Life & Work with Jim Houliston of Ocean Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Houliston.

Hi Jim, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

I began practicing ambidominance (traditionally known best as ambidexterity) nearly 20 years ago for skateboarding rehabilitation. Before this, I spent 10 years skating exclusively in one, traditional, ‘regular’ stance. The repetitive, asymmetric movement misaligned my body and sent me to various chiropractors looking for relief. I never found it and had to quit skateboarding by age 22.

During this time, I moved from my home state of Pennsylvania to San Diego. Seeing skateboarders all around me here and not being able to skate was very depressing. One day, though, I had the idea to take my roommates’ skateboard and try skating “switch-stance.” This is, basically, the equivalent of a right-handed person trying to write left-handed. Skating switch felt impossible, but it didn’t hurt my body, so I kept doing it. Over time, this practice realigned my body, improved skill in my traditional stance, and has allowed me to skateboard now for over 30 years.

With such great results, I decided nearly 15 years ago to start ‘mirroring’ everything else that I do, slowly turning myself from being a ‘righty’ to now a ‘lefty.’ This includes throwing with my other arm, kicking with my other foot, writing with my other hand (in mirror direction), reading in mirror direction, typing on a mirrored computer keyboarding with a mirrored screen, telling time on a mirrored clock, using lefty scissors, lefty can openers, giving lefty handshakes, etc. This lifestyle practice is known as mirror movement development (MMD).

MMD produces incredible benefits for the brain and body, including improved memory recollection, balance, spatial awareness, body realignment, weight loss, athletic longevity, and more. In fact, ambidominance (also known as dual dominance) of the body and brain hemispheres is showcased by many of history’s greatest creatives, thinkers, and athletes.

These MMD greats include Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, Harry Houdini, Queen Victoria, Mozart, Michelangelo, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Hippocrates, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Maria Sharapova, Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrick Mahomes, Rodney Mullen, Lionel Messi, Phil Mickelson, Manny Pacquiao, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and many more.

All of this information is presented between my book, blog, art showcases, and AmbiLife YouTube channel.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Learning to switch up your sidedness is more difficult the older we get, but it’s far from impossible. It is easier and more instinctual, though, the younger we are. In fact, many kids naturally practice ambidominance before us well-intended adults come along and ‘correct’ or force them into single-sidedness and single-directionality (often labeling such kids with a ‘disorder’ like dyslexia in the process). This exclusive, unilateral development of our bilateral brain and body decreases optimal, overall performance.

Thanks to our collective “Great Mistake” of choosing just one ‘correct’ side for reading, writing, handshakes, tools, commercial products, and more, most adults, including many academics and ‘experts’ in the fields of neuroscience, kinesiology, and education, have completely missed the study of ambidominance for peak brain efficiency and body performance.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Today, I am one of the most ambidominant people on Earth. I’m an artist, athlete, educator, author, and a bilingual, binational, bicoastal tour guide (after learning fluent Spanish in my 30’s). I also recently inspired the creation of the world’s first mirrored computer keyboard. My book, BIG3MMD: History’s Ambidextrous and the Benefits of Mirror Movement Development (MMD), is the world’s first symmetry book. It is available on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle. My dream is to create a school called the Ambi Academy for Brain and Body Symmetry and to inspire schools everywhere to also teach ambidominance. I’m also starting the Ambidominant Society; a social activity group for adults to practice MMD.

Today, you can RSVP for a free Brain Fitness course with San Diego College of Continuing Education where, on Wednesday, November 5th, I will be presenting Mirror Movement and Brain Fitness in Alzheimer’s Prevention. Details at sdcce.edu

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ambilife.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_rail_walker/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.houliston/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-houliston/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ambilife1