Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Knee Walking

Me and Bryce have been going over the much neglected knee walking principles lately. Not only incorporating them into moves, but just how it works and specifically why it works with good posture. I was having a problem with it was not putting my weight over my heels while transitioning to the next knee. I was getting in a hurry and falling a little more forward than I should and firing off back muscles to pull myself into proper position again. Other than gaining a sore back, I would fall over after doing this a couple of times. As far as ne waza and getting out of the way by picking up a knee...that took a lot of work. The best explanation I can come up with is if you start with your weight resting on your knees and having them at shoulder width apart, you can get proper tension by moving like you're pulling them apart without actually moving the placement of your knees, just getting tension. That way when you get pushed or pulled, you just lift the knee you aren't rooted to and it will fall right where it needs to go and you just take a step. It's an odd feeling having to move if your leg was chopped off at the knees. Your movements are easier, as in feeling where you're supposed to go...but those same movements need to be more precise or you just fall over. The biggest problem I have was having was slightly dragging my rear knee when moving forward so it's been giving me rug burn. I'll either get better at moving and this won't happen...or I'll get callouses so big it won't matter. Anyone else have any knee walking stories or tips? Also, does anyone know of any specific exercises for knee walking to help on precision other than just knee walking back and forth?

2 comments:

uchi deshi said...

This may be a bit obvious, but I'm a big believer in using knee pads - especially for shiko - or anything on the knees! I started out without them, and after bloodying my knees and pants several times, I decided not to wait for calluses to develop.

Patrick Parker said...

cool thing about suwariwaza is if you try to put out force with your arms you fall over due to your less mobile base.

You know, knee pads seem like an obvious solution - but I've never used them... what does that say about my brainpower?

Check out this excellent video of Doshu. Amazing kneeling techniques. Near-superhuman ground mobility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cUDE_VL6k8