In Search of Efficiency Part Thirteen: Gravity
Gravity is a power generator.
Gravity is an accelerant.
Gravity is an assistant.
Gravity is a constant.
Gravity is awesome.
As long as we are defending ourselves on planet Earth gravity is an ever-present tool we can always access to assist us. We all know about gravity and we know it keeps us pressed to the Earth, so we don’t go flying off. We also know gravity is what makes it a bad idea to jump off a cliff. All of that tells us that gravity pulls our mass downward and that can be used to enhance the use of our mass in self defence.
Want to see gravity at work in power generation in raw form?
Stand in front of a heavy bag (or have a partner hold a bag) in a left stance (left foot in front.)
With your right foot step forward and deliver a right elbow strike to the bag or pad, BUT try it two different ways.
1. Step and land on your right foot then deliver the elbow strike.
2. Step BUT land on the elbow strike = the strike hits the bag or pad BEFORE your foot hits the ground.
Compare the power generated by the strikes.
You should find landing on the weapon increased the power of the strike because gravity was allowed to pull all your mass on to the strike where when you stepped on to your foot first gravity pulled your mass into your foot and not the target.
When we strike we can use our feet and knees to rotate our body and drop or sink our body into a strike which means we access the power generation of adding gravity.
Taking a long step as seen when elbow striking in many martial art forms is a way of adding mass because the long step drops your centre = drops onto the strike = using gravity to increase power.
In an earlier post we covered emptying the foot which is using mass as an accelerant. When wanting to move we release the muscles hold the leg bracing us from going in the desired direction so that our foot “empties” or what happens is the muscles holding us in place having been released give in to the force of gravity and we begin to fall in that direction.
In addition, having released that brace our other leg, the other brace, receives force from that release as well compressing the tendons and muscles and facia of that leg, which is like compressing a spring.
Therefore, we have a spring compressed on one side and no brace any longer on the other. The nature thing is for the spring to expand and launch us toward the side without the brace and remember gravity has already taken hold of that side moving it in the same direction. The combination of these two events using gravity (on one side to fall and on the other to compress and prep the spring) will accelerate us in the desired direction.
When we empty to foot to move in a direct we can also lengthen our stance as a previously mentioned way to drop out centre and use gravity. If we do that onto an elbow of an extended arm, then it can have some very desired effects. If the elbow pit is facing down and we control the forearm, then dropping our mass onto the back of the elbow can lock or break the arm. If the elbow pit is up, then dropping our mass on the inside of the elbow can take the Aggressor down.
Gravity can be a wonderful assistant to apply techniques.
Gravity is an constant, ever present, always accessible force that is there for the taking so whenever appropriate make good use of it for self defence. The effects of applying gravity in self defence can be somewhat awesome, not to mention efficient and effective.