View Single Post
Old 01-26-2013, 02:19 PM   #45
ChrisHein
 
ChrisHein's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
Location: Fresno , CA
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,646
United_States
Offline
Re: A simple mechanical model of body use.

Quote:
Robert Cowham wrote: View Post
Chris

Going back to the exercise of lifting a spoon, or indeed lifting anything (personally I prefer something like a pint of beer - good balance between effort and reward!).

This is an exercise that I originally got from Peter Ralston ("Art of Effortless Power" IIRC).
I'm very familiar with the work of Peter Ralston. I've done many of his exercises, many of which have helped me gain better understanding of how to use the body.

You are correct, the ground supports us always. Everything we lift, carry, push, pull, comes through a connection to the ground (when standing/sitting/laying on it).

I'm not arguing that the whole body is not in play. There are muscles that stabilize our structure, root us better to the ground, and provide support to our frame constantly. I totally agree with this, and try to get in touch with it on a daily basis.

However this is not the kind of thing I hear people talking about on AikiWeb, when they talk about 'internal'. What I described above is normal athletic activity, any good athletic coach would talk about these things with you. What is talked about here on AikiWeb, so something else. What that is suppose to be, I still can not say yet.

When I point out that good athletes and good 'internal' people are using their bodies in much the same way, I am told over and over again that I am incorrect.

So, I'm looking to find these differences. But as these discussions go on, I'm seeing less and less difference, and more and more similarities.

  Reply With Quote