The Kai said:
Doc
If you think I am pestering you, please tell me!
But playing around last night with the two roundhouse kicks (kin and koshi geri). It seems to me that when throwing the kick high (above the waist), when you have the toes back (kin geri) there is a certain looseness in the front of the hip, whereas witht he toes back your hip feels locked back.
Correct
i know one part of the body is connected to the other (years of observation). Looking in the gray's anatomy the only mucle that seems to travel from the hip to the ankle is the hamstring -but it runs in the back of the thigh.
Is there something I am missing?
A ton.
The science of human movement, especially in martial interaction is extremely specialized and encompasses a myriad of physical sciences all connected through the constantly fluctuating conduint of the human body. It is so specialized it cannot be learned through traditional or formal education methods. However formal education can enhance the process after the fact.
Human dynamics deal with a complex living machine with hundreds of parts and connecting mechanisms and sensors that is/are in a constant state of flux and adjustment from one jiffysecound to the next. Also the body is not a solid so Newtonian Physical Laws applied to solid objects do not necessarily translate to human dynamics. This knowledge is learned and passed from one to another.
Take note that in professional athletics, most great coaches have no physics or Kinesiology degrees yet have the ability to teach the dynamics of human physics at the highest level there is through information accumulated over years of interaction with other teachers and coaches. The ones that excel develop the most effective methodologies and understanding to their particular specialty. The martial application is the most complex.
Consider that the human body evolved under the weight of gravity or a constant unyielding resistance. Therefore the human skeleton and all of its connecting tissue and its structural integrity are inter-dependent on this resisting factor to achieve maximum efficiency and rigidity.
But the human body as a machine has a unique "living" capability beyond the mechanical machine. A human body has the ability to function "inefficiently" and does so as a normal part of its everyday function. This is what allows humans to exhibit fluid movement and allows the machine to perform things "incorrectly" as well as correctly. But the human body is only supposed to momentarily slip into its inefficient mode for the sake of certain movement, and return immediately to a strong and efficient mode to prevent injury to the machine.
Repetitive inefficient movement through improper training will produce significant injury or "breakdowns" to the machine either immediately or over time. This is why, absent blunt force trauma and externally induced hyperextension, the body can function for many years without "wearing out."
Unfortunately modern martial arts have been marketed around blunt force trauma (power) and expeditious (speed) physical movement for "quick" acquisition of some functional skills in violation of human anatomy principles creating ignorant "Counter Anatomy Applications." Most teach aesthetically drawing on "how" they think something should look, instead of "how" something should be properly executed relative to human anatomy. In their defense, they usually are only just doing what they think they were taught.
The human body mandates how all movements are executed for long-term success and long-term mechanical efficiency. Over the years I've seen so many people in and out of kenpo tear their bodies apart executing improper movements. Double hip replacement surgery, shoulder surgeries, knee and back injuries are rampant, all through improper dynamic movement that destroys rather than enhances the human machine.
This is also why when things are learned improperly, it doesn't take long for you to "lose" the ability to perform through inactivity or age. Proper anatomical movement sufficiently learned lasts a lifetime, even with extended inactivity. It is also why some "old men" seem to demonstrate significant speed and power with a minimum of movement beyond the younger more muscle-bound student.
Apparently you feel only muscles are involved in this process. I will reiterate. It is the entire body and all of its many parts. A single small part once moved can destroy the integrity of the machine. Even looking in the wrong direction can cause anatomical problems.
Ed Parker always said, that once you go down that path of explaining the why of every little thing, youll never get to the important part. How. When you dont feel well or your car doesnt run properly, you go to a doctor or mechanic you trust. Now he could tell you in highly technical terms whats wrong, but you still wouldnt know. So he explains it in simplistic layperson terms to give you an idea. But ultimately you must trust his judgment and follow his advice. Rmrobertsons post on the fine line of trust and keeping an open mind says it all.
You are not my student, however I take the information I disseminate very seriously and take responsibility for it. We are all students on some level and if you were my student I would simply say, trust me. If not find another mechanic, and stop pestering me.
