The Art of Swimming

New & Improved - N/F John said:

Has anyone read The Art of Swimming by Steven Shaw Armand D'Angour

Victoria

Quoted message said:

Wood.

This was the only book that really inspired my swimming. I've become

quite

Quoted message said:

competent with swimming. I've taken my time but I feel quite

comfortable.

Your subject line seems to indicate there's a new 'The Art of Swimming
by Steven Shaw Armand D'Angour Victoria Wood.'
I haven't seen the 'new' version. Things have changed quite a lot since
the original one. The last I heard was that Steven and Armand had
divorced and she had returned to Israel. But I didn't ask him about
that. I did ask what was happening to the course set to train teachers
to teach the shaw method of swimming and was told by a senior source
within that team that it had being scrapped. I understand the scrapping
followed bankruptcy, which in turn followed a dispute with a major
creditor.

My involvement was by way of taking their postgraduates on an Aquajest
(working title at the time) workshop
Alternative swimming if you like.
I would demonstrate, say, the reverse frontcrawl and having seen what
they had heard about being done, cleared up any misunderstandings they
might have had. They then attempted to do it for themselves. It was
hilarious and for the most part, feedback from the workshops indicated
it was quite valuable for them to better understand the difficulties
that many of their own future students will be experiencing, when
trying to mimic what they (the students) have seen, or have being asked
to do.

Victoria Wood, is a comedian with considerable writing skills. She
wrote the foreword.
I guess for her name to be included in any new edition would suggest
continued involvement.

If you're asking about the original book: I've tried to find my copy,
but I moved house last august and given that the move was to another
country, I had to limit which books I could take with me. It looks like
I didn't bring that one. But I have the watsu book and if I kept that
over the shaw one, then the Shaw one must have held less interest for
me.

Quoted message said:

From memory, I found that art of swimming book to be more like the art

of waffle. I think the term esoteric might apply also.
I also found precious little actual information, though that is not
always a prerequisite for inspiration

There's also a video. Though I found it works better at a video making
level rather than swimming level.

The best choice is to find one of those graduates, because they can
help just about anyone to really enjoy the art of swimming.
BTW I am no longer involved and have no personal/financial gains from
making that recommendation.

Swimming was suggested to me by an orthopedic doctor as a form of therapy
for my back problem. I really didn't know how to swim competently and would
walk away feeling uncomfortable. I read several books to get started, but
they either seemed like survival guides or advanced training for Olympians.

I have to admit that I have been practicing for about 6 years or more and
only now have reached a point of being able to swim continuously for twenty
minutes. I am about 40 years old and never expect to be an Olympian, but I
think I can do well if I decided to become a masterswimmer someday. Just
for fun. Swimming is only about fun, the exercise is allegedly secondary.
I will take my time. If not today, then tomorrow.

The book had some clues about overcoming ego, such as avoiding competing
with someone who doesn't know you're competing. Trying to showoff, keep
pace..., whatever. Trying to find peace of mind is very difficult I find.

I also agree that the book didn't get into turning or flipping. It limited
its discussion on three basic strokes: breast stroke, frontal crawl and the
backward crawl. It helped me because it seemed to provide the basic
thought needed to prevail with regular practice. I haven't read any other
books lately, but I do recall some comments I've heard along the way and
read along the way and have now tried to apply.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

New & Improved - N/F John said:

Has anyone read The Art of Swimming by Steven Shaw Armand D'Angour

Victoria

Quoted message said:

Wood.

This was the only book that really inspired my swimming. I've become

quite

Quoted message said:

competent with swimming. I've taken my time but I feel quite

comfortable.

Your subject line seems to indicate there's a new 'The Art of Swimming
by Steven Shaw Armand D'Angour Victoria Wood.'
I haven't seen the 'new' version. Things have changed quite a lot since
the original one. The last I heard was that Steven and Armand had
divorced and she had returned to Israel. But I didn't ask him about
that. I did ask what was happening to the course set to train teachers
to teach the shaw method of swimming and was told by a senior source
within that team that it had being scrapped. I understand the scrapping
followed bankruptcy, which in turn followed a dispute with a major
creditor.

My involvement was by way of taking their postgraduates on an Aquajest
(working title at the time) workshop
Alternative swimming if you like.
I would demonstrate, say, the reverse frontcrawl and having seen what
they had heard about being done, cleared up any misunderstandings they
might have had. They then attempted to do it for themselves. It was
hilarious and for the most part, feedback from the workshops indicated
it was quite valuable for them to better understand the difficulties
that many of their own future students will be experiencing, when
trying to mimic what they (the students) have seen, or have being asked
to do.

Victoria Wood, is a comedian with considerable writing skills. She
wrote the foreword.
I guess for her name to be included in any new edition would suggest
continued involvement.

If you're asking about the original book: I've tried to find my copy,
but I moved house last august and given that the move was to another
country, I had to limit which books I could take with me. It looks like
I didn't bring that one. But I have the watsu book and if I kept that
over the shaw one, then the Shaw one must have held less interest for
me.

Quoted message said:

From memory, I found that art of swimming book to be more like the art

of waffle. I think the term esoteric might apply also.
I also found precious little actual information, though that is not
always a prerequisite for inspiration

There's also a video. Though I found it works better at a video making
level rather than swimming level.

The best choice is to find one of those graduates, because they can
help just about anyone to really enjoy the art of swimming.
BTW I am no longer involved and have no personal/financial gains from
making that recommendation.

New & Improved - N/F John said:

Swimming was suggested to me by an orthopedic doctor as a form of

therapy

Quoted message said:

for my back problem. I really didn't know how to swim competently

and would

Quoted message said:

walk away feeling uncomfortable. I read several books to get

started, but

Quoted message said:

they either seemed like survival guides or advanced training for

Olympians.

Quoted message said:

I have to admit that I have been practicing for about 6 years or more

and

Quoted message said:

only now have reached a point of being able to swim continuously for

twenty

Quoted message said:

minutes. I am about 40 years old and never expect to be an Olympian,

but I

Quoted message said:

think I can do well if I decided to become a masterswimmer someday.

Just

Quoted message said:

for fun. Swimming is only about fun, the exercise is allegedly

secondary.

Quoted message said:

I will take my time. If not today, then tomorrow.

The book had some clues about overcoming ego, such as avoiding

competing

Quoted message said:

with someone who doesn't know you're competing. Trying to showoff,

keep

Quoted message said:

pace..., whatever. Trying to find peace of mind is very difficult I

find.

Quoted message said:

I also agree that the book didn't get into turning or flipping. It

limited

Quoted message said:

its discussion on three basic strokes: breast stroke, frontal crawl

and the

Quoted message said:

backward crawl. It helped me because it seemed to provide the basic
thought needed to prevail with regular practice. I haven't read any

other

Quoted message said:

books lately, but I do recall some comments I've heard along the way

and

Quoted message said:

read along the way and have now tried to apply.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

New & Improved - N/F John said:

Has anyone read The Art of Swimming by Steven Shaw Armand

D'Angour

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Victoria

Quoted message said:

Wood.

This was the only book that really inspired my swimming. I've

become

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

quite

Quoted message said:

competent with swimming. I've taken my time but I feel quite

comfortable.

Your subject line seems to indicate there's a new 'The Art of

Swimming

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

by Steven Shaw Armand D'Angour Victoria Wood.'
I haven't seen the 'new' version. Things have changed quite a lot

since

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the original one. The last I heard was that Steven and Armand had
divorced and she had returned to Israel. But I didn't ask him about
that. I did ask what was happening to the course set to train

teachers

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to teach the shaw method of swimming and was told by a senior

source

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

within that team that it had being scrapped. I understand the

scrapping

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

followed bankruptcy, which in turn followed a dispute with a major
creditor.

My involvement was by way of taking their postgraduates on an

Aquajest

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(working title at the time) workshop
Alternative swimming if you like.
I would demonstrate, say, the reverse frontcrawl and having seen

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

they had heard about being done, cleared up any misunderstandings

they

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

might have had. They then attempted to do it for themselves. It was
hilarious and for the most part, feedback from the workshops

indicated

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it was quite valuable for them to better understand the

difficulties

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that many of their own future students will be experiencing, when
trying to mimic what they (the students) have seen, or have being

asked

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to do.

Victoria Wood, is a comedian with considerable writing skills. She
wrote the foreword.
I guess for her name to be included in any new edition would

suggest

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

continued involvement.

If you're asking about the original book: I've tried to find my

copy,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but I moved house last august and given that the move was to

another

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

country, I had to limit which books I could take with me. It looks

like

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I didn't bring that one. But I have the watsu book and if I kept

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

over the shaw one, then the Shaw one must have held less interest

for

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

me.

Quoted message said:

From memory, I found that art of swimming book to be more like the

art

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of waffle. I think the term esoteric might apply also.
I also found precious little actual information, though that is not
always a prerequisite for inspiration

There's also a video. Though I found it works better at a video

making

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

level rather than swimming level.

The best choice is to find one of those graduates, because they can
help just about anyone to really enjoy the art of swimming.
BTW I am no longer involved and have no personal/financial gains

from

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

making that recommendation.

Incidentally, there is a second video out there somewhere. I've not
seen it.
Apparently it's absolutely dreadful. I was tempted to get it. I may
well be on it. The earlier one had being professionally done, but some
sort of falling-out occurred between them afterwards, so the new video
was made without such help.
Steven mentioned to me one day that he wanted to make a follow up to
the previous video and asked if I could help him out. He wanted to tape
his (17??) steps to learning the front crawl. Initially I just
performed whatever movements he wanted to tape. We didn't do any of
my own fun stuff. When Armand turned up he got into the water also and
she did the videoing. We got as far as 6 I think and I never heard
anymore until the video was on sale. Such were the comments about it
that came from his own camp that even the curiosity to see if I was on
it didn't persuade me to buy it.

I used to do my own thing whilst he conducted his classes at the other
end of the pool. I became aware that he was getting irritated by the
number of people who, being equally fascinated with what I was doing,
asked if I was one of his former students too. To get around this, he
invited me to join his class. Naturally, that would mean I would have
to enrol, i.e. pay, but I didn't mind because I too was interested in
what he was doing. Albeit that that felt a bit one-sided, I had my own
career quite away from the world of swimming so I didn't really care.

Secondly, because I could see that what he was doing really had
beneficial effects for those who have trouble swimming, it was also
fine with me if a potential student's confidence in him was increased
if they thought I was a former student.

At some point he introduced the other students, i.e. those doing the
teachers course and asked if I'd do a workshop for them someday when
I'd be around. On the day, he brought along his video camera. He
hadn't mentioned that before, but I wasn't bothered. I had never
seen someone do what I do, so I figured it would be opportunities to
see it and perhaps better understand some of the reaction I had
experienced. I managed to catch a glimpse now and then whilst looking
over the shoulder of someone who reversed/forwarded the tape during the
workshop. I didn't press to have a good look because Steve had
faithfully promised to make a copy of it for me.
I wasn't being paid, hadn't asked for payment and would have being
content with the copy. Clearly I wasn't asking for much in return.
Alas, I never got to see it, nor the 2nd, nor the 3rd workshops, nor
any thereafter. In short, I never got to study any of the workshop
tapes. Apart from my own curiosity, I wanted to see what areas I would
need to improve on -- concerning my (voluntary) presentation. But,
there was some pathetic excuse each time.
Then one day I accidentally discovered that he had charged the students
a separate fee for my workshops. They were quite fed up. They had
signed on for a course costing £xxxx and having committed themselves
and their finances, they were then being constantly bombarded with
pressure to pay even more for this, that and the other.
Worse still, from my own perspective, on introducing me to the last
group I helped him out with, he had the nerve to introduce what I do as
a development that had come into being from attending his class.
It is such a great pity that Steve had to go and do the complete git
routine. So many people have come and gone. Like me, they've seen the
value of what the *Shaw method* can do and they've generously given
of their time, energy, ideas and so forth, and what does he do...?
A bit like what he does for the expectations of those who buy the books
and videos.
Incidentally, he explains in the book something to the effect that he
was attending A.T due to some problems that had stemmed form
competitive swimming. The A.T. tutor then showed him how to
'change'.
So, say I'm Steve, I go to my A.T. tutor (lets call him JD) and JD
shows me how to alter my swimming. I then take this information that JD
has provided me with and I market it as the "Steve's Method of
Swimming".
Hrmmmm! As Marge Simpson might say.
Best of luck with your swimming. I think what you're looking for
indictes a niche,/ requirement unfilled as yet by the publishing world.