Bio-Mechanics
/I hardly ever write about bio-mechanics. If the focus is on stretching and strengthening, as it usually is, that's just too simplistic. But this video about running is pretty good. The process is basically to watch a lot of slow motion video of a repetitive action done by a lot of different people and try to figure out what the best way to run is-- Then create some tests.
That's great, but it doesn't tell us much about the mind of the runner, and we have to wonder why people are running at all. Would you run like that if you were trying to get away from a tiger or an x-girl friend? The will to win is a cool thing to play with at any age, but it's also easy to get so involved in winning that one loses all sense of equilibrium. I mean, dang, I want to win as much as the next critter, but winning a race is pretty much just fantasy indulgence. That was cool, now do it again.
There are lots of good reasons for running, many people feel really good when they run, and running can be like walking into a clean Dojo, it just instantly clears your head. That clarity can translate to other things you do, like business or relationships. I loved long distance running when I was a kid.
But all that aside, I put this video here because it offers an interesting commentary on Bagua Zhang.
When the front foot goes down, it should be relaxed and empty of shape or agenda. Landing on the heel or pushing through the toe of the front foot is a waste of effort and puts a lot of stress on the body.
Extending the foot out past the knee may be useful for a kick, sweep or a trap, but it doesn't help forward motion and it can be an indicator of other problems.
The back knee should be really far back from the hip. The front knee should move forward of the knee before the weight shift. In Bagua Zhang walking we lower the center of gravity in order to get greater front/back distance between our two knees. What works for fighting seems to work for running too.
That's great, but it doesn't tell us much about the mind of the runner, and we have to wonder why people are running at all. Would you run like that if you were trying to get away from a tiger or an x-girl friend? The will to win is a cool thing to play with at any age, but it's also easy to get so involved in winning that one loses all sense of equilibrium. I mean, dang, I want to win as much as the next critter, but winning a race is pretty much just fantasy indulgence. That was cool, now do it again.
There are lots of good reasons for running, many people feel really good when they run, and running can be like walking into a clean Dojo, it just instantly clears your head. That clarity can translate to other things you do, like business or relationships. I loved long distance running when I was a kid.
But all that aside, I put this video here because it offers an interesting commentary on Bagua Zhang.
When the front foot goes down, it should be relaxed and empty of shape or agenda. Landing on the heel or pushing through the toe of the front foot is a waste of effort and puts a lot of stress on the body.
Extending the foot out past the knee may be useful for a kick, sweep or a trap, but it doesn't help forward motion and it can be an indicator of other problems.
The back knee should be really far back from the hip. The front knee should move forward of the knee before the weight shift. In Bagua Zhang walking we lower the center of gravity in order to get greater front/back distance between our two knees. What works for fighting seems to work for running too.
