BAMB | People with proper body control do, in fact, carry themselves in such a
way that no preliminary adjustment or movement is necessary to pass
from standing to walking or from walking to running. They can also
reverse any undertaken movement at any time more easily than other
people. All directions are acces!ible to their inspection while in
locomotion without an intermediate preliminary adjustment.
These requirements for proper carriage are justified by the anatomy and mechanics of the body and they are valid for translation as well as rotation of the body.
The terms and form of our analysis may be novel; not so the substance. The culture of the hip joints and posture of the pelvis have always been the central point of all esoteric teachings concerned with increasing potency, sexual and otherwise.
In all oriental languages, reduction of the exaggerated lumbar. hyperextension is synonymous with manhood. "Gird up your loins" is the Biblical expression for "get ready for a manly effort." "Sprung from one's loins" denotes fatherhood. The Yogi, the Japanese wrestler, and in fact all Orientals have always ascribed power and potency to the lumbar·sacral region.
The dependence of proper breathing on the correct holding of the pelvis was also recognised by the Yogi long ago. Many of the prescriptions for correct Asanas, when stripped of the cloud of vague and mystic symbolism surrounding them, are basically sounder than many modern schools of physical education, misusing relaxation, tonus and posture. Even keener understanding ofthe functions of the body is shown by Judo experts in teaching the Jigotai or defensive states and the Shizentai or the balanced upright state, synonymous with mental and physical potency.
Unfortunately, only the example of the masters can convey the proper instruction, for their theory is based on and shrouded in a cloud of mystic symbolism as is all the knowledge of the Orient.
The Shizentai is essentially the potent state we have described. The graceful, precise and efficient movements executed effortlessly and without delay in any position and at any instant are made possible by maintaining the centre of gravity at the highest potential energy level possible.
The higher exponents of Judo show such great skill and perfection in the control of the head and especially the hips and lower abdomen (Saika- Tanden) that their performances seem to defy all laws of gravity.
Unless the pelvis and the head are carried properly, no athletic perfection can be achieved with ease, and some performances are quite impossible without these two requisites; a fact well known to all specialists and yet generally little appreciated.
All people with well matured mind and body functions carry themselves in the potent state. Marked deviations are found together with marked immaturity of other functions. The all-round matured individual is recognisable by his outstanding capacity for recovery from unexpected shocks or disturbances, mental, emotional or mechanical. Faulty recovery is never found on one of these planes of activity alone. This is a very important point to which we will return.
Outwardly, the potent state is observable by certain features common to all acts performed by the person. They are simple and direct. No effort is apparent no matter how difficult the exertion, nor how great the work may be. All the faculties and previous experience are smoothly co-ordinated to bear on the present circumstance, no matter how unexpected and violent the demand may be. When the emergency is over, deliberate reflection only corroborates the adequacy of the spontaneous response. The musculature shows no useless contraction in any part of the body.
All the articulations participate in every act. None is held rigidly in any particular configuration not dictated by the immediate task being performed. In motion, none of the articulations retains any useless, habitually preferred configuration. In short, the whole system is integrated on the present circumstance with perfection and poise, preparing the body and mind for future acts. The instances where the frame is carried on by inertia are as short as possible and any performance can be reversed, or stopped, if the circumstance demands. Such an ideal behaviour is within the capacity of every frame in which all functions have full maturity, an extremely rare circumstance.
Perfect maturity of the antigravity function is recognisable by the narrowness of gait. The traces left by the feet when advancing fit between two parallel lines, about two-thirds of the width of both feet, apart. The two heels never touch the ground simultaneously.
Prints of the bare feet on the ground would be so spaced that following points would be on one straight line the middle of each heel and the edge of the second toe facing the big toe. The legs move simply, i.e., they do not do anything else but the movement strictly necessary for the purpose. So does the whole body. The trajectories described by each part in motion are therefore smooth curves. There are no jerky, angular movements whatsoever, except in sharp accidental righting.
The following chapters deal with the reasons of failure to achieve the perfection which should, ideally, be the average normal for all anatomically intact persons. Means whereby reeducation of faulty response may be efficiently achieved are also suggested. To understand the reason and judge the soundness of these suggestions it is necessary to inquire into the relation of the vestibular apparatus and spatial representation and particularly into an antigravity attitude and its connection with anxiety.
These requirements for proper carriage are justified by the anatomy and mechanics of the body and they are valid for translation as well as rotation of the body.
The terms and form of our analysis may be novel; not so the substance. The culture of the hip joints and posture of the pelvis have always been the central point of all esoteric teachings concerned with increasing potency, sexual and otherwise.
In all oriental languages, reduction of the exaggerated lumbar. hyperextension is synonymous with manhood. "Gird up your loins" is the Biblical expression for "get ready for a manly effort." "Sprung from one's loins" denotes fatherhood. The Yogi, the Japanese wrestler, and in fact all Orientals have always ascribed power and potency to the lumbar·sacral region.
The dependence of proper breathing on the correct holding of the pelvis was also recognised by the Yogi long ago. Many of the prescriptions for correct Asanas, when stripped of the cloud of vague and mystic symbolism surrounding them, are basically sounder than many modern schools of physical education, misusing relaxation, tonus and posture. Even keener understanding ofthe functions of the body is shown by Judo experts in teaching the Jigotai or defensive states and the Shizentai or the balanced upright state, synonymous with mental and physical potency.
Unfortunately, only the example of the masters can convey the proper instruction, for their theory is based on and shrouded in a cloud of mystic symbolism as is all the knowledge of the Orient.
The Shizentai is essentially the potent state we have described. The graceful, precise and efficient movements executed effortlessly and without delay in any position and at any instant are made possible by maintaining the centre of gravity at the highest potential energy level possible.
The higher exponents of Judo show such great skill and perfection in the control of the head and especially the hips and lower abdomen (Saika- Tanden) that their performances seem to defy all laws of gravity.
Unless the pelvis and the head are carried properly, no athletic perfection can be achieved with ease, and some performances are quite impossible without these two requisites; a fact well known to all specialists and yet generally little appreciated.
All people with well matured mind and body functions carry themselves in the potent state. Marked deviations are found together with marked immaturity of other functions. The all-round matured individual is recognisable by his outstanding capacity for recovery from unexpected shocks or disturbances, mental, emotional or mechanical. Faulty recovery is never found on one of these planes of activity alone. This is a very important point to which we will return.
Outwardly, the potent state is observable by certain features common to all acts performed by the person. They are simple and direct. No effort is apparent no matter how difficult the exertion, nor how great the work may be. All the faculties and previous experience are smoothly co-ordinated to bear on the present circumstance, no matter how unexpected and violent the demand may be. When the emergency is over, deliberate reflection only corroborates the adequacy of the spontaneous response. The musculature shows no useless contraction in any part of the body.
All the articulations participate in every act. None is held rigidly in any particular configuration not dictated by the immediate task being performed. In motion, none of the articulations retains any useless, habitually preferred configuration. In short, the whole system is integrated on the present circumstance with perfection and poise, preparing the body and mind for future acts. The instances where the frame is carried on by inertia are as short as possible and any performance can be reversed, or stopped, if the circumstance demands. Such an ideal behaviour is within the capacity of every frame in which all functions have full maturity, an extremely rare circumstance.
Perfect maturity of the antigravity function is recognisable by the narrowness of gait. The traces left by the feet when advancing fit between two parallel lines, about two-thirds of the width of both feet, apart. The two heels never touch the ground simultaneously.
Prints of the bare feet on the ground would be so spaced that following points would be on one straight line the middle of each heel and the edge of the second toe facing the big toe. The legs move simply, i.e., they do not do anything else but the movement strictly necessary for the purpose. So does the whole body. The trajectories described by each part in motion are therefore smooth curves. There are no jerky, angular movements whatsoever, except in sharp accidental righting.
The following chapters deal with the reasons of failure to achieve the perfection which should, ideally, be the average normal for all anatomically intact persons. Means whereby reeducation of faulty response may be efficiently achieved are also suggested. To understand the reason and judge the soundness of these suggestions it is necessary to inquire into the relation of the vestibular apparatus and spatial representation and particularly into an antigravity attitude and its connection with anxiety.
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