Pressure to the back of the knee

Bill Mattocks

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It does work on pretty much everybody, but that isn't how. Blood flow from the lower legs doesn't stop. It does decrease, which lowers BP and perfusion of the brain. If it stopped, keeping your legs straight for too long would cause the tissues to die...
Blood returning from the lower legs CANNOT go to the brain (assuming anything remotely resembling normal human circulation...). It travels up, through through the femoral vein, then the inferior vena cava, into the right atrium, into the right ventricle, through the pulmonic valve, through the pulmonary artery, and into the lungs. Where it is oxygenated.
What you're describing is physiologically impossible for a human.

I'm not a doctor but I know what happens cause brother I've done it. Unlock the knee and blammo.
 

Dirty Dog

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We just taught people not to lock the knees - keep them slightly flexed. I'd assume both have the same effect, somehow.

It helps, but you really need those muscles to move. We're not talking standing for inspection here, we're talking standing all day.
 

Tez3

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When walking, or even shifting your weight slowly (which is what people like the guards at Buckingham Palace are taught to do), the calf muscles help to pump the blood uphill.

Absolutely spot on, my husband has done the guard there as well as parades, guards of honour etc and it's exactly as you say. Keeping the legs 'moving' by shifting weight, 'jiggling' the knees and muscles too as well as lifting the heels, is the key as is having breakfast by the way, faint on parade and you will be asked if you had breakfast, say no and you will be charged.
 

jks9199

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Absolutely spot on, my husband has done the guard there as well as parades, guards of honour etc and it's exactly as you say. Keeping the legs 'moving' by shifting weight, 'jiggling' the knees and muscles too as well as lifting the heels, is the key as is having breakfast by the way, faint on parade and you will be asked if you had breakfast, say no and you will be charged.
I started college at VMI. As noted, we were instructed to flex the knees during parade to avoid passing out. And we practiced a maneuver for the cadet on the right to grab the rifle, and the left or rear to grab the falling cadet... Only happened a couple times while I was there.
 

Tez3

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I started college at VMI. As noted, we were instructed to flex the knees during parade to avoid passing out. And we practiced a maneuver for the cadet on the right to grab the rifle, and the left or rear to grab the falling cadet... Only happened a couple times while I was there.

Our lot aren't taught to catch them, they just let them fall lol. The worst thing I think was when one of the chaps put my husbands bayonet through his hand, they were dressing and had their arms up to the man next to them and when he brought his hand down it was straight onto the bayonet. I had to wash the blood out of my husbands white gloves lol.
 

Gerry Seymour

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It helps, but you really need those muscles to move. We're not talking standing for inspection here, we're talking standing all day.
In this case, I was only working with people giving speeches/presentations of up to 30 minutes, usually much shorter. The folks who were locking their legs were usually only speaking for a few minutes.
 

Tez3

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In this case, I was only working with people giving speeches/presentations of up to 30 minutes, usually much shorter. The folks who were locking their legs were usually only speaking for a few minutes.

Sooo, depending on whether they were going to give really boring speeches or not you could decide whether to give them the advice about not locking their knees or telling they should. :)
 

Gerry Seymour

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Sooo, depending on whether they were going to give really boring speeches or not you could decide whether to give them the advice about not locking their knees or telling they should. :)
Stop stealing the jokes I use with students. :mad:
 

jks9199

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Our lot aren't taught to catch them, they just let them fall lol. The worst thing I think was when one of the chaps put my husbands bayonet through his hand, they were dressing and had their arms up to the man next to them and when he brought his hand down it was straight onto the bayonet. I had to wash the blood out of my husbands white gloves lol.
At that point, we weren't dealing with fixed bayonets. When we started marching with fixed bayonets, we'd basically march onto the parade ground with the bayonet in it's scabbard on the belt. We'd then be in formation on the parade deck while whatever announcements, etc. were made, then fix bayonets and pass in review...
 

Tez3

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At that point, we weren't dealing with fixed bayonets. When we started marching with fixed bayonets, we'd basically march onto the parade ground with the bayonet in it's scabbard on the belt. We'd then be in formation on the parade deck while whatever announcements, etc. were made, then fix bayonets and pass in review...

It would depend on what they were doing, sometimes they'd fix bayonets while marching if it was a drill display, guards of Honour and such they didn't fix bayonets.
This is a very shaky video but one that's extremely nostalgic for us, as the camp where this was taken is where we met and has since been demolished, if you look to the right you can see one of the accommodation blocks where TE Lawrence ( of Arabia) lived when he was in the RAF. We were at a different Sqn by then but went down to see the new Colour being presented. Sorry for the side track :) but now wallowing in 'oh remember whens' with other half.
 

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