LA Times article on Carradine, sort of

[loki09789]

What is body equalibriam, and how might that be acheived?
Sean

How would you acheive these goals, define these terms?

 

[Touch Of Death]

How would you acheive these goals, define these terms?

First you have to realize that posture and balance are not a specific thing but a range of things(much like the volume knob on a stereo, they can be both increased and decreased) Posture is letting your bone structure support the weight of your body; the more muscle you have to use the less your posture. Balance is when your center of gavity falls within your base; this can be decreased and increased by raising or lowering your center of gravity, and adjustment of posture.
Sean

 

[loki09789]

First you have to realize that posture and balance are not a specific thing but a range of things(much like the volume knob on a stereo, they can be both increased and decreased) Posture is letting your bone structure support the weight of your body; the more muscle you have to use the less your posture. Balance is when your center of gavity falls within your base; this can be decreased and increased by raising or lowering your center of gravity, and adjustment of posture.
Sean

I like this view, but I wonder about the 'less your posture' statement. What about stances/postures in relation to peformance and movement/resistance? Obviously the ideal goal is minimal muscle recruitment and maximal bone support, but that is dependent on conditions (internal and external).

Maintaining good posture in an ever changing environment to maintain equilibrium is balance, but better posture is promoted when the conditions are more challenging. Muscle fatigue, gravity, points of contact, forces applied to your body (strikes, shoves...), friction/traction force you to adjust posture to maintain balance. If you look back at my post on training I talk about the continuum view of the two as well. Training regiments will focus more on one than the other end, depending on background, goals and skill/need of the individual.

I like the 'finding your balance' approach of unstable training because the nervous system is overstimulated and seeks a balanced state, i.e. good posture at a deeper, autonomic type of level. Yoga, Pilates (even though I don't like the workout), fitball, balance pads all challenge balance and stimulate/challenge the body to achieve good posture under various conditions that are far more challenging than everyday walking, standing stuff. It also creates a better sense of body awareness that translates to better self check/assessment of posture in everyday life as well as martial arts stances/postures.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I like this view, but I wonder about the 'less your posture' statement. What about stances/postures in relation to peformance and movement/resistance? Obviously the ideal goal is minimal muscle recruitment and maximal bone support, but that is dependent on conditions (internal and external).

Maintaining good posture in an ever changing environment to maintain equilibrium is balance, but better posture is promoted when the conditions are more challenging. Muscle fatigue, gravity, points of contact, forces applied to your body (strikes, shoves...), friction/traction force you to adjust posture to maintain balance. If you look back at my post on training I talk about the continuum view of the two as well. Training regiments will focus more on one than the other end, depending on background, goals and skill/need of the individual.

I like the 'finding your balance' approach of unstable training because the nervous system is overstimulated and seeks a balanced state, i.e. good posture at a deeper, autonomic type of level. Yoga, Pilates (even though I don't like the workout), fitball, balance pads all challenge balance and stimulate/challenge the body to achieve good posture under various conditions that are far more challenging than everyday walking, standing stuff. It also creates a better sense of body awareness that translates to better self check/assessment of posture in everyday life as well as martial arts stances/postures.

My entire point is that one follows the other. You can have posture without balance, but you cannot have balance without posture.
Sean

 

[loki09789]

My entire point is that one follows the other. You can have posture without balance, but you cannot have balance without posture.
Sean

Yes you can, I am sure we have seen people with horrible posture, but they are still standing and walking and don't fall down all the time. They might not have the best posture or ideal posture, but they have enough to get the job done... of course they will be suffering as time goes on.

My point is that challenging balance forces your posture to be better, much like any skill improves when the challenge factor is raised. Our bodies adapt to the stress/load we create for it. Challenge balance, it will adapt and improve - improving posture as well.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Yes you can, I am sure we have seen people with horrible posture, but they are still standing and walking and don't fall down all the time. They might not have the best posture or ideal posture, but they have enough to get the job done... of course they will be suffering as time goes on.

My point is that challenging balance forces your posture to be better, much like any skill improves when the challenge factor is raised. Our bodies adapt to the stress/load we create for it. Challenge balance, it will adapt and improve - improving posture as well.

Yes, but challanging posture does not require you to improve balance, which has been my point all along. I think we should leave it at that because so much of what we say is in agreement. We are only in a battle of semantics now. (As FEZ would say...)Now good day... I said good day! :asian:
Sean

 

[loki09789]

Yes, but challanging posture does not require you to improve balance, which has been my point all along. I think we should leave it at that because so much of what we say is in agreement. We are only in a battle of semantics now. (As FEZ would say...)Now good day... I said good day! :asian:
Sean

I don't think it is as much semantics as much as training regiment. You come from one direction to improve this area of training, I come from the other... no problem here. I do like your articulate explanation of posture and balance. Reminds me of the marksmanship training in the service - muscle relaxation and bone support.

 

[grimfang]

getting back to the article itself (although i did enjoy the posture discussion!)....
The whole article upset me. The article did not really seem to have any real point at all, other to inform us that Carradine was still alive and well.
It seems to me that the martial arts never receive any attention in the mainstream media, execept in it relation to celebrities.
I could almost accept that... celebrities sell newspapers, thats just the reality of the situation... but this particular article failed to do much justice to anything at all.
It was printed in the HEALTH section, but contained minimal info relating to the health benifits.. it was added as an afterthought, it seems. The entire article was all over the place, not focusing on anything in particular.
I am just disturbed by the poor treatment the martial arts receive from the mainstream media. If the article was an entertainment feature, then focus on the man's career and put it in the entertainment section. If its a health article, focus on that and put it in the health section. Put sports in sports. But the LA times needed to fill a column, so they dug up this.
I am happy to see that Carradine is alive and still getting his bills paid. I just wish that the media could print a few martial arts stories that actually had a bit of journalistic merit.

 

[loki09789]

"I am happy to see that Carradine is alive and still getting his bills paid. I just wish that the media could print a few martial arts stories that actually had a bit of journalistic merit."

And, along the same lines, I wish there was an entertainment show about MA that had some social merit. Kung Fu was a unique thing.

 

[7starmantis]

LA Times ran this article on 3-7-04 ... think they were trying to promote the Kung Fu dvds, but maybe they just needed to fill a blank space in the HEALTH section... anyways, here it is...

*vomit* Oh dear, did I say that outloud?

I can't stand the man, but I guess I may be biased, not many in the kung fu circle can.

7sm

 

[loki09789]

*vomit* Oh dear, did I say that outloud?

I can't stand the man, but I guess I may be biased, not many in the kung fu circle can.

7sm

Does the term 'Poser' come up a lot? Remember a horrible movie called "The Iron Ring" or something like that? YUCK

 

[7starmantis]

Does the term 'Poser' come up a lot? Remember a horrible movie called "The Iron Ring" or something like that? YUCK

Oh man!! Yeah, horrible!

7sm