Please take a look at Articles on self-defense/conflict/violence for introductions to the references found in the bibliography page.

Please take a look at my bibliography if you do not see a proper reference to a post.

Please take a look at my Notable Quotes

Hey, Attention on Deck!

Hey, NOTHING here is PERSONAL, get over it - Teach Me and I will Learn!


When you begin to feel like you are a tough guy, a warrior, a master of the martial arts or that you have lived a tough life, just take a moment and get some perspective with the following:


I've stopped knives that were coming to disembowel me

I've clawed for my gun while bullets ripped past me

I've dodged as someone tried to put an ax in my skull

I've fought screaming steel and left rubber on the road to avoid death

I've clawed broken glass out of my body after their opening attack failed

I've spit blood and body parts and broke strangle holds before gouging eyes

I've charged into fires, fought through blizzards and run from tornados

I've survived being hunted by gangs, killers and contract killers

The streets were my home, I hunted in the night and was hunted in turn


Please don't brag to me that you're a survivor because someone hit you. And don't tell me how 'tough' you are because of your training. As much as I've been through I know people who have survived much, much worse. - Marc MacYoung

WARNING, CAVEAT AND NOTE

The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books. Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.



“What you are reading right now is a blog. It’s written and posted by me, because I want to. I get no financial remuneration for writing it. I don’t have to meet anyone’s criteria in order to post it. Not only I don’t have an employer or publisher, but I’m not even constrained by having to please an audience. If people won’t like it, they won’t read it, but I won’t lose anything by it. Provided I don’t break any laws (libel, incitement to violence, etc.), I can post whatever I want. This means that I can write openly and honestly, however controversial my opinions may be. It also means that I could write total bullshit; there is no quality control. I could be biased. I could be insane. I could be trolling. … not all sources are equivalent, and all sources have their pros and cons. These needs to be taken into account when evaluating information, and all information should be evaluated. - God’s Bastard, Sourcing Sources (this applies to this and other blogs by me as well; if you follow the idea's, advice or information you are on your own, don't come crying to me, it is all on you do do the work to make sure it works for you!)



“You should prepare yourself to dedicate at least five or six years to your training and practice to understand the philosophy and physiokinetics of martial arts and karate so that you can understand the true spirit of everything and dedicate your mind, body and spirit to the discipline of the art.” - cejames (note: you are on your own, make sure you get expert hands-on guidance in all things martial and self-defense)



“All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.” - Montaigne


I am not a leading authority on any one discipline that I write about and teach, it is my hope and wish that with all the subjects I have studied it provides me an advantage point that I offer in as clear and cohesive writings as possible in introducing the matters in my materials. I hope to serve as one who inspires direction in the practitioner so they can go on to discover greater teachers and professionals that will build on this fundamental foundation. Find the authorities and synthesize a wholehearted and holistic concept, perception and belief that will not drive your practices but rather inspire them to evolve, grow and prosper. My efforts are born of those who are more experienced and knowledgable than I. I hope you find that path! See the bibliography I provide for an initial list of experts, professionals and masters of the subjects.

Stability

Antei-sei [安定性]


Let It Be Known: the following are notes & quotes from literature on stability I pulled from the sources which may or may not be provided, yet one inspired will be able to research further and thereby find those elusive sources.  


Let the inspiration begin!


Stability [Antei-sei 安定性] (spine) in movement and breathing 😮‍💨. Stability, safe and powerful transmission of force through muscles and bones, and not joints or spinal hinge points.


Proprioceptive (proprioception): pertaining to proprioceptors, the stimuli acting upon them, or the nerve impulses initiated by them.


Stability in karate begins with grounding and grounding is both with the ground and without, being in movement. 


Stability is about adherence to fundamentals like structure and alignment.


To be grounded as taught in karate one must have achieved true stability … to know more read on …


Stability lets us create the most force in the safest manner possible, connecting the bodies different muscle groups with lowered risk of injury to joints, soft tissue, and especially the vulnerable spine. The objective is a strong, fluid, flexible, and agile body/mind as we move through the world.


Patterns of perfect movement learned as a child is often lost as we get older, so finding these patterns are crucial and critical to stability. To rediscover how our bodies interact with the world naturally - this is true natural stability.


Stability training begins with breathing or breathe 🧘. Here is where I push the arts of chi gung and tai chi chuan for these arts teach natural body movement and begin with breathe.


Coordinated and deep rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing in a dynamic way provides the conduits to proper energy generation, use and conservation, etc.


The way we breathe is a tell to how we move and, critically, how we stabilize our movements (Think: correct and proper sanchin practice/performance which tells Sensei how stable our movements are, etc).


Proper breathing 😮‍💨 affects rib position, neck extension, the shape of the spine, even the position of our feet on the ground. 


Learn to be aware of the breathe which strengthens the diaphragm, which is important to breathing as well as very important stabilizer in our bodies.


Remember, stability is not just our balance when our feet are placed properly on the ground, but when we move our bodies and how we deal with movement in our world of many possibilities.


A goal of stability training is to gain mental control over key muscles and body parts.


The structure to be protected the most is the spine. It has three parts, lower back, mid back, and the neck (lumbar, thoracic and cervical).


Almost everything we do goes through our hands. If our feet are our contact with the ground, absorbing force, our hands are how we transmit force.


It’s about distribution of force, if you can transmit and modulate force through your hands, then you can push and pull efficiently. This force originates in the powerful muscles of the trunk (hara) and is transmitted down the chain, from rotator cuff to elbow to forearm to wrist. There is a strong correlation between having a weak rotator cuff (shoulder) and weak grip strength.


Build awareness of your fingers as they are the last link in your overall stability and ability in the world. 


Grip is important especially in situations that require reactivity - being able to grab (or let go) when needed, or gripping a rail to prevent a fall. Or, being able to roll in a fall so energies are dissipated preventing grave harm to oneself.


Our feet and grip are what connects us to the world, so that our muscles can do what they need to do. 


The objective here is to do stability exercises, do them different ways, so you develop the “proprioception” needed to develop and master one’s ideal movement patterns.


This reminds me of the Navy Seals saying, “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” which ties in with stability training to achieve mastery over proprioception. It’s about the power of strategic thinking and deliberate action, which lead to greater efficiency and speed of execution downstream.


 Slow is smooth because slow allows you to get your thinking, direction and strategy straight, and once you do, you can apply it in all types of situations, often faster than let’s say, an adversary (can you say a faster OO in the OODA).


In stability, slowing things down, thinking that “to conserve is to preserve” that provides an ability to utilize energy and movement proficiently allowing longer healthy and capable living is very cool 🆒. 


NOTES


a strong grip helps to improve the stability of the hand and wrist, reducing the likelihood of injury during repetitive or high-impact (like boxing and karate) activities.


Stability is moving to prevent injuries.


Stability of structure


Stability of balance


Stability is as important as aerobic fitness and strength: stability is the solid foundation that enables us to do everything that we do, without getting injured. Be stable is being stronger with less strength and muscles!


Stability is a key to preventing harm to oneself. It must be noted that pushing oneself in workouts all the time, without adequate stability, always leads to injuries.


How we move in our workouts is critical and overdoing it leads to dangerous movement patterns. Work smart, not hard.


Doing things right, cultivating safe, ideal movement patterns allows our bodies to work as designed thus reducing risk of injury. Work smart, not hard and forget the “no pain, no gain” adage.


Stability is critical to any kind of movement, particularly if doing that movement for years and decades. It is a pillar of our foundation where fitness and strength rely.


Our lack of stability is the core gateway to injuries, often very serious injuries.


Stability is the subconscious ability to harness, decelerate, or stop force. A stable person can react to external and internal stimuli to adjust position and muscular tension appropriately without a tremendous amount of conscious thought. 💭 


To train for stability as well as strength, one’s muscles can transmit much more force across the entire body, from shoulders to feet, while protecting one’s back and knee joints. 


the coordination of surrounding tissue and the neuromuscular system to maintain the position of a joint


Human Stability: https://tinyurl.com/3tjt3r26


Stability is the resistance to a change in the body's acceleration, or the resistance to a disturbance of the body's equilibrium. Balance within muscle groups and alignment of the skeletal system affect body equilibrium and balance.


Balance vs. Stability 


When we talk about balance, we are referring to your ability to control your body without movement against gravity.


Stability, on the other hand, refers to your ability to control your body during movement. In other words, it is your ability to control forces, which might be unbalanced, in order to remain balanced.


The function of the core muscles is to save the spine from excessive load and to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body, and vice versa. 


The vestibular system is what provides your sense of balance and the information about body position that allows for rapid compensatory movements in response to self-induced and external forces. There is a sensor in your ear that sends information to your brain that contributes to your sense of balance. There is a complex network of canals that make up the inner part of your ear. This network is called semicircular canals. It is filled with fluids that change with movement, and it is what makes up your vestibular system.


stability improves balance, especially when outside forces seek to overthrow it.  


https://tinyurl.com/2u9xxr75


Stability comes from a variety of places including the feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, abdominals and the overall structural alignment of the spine.


Stability Training? Stability training refers to a routine that targets the muscles that support balance and stability. This includes the abdominal muscles, as well as the muscles in and around the hips and lower back.


Stability training benefits your strength training by creating a solid foundation of underlying stabilizing muscles that allow your body to accommodate larger, more powerful movements.


What are the top three stability training benefits?

  1. Stability training benefits control of your movements during a given task.
  2. Stability training benefits successful reproduction of a given task.
  3. Stability training benefits decreased overuse or acute injuries.


Stability is defined as: Your body’s ability to safely and effectively maintain and control various postures as well as resist changes in equilibrium. Basically stabilizing muscles are the most important muscles for supporting and holding your body upright.


Active stabilizers consist of the muscles, nerves and receptors that help maintain varying postures and correct/adjust your body from external forces.


When your stabilizers are weak, they are not equipped to handle unpredictable movements or situations, which often result in injury.


Stability training benefits efficient movement. In order to produce efficient movements at the joints, there must be a base of stability that allow your body parts to move through their intended ranges of motion, without undue restriction.


active stabilizers (your muscles)


Target areas: small stabilizing muscles, ligaments, and tendons: Stability exercises still work the major muscle groups, but also recruit more of the small stabilizing muscles, ligaments, and tendons that enable your joints to maintain proper posture throughout each exercise.


When doing stability exercises, it’s important to decrease your resistance and increase your repetitions in order to avoid injury and get the most benefits.


Example: challenge pushups are one type of exercise that chiefly strengthens the stability of the wrist contributing to a stable wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder needed when boxing or striking in defense with karate superior to even the makiwara or karate striking post. 


Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/2fj652vt


No comments: