.

The Anatomy of the Monkey

Here is the exact routine:

Repeat as many times as you like. The real effects of the routine start to come out after 3+ rounds.

Our previous movement routine The Anatomy of the Cat was a calm, and highly articulated movement sequence.  

On the contrary, The Anatomy of the Monkey combines slowness and tranquility with seemingly reckless movements that still require high-level of body control and awareness.

When you do it with full intensity it pumps you up while developing many areas of the body in unique and even advanced ways.

The first three movements of the sequence create a demanding combination for the strength and mobility of the legs. The Monkey Toe Squat together with the Monkey in a Hurry (tip-toe run) challenges the fine control of your quadriceps and ankles.

You may notice it’s not so easy to stay light on your feet. We cover the basic toe squat in Movement 20XX because it’s one of the fundamentals for healthy knees and agile legs.

Add Monkey Squat Jumps to the mix and you will truly develop the springiness of the ape to your lower body.

When you do the Monkey Grabs a Branch try to feel the movement. Contract and have a strong intent behind it that emerges through your muscles and posture.

Monkey Slams the Earth incorporates a heavy deep breath with a powerful exhale. Once again, there is more than the eye can see one of which is the spinal segmentation. When you slam, release all the built up pressure.

It takes time to master this kind of routine in its full depth but we consider the results golden.

It all starts with imitation and increasing your basic movement vocabulary and control. We do this in Movement 20XX.

Breathe and Don't Take Training Too Seriously

This is not a typical strict and academic form. It's playful, it's fun and it also has room for individual expression if you so wish.

Moreover, we got the idea for many of the names from ancient Kung Fu where different movements have been known for playful names such as "monkey grabs a fruit" for centuries. 

Sometimes these labels are more descriptive than describing movements in scientific terms such as "Extension and flexion with arm movement." 

However, the point is not to take everything too seriously. Ultimately, training should be fun and as long as you are getting great results, you are doing something right.

We also covered a higher level breathing technique in the video. For years we have said that breathing is vital and can have a massive impact on your life. 

We have studied breathing in yoga, pilates, old school bodybuilding and ancient Qigong. Especially the knowledge of ancient Qigong filled a hole in our expertise.

There are many great teachers (such as Jiang Yu Shan, Rickson Gracie and Wim Hof) in the world but at this point I believe Eero has surpassed the previous generation in the understanding of developing the breathing apparatus.

I don't know anyone who has the same level of control (compound breathing, the breath of mental power, vacuum and a lot more) and as deep understanding of breathing as him.

Self-Mastery Through Movement

Training is a way to express yourself, a way to progress and ultimately a path to self-mastery. Training is about mastering yourself and finding out who you are and what you are capable of.

When we talk about movement, it almost has a spiritual element to it because it's so much about discovering your potential and expressing your nature.

But that's not all it is. It's not just movement for the sake of movement, although it can be this as well. The benefits and actual tangible results are enormous. 

There simply doesn't exist a better way to make the body limber and loose as movement training. Yoga does it but it lacks the same element of dynamicity.

Of course, you also need other ways of training such as traditional strength training like Athlete 20XX to build the frame and stabilize the joints but to use all of your strength, your body has to be limber and loose.

This is what we mean: a typical powerlifter is tremendously strong in very specific lifts but they are also incredibly stiff. This stiffness is preventing them for being able to utilize the strength in many practical and functional scenarios. 

Many sports and especially martial arts such as grappling and wrestling demand a limber and loose body to succeed well. 

The miracle performances happen when you are both strong and firm & loose and limber. This is why Athlete 20XX and Movement 20XX are an incredible combination.

In Closing

In the end, your training will reflect who you are as a person. Everyone is different and everyone has their own unique personalities.

We recommend mastering a little bit of everything but the primary focus is always up to the individual. Not everyone wants to be a superior athlete – for many having just a healthy, strong and good looking physique is enough.

And that's perfect. However, the exciting part about the training is that once you start to get hang of one area, you often start to look for something else to make training exciting again.

Our advice is not to rest on your laurels and instead keep exploring and expanding. Every training session will make you a healthier, stronger and more capable human being.

This is something that is in reach for everyone regardless of age, gender or background. Even at an older age we have an incredible amount of potential to discover.

It only takes courage to step out of the comfort zone. Are you ready to take the step?

Let's start moving.