Being in China has taught me to understand the practicality of their culture, customs, and lifestyle, and the ways in which their society educates their people. Their diet is based on generations of recipes and food combinations for the well-being of the body for all seasons. Their natural healing techniques are known by all, passed down from generation to generation, and because they are all Chinese, there is a comrade shared by all, whether they personally know you or not. The Chinese people are very polite, modest, humble, and very friendly to me, always anxious for their children to demonstrate the little English they know by encouraging the children to speak with me.
One thing I am learning is their swimming technique which is taught by their army as a survival technique and practice by all the people in China regardless of age. The technique is called the “Frog Style”. I attempt to swim at least three times a week. Normally when swimming, I swim a normal freestyle swim stroke and basically swim one hundred meters and rest. But what I have observed is the Chinese people swim the “Frog Style”, swim relentlessly for as long as possible. All the swimmers, swim for at least 30 minutes or longer and leave, all doing the “Frog Style”. As I observed their endurance without getting tired, I had to investigate the possibility of changing my approach to swimming. After all, the purpose of swimming is to survive in the water for as long as possible, especially if a life-threatening experience presents itself.
It took me about three swim sessions to convert my swim style from a conventional freestyle swimmer to a “Frog Style”. I pass this information along as encouragement and endorsement of converting to a “Frog Style” and able to stay in the water swimming for more than 90 minutes without a rest after all the purpose of learning how to swim is to survive in the water for as long as possible. The technique I use is a slow, deliberate, relaxing approach that is effortless and allows one to stay in the water swimming until I feel as if it is time to go, at least 90 minutes.
I have attached a video as a reference to the “Frog Style” technique. For me, it is not how fast I can swim but how long I can survive in the water.
