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The Art of Standing (or Sitting) There

August 31, 2009 | Author: Matthew | Filed under: 'taught me' series, Martial Arts, Tips and Tricks, ikigai, karate

Martial artists tend to be uniquely attune to the foibles of their body. I, for example, have a finnicky lower back. If I’m not careful with my stretching and prep, I can pull it pretty easily. This isn’t a new problem, just a little piece of my genetic code that didn’t get it quite right.

This particular propensity toward back strain has made me acutely aware of an all too common problem in myself and others – posture neglect.

First let’s talk about me (whooooo), then let’s talk about you.

These days most of my work takes place on the computer. I do my writing for this blog online (clearly), and I work predominantly for online companies. That has resulted in a lot of sitting. In previous jobs during college and such I often had elements of manual labor that kept my body up and moving about. Not so much anymore.

A few months ago my sitting started to effect my training; even though I did proper stretching and warmups before class I was still experiencing back pain. I realized in short order that it wasn’t from any kicking drills or kata, but from how I operated through most of my day.

I pulled my instructor aside and had him run through my day with me mentally. I knew he had some back troubles in the past so I figured he would be able to help me spot  common problems and work out solutions. One of the major mistakes I was making was slouching like the man in the picture above. Not only did my body have a natural desire to sink down into that ‘relaxed’ posture, but I also had a chair that leaned back too easily. I was experiencing constant, mild strain on my lower back all day.

My instructor offered up some suggestions, which I’d like to pass on in case they might be helpful to you:

1. Get a better chair. If you’re sitting for long periods of time, there is no reason to tolerate a chair that promotes bad habits.

2. Use ice or heat if your back starts to act up.

3. Lie flat on your bed with your legs hanging off. This will create a slight pulling and straightening sensation.

I made all of these changes immediately, but didn’t stop there.

Esther Gokhale – Posture Expert

Regular readers of this site will notice that I link into the authors@google series frequently. I think it’s a great resource wherein some really sharp people share their experiences and knowledge.

Esther Gokhale was one of the visitors to Google and, as it turns out, has been studying posture for quite some time. She even authored a book entitled 8 Steps to A Pain Free Back.  Gokhale mixes western science with eastern yogic theory and has come up with a great system. Check out her speech here:

Gokhale provides immediately applicable ways of improving posture. I use her method of seated posture correction everyday. My body still tends to want to slouch, so I need to make routine corrections. It’s an ongoing effort.

One of Gokhale’s big theories is proper stacking. Consider this image:

During normal slouching postures, the spine and weight distribution is out of sync. This is a tricky problem because it doesn’t provide immediate negative feedback, like touching a hot stove. Instead it builds pressure over time and slowly wears away at the cartilage between the spinal discs. Although I’ve focused on sitting, these same principles apply to standing, especially for individuals who have a job that requires being up all day.

How This Applies To Your Martial Arts

The obvious way posture applies to your martial arts practice is good health. One of the biggest career killers is physical ailment. We have to try our best to stave off these injuries, and one way to do that is to be mindful of posture. The spine is a fickle thing, and if you don’t take care of it you will run into trouble.

Posture isn’t just a means of standing though; it’s also a way to convey your personal sense of presence and power.

In his book “Living The Martial Way”, Forrest Morgan dedicates a few pages to the concept of ‘developing a commanding posture’. He explains:

“Some say the eyes are windows to the soul. This may be true, but posture is most assuredly the reflection of one’s spirit. It tells a story, more eloquently than words ever could, of your strength, your resolve, and your confidence. Posture is an essential element of warrior bearing.”

In the dojo, especially if you are assuming a teaching role, it is critical to adopt the mantle of authority. Posture provides a subtle, subconscious hint to everyone in the room that you are worth listening to. A tall stance and keen look can go a long way in capturing the attention of students.

On the student side, proper posture indicates a willingness to commit to excellence. Slouching is a sign of inattentiveness and lack of resolve. Standing up straight suggests focus, which is the currency of the dojo.

Practicing good posture will also assist in natural body movement. The more you practice, the more you’ll realize the subtleties of body weight shifting. If you have to recenter your body every time you wish to move, you’ll be at an immediate timing disadvantage.

* * *

My goal is to be able to continue practicing martial arts deep into old age. If I abuse my body now, I’ll never have that chance. I personally need to take posture very seriously. Perhaps you can take a moment today and figure out if you need improvement, and use some of the information above to start on a modestly paced track for positive change.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 and is filed under 'taught me' series, Martial Arts, Tips and Tricks, ikigai, karate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

xygoxen
  • WRT self defense and posture - I've always taught two things:
    - Stand up straight
    - Don't make eye contact

    These rules apply to a lot of situations, but the most common being: you're walking down a sidewalk, can't cross to the other side, some bad dudes are walking the opposite direction so your paths must cross.

    Showing confidence saves you from being attacked in the human world just as it does in the rest of nature. Don't make eye contact though as it provokes emotion and speaks to the other person more than you should say (which should be nothing).

    Other interesting note: I learned my posture and breathing from singing, not martial arts.
  • that is interesting jesse - I always enjoy it when arts cross over value.
  • Standing, or Zhan Zhuang in Chinese, is a crucial aspect of the Chen Style Taijiquan system I practice, and is a crucial aspect of many Internal Styles. At first I found it extremely challenging but now look forward to it. It has purposes both in healing and martial applications. While it is not THE most important aspect of my discipline, it is central to many systems such as Yiquan. I am now reading a book specifically about standing practice, Warriors of Stillness: http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Stillness-Vol-Me...

    It is of course a spiritual and a healing practice but it also adds to martial effectiveness, and to sitting in a chair at the computer. I have found it adds to my Aikido and grappling studies as well. Typical of internal practices it allows us to focus on structural alignment, opening chi blockages, and to study the minute details of our martial stance. We often stop during form practice and hold postures, both for alignment and strength, and to ensure we are performing the movements correctly.

    In any case, I highly recommend anyone adding this to their practice, whatever the discipline. Just standing in the "standing pole" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhan_zhuang posture for 15-20 minutes, 3-6 days a week will make a tremendous difference.
  • Excellent, thanks rodney. I wasn't familiar with the practice of standing pole, and it's great to learn about it. I've also not read warriors of stillness, but I have certainly heard of it.
  • Good post! I'm glad to see you mention the direct training results, not only to your physical health, but to your ability and performance (i.e. better balance and weight transfer). A lot of modern dojos baraely address these points adequately as it is...let alone mention how basic day to day posture can affect them.

    http://actionkaratearts.com/
  • Rodney beat me to it. Zhan Zhuang practice is the foudation!
  • My big problem is my right knee. Fell on it at the bowling alley about 4 years ago and it has never been right since. Sometimes the throbbing, burning, pain is really bad - other times no problem. But I have noticed two ways I sit that really tend to bring the problems in my knee to the the forefront. I like to bend one of my legs under me and sit on my calf. I also like to sit with my right leg crossed over my left - in an unladylike cross that is - not the ladylike way where my one knee rests on top of the other knee. I like to sit like a guy with my right ankle resting on my left knee. Both of these styles tend to turn my knee in an unnatural position and make my right knee start protesting. I try to stop myself and change positions when I notice the "sting" starting, but sitting this way is as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. It is very difficult. (As I sit here with my right knee bent and sitting on my calf!)
  • Yea it's such a burden trying to break old habits. Nevertheless for me I can tell its the smart play in the long run - if it is for you too I'd go the extra mile to make it happen.
  • I must concur with Rodney and Rick regarding Zhan Zhuang training. This has been very beneficial in my own development, especially in regards to taiji.

    However, instead of introducing a new type of exercise, this training could easily be incorporated into Karate schools via the "Ready Position". Just have students stand in the "Ready position" for a prolong period of time and see ask them to focus on relaxing into the posture. Any easy way to bridge Karate and Zhan Zhuang, IMO ;)
  • Kyokyshin Karate and Zhan Zhuang practices goes way back:

    http://cookdingskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/ta...
  • Niiiiiiice. As I sit in my chair slumped over...

    About the new chair, I initially thought you went a little overboard, and thought "ahhh thats great he got one, we want Matt in good condition, but he probably could have adjusted his posture in his old chair if he was conscious of it".

    Well I can tell you I was wrong, because my chair, however nice it *USED* to be, slumps back even when I lock it forward. So when I'm conscious of my posture, I'm scooted up, and my back doesn't even come close to the chair backing... Which I'm fairly certain is it's intention. So I can see now how a new chair could drastically improve things.

    On one other side note. I remember reading somewhere, at some point, that (I hope I don't have this backwards) heat was excellent for muscles, and cold was excellent for pinched nerves. How that fits into a nerve being pinched by a muscle, I don't know. I also can't find the article now, so it may be bonk.

    Nice writeup!
  • Yea my initial effort was to try and fix my old chair but I was failing pretty hard.
  • I have had trouble with my back for years now. I hurt it doing barbell squats when I was younger and it has never been the same since. It's developed into full blown sciatica now, with the constant throbbing down the left leg. Like you, my posture sucks at times and it's a real struggle to correct it due to the fact that slouching is a real habit for me. I try though. Since I started blogging it has gotten worse because of all the hours I spend seated. I have just resigned myself to the fact that I will always have back problems. Once you damage it, that's it. There is no going back. I just hope it doesn't hold me back too much in later years. Good post and very prescient, considering I've thinking about the same thing recently. Going to get up and stretch now...Ohhhhhhhhh
  • FoxyCitrus
    Yoga yoga yoga yoga yoga yoga. I used to have back pain all the time like what you're describing - I just felt like my back was sore and cramped. When I started doing yoga, my back pain pretty much disappeared. It also helps me get back into alignment when my sciatica flares up. Saves me a couple hundred bucks by keeping me in work and avoiding the chiropractor. Can't complain about that!

    Also, for the ladies out there, crossing your legs at your knees (as opposed to your ankles) is really bad for your spinal curvature. Crossing at the ankles sucks at first, but my lower back discomfort is all but gone now.
  • I have thought about doing Yoga for years now because I think it is a great compliment to martial arts training. Now you've mentioned it helps back pain I may just give it a go now.
  • FoxyCitrus
    I love it - it's the best thing I do for my body and mind. I hope you enjoy it!
  • Back and joint problems, specifically the knees, is what brought me to Taji in the first place. Gentle Taiji (Tai Chi) and/or Qigong practice, works wonders for skeletomuscular problems, much as Yoga does. Specific to this, and much in line with Yoga, is standing qigong. I would never argue against Yoga, I think it is a great practice. But in keeping with this thread, static and slow-moving qigong practice can work well for body aches, pains, and assorted problems. Much like FoxyCitrus reports, taiji and qigong have saved me bucks in chiropractor bills and allowed me to continue practicing other martial arts.
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