Natural Movement

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Huh? Well, we as martial professionals have always sought after how the body moves for two fundamental reasons. One, is to exploit the body’s structure and balance to our advantage in self-protection for self-defense and two, to ensure we apply our skills with our body, and mind, to exploit to the most efficient and effective methodologies against an adversary who means to do us harm. Caveat: this assumes that all efforts to avoid, deescalate or escape-n-evade have failed and force becomes necessary.

Natural movement is best described in the field of physiology. In short, “the way in which a living organism or bodily part functions.” So, as martial professionals who seek to self-protect while adhering to self-defense should take the time, and experiment on, how our bodies move to get a “feel” and “understanding” how that body functions optimally and detrimentally. 

Here are some excerpts from articles found at the end of this post as references. As sensei we should gain and understanding a fundamental to the following to enhance and support and validate how we explain the why and how some methodologies work such as controlling the adversaries body through the manipulation of say, “Joints.” 

Types of joints and how they function tells us both mentally and physically as to feel, or tactile ability, when we actually work with a partner in training and practice.

• Planer Joints: bones with articulating surfaces that are flat or slightly curved.
• Hinge joints: rounded end that fits into a hollow end like the elbow joint that moves in only two directions.
• Pivot joints: allows rotational movement. 
• Condyloid joints: allows angular movement along two axes, as seen in the joints of the wrist and fingers, which can move both side to side and up and down.
• Saddle joints: like the thumb joint that moves back and forth, up and down. 
• Ball and socket joints: rounded, ball-like end of one bone fitting into a cuplike socket of another bone. Allows the greatest range of motion, as all movement types are possible in all directions. Examples of ball-and-socket joints are the shoulder and hip joints.

Reference: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/types-of-synovial-joints/

Here are the general references to the concepts of how our body moves. 

Anatomical Movements of the Human Body

https://geekymedics.com/anatomical-movements-of-the-human-body/

The movements produced at joints by muscles are given specific anatomical names, often referred to as “anatomical terms of motion”

• Planes.
• Axes.
• Flexion and extension.
• Abduction and adduction.
• Elevation and depression.
• Internal and external rotation (medial and lateral rotation)
• Circumduction.
• Pronation and supination.
• Dorsiflexion and plantar-flexion.
• Eversion and inversion.
• Opposition and re-position.
• Protraction and retraction (and protrusion and retrusion).
• Sliding.

AND

Synovial joints allow the body a tremendous range of movements. Each movement at a synovial joint results from the contraction or relaxation of the muscles that are attached to the bones on either side of the articulation. The type of movement that can be produced at a synovial joint is determined by its structural type. While the ball-and-socket joint gives the greatest range of movement at an individual joint, in other regions of the body, several joints may work together to produce a particular movement. Overall, each type of synovial joint is necessary to provide the body with its great flexibility and mobility. There are many types of movement that can occur at synovial joints (Table 1). Movement types are generally paired, with one being the opposite of the other. Body movements are always described in relation to the anatomical position of the body: upright stance, with upper limbs to the side of body and palms facing forward. 

Reference: https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/9-5-types-of-body-movements/

I often recommend students pair off and slowly, with no force or power, grab one another in turn to get a feel for how the various joints, etc., actually move and find those limitations along with full ranges of motion then work to associate those natural movements to the methodologies they learn from their discipline, such as karate. 

Start to focus in kata and with drills how the body moves. Does the movement adhere to normal ranges of movement to each type of joint then visualize and feel how they effect things like structure, alignment, balance, centeredness, etc., then experiment with methods that would effect both positively and negatively those principles to one’s advantage or how they would result in a disadvantage to each person. 

Visualization along with tactile sensory input both with eyes open and closed will teach our minds to act and react when seen, felt or sensed in a dynamic training situation to learn and encode to overcome natures instinct to freeze, flee or fight using methodologies that are aligned with that concept toward natural body movement and actions-reactions. 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)