2 foot sizes, body alignment

Posted by: Anonymous

2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/04/04 10:28 AM

Out side the world of IMA, it is mostly considered normal to have one foot slightly larger than the other. Sometimes one leg is longer than the other. For most people, this phenomenon doesn't cause much trouble, unlike in more extreme cases when the difference in size is clearly visible to the average onlooker. But to an internal martial artist, or anyone looking to achieve "perfect" body alignment, it could be quite a challenge to align a body of uneven sides.

I have 1 foot that is 1 size larger than the other, which I get from my dad who has a foot 2 sizes larger than the other. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/redface.gif[/IMG] I'm a freak. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Has anyone here encountered, and hopefully, overcome this difficulty in their training? What have you done to overcome this problem?

Please post even if you are only slightly uneven.

Steve
Posted by: Bossman

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/04/04 11:53 AM

I have a seriously permanently damaged knee, making me want to limp and lean to one side. The IMA make me constantly adjust and be sensitive to the flow of energy, I can guarantee that not only does it 'thread the 9 pearls' of the bends and joints of the body but with a little effort will flow through seriously traumatised and injured parts as well.

I don't think you have much of a problem.
Posted by: schanne

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/04/04 12:35 PM

Yes, my wee wee is large and out of alignment and has become a challenge/difficulty during training. I have overcome the problem by leaning to one side. Sorry
Posted by: Fisherman

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/04/04 05:41 PM

Lucid

I have something called Pectus Excavatum. This has been passed along through my fathers genes as well. It is a depression in my chest where my ribs meey my solar plexus. The indentation is a little more to the right because there needs to be enough room in my rib cage for my heart.
Anyways...
I guess that these abnormaities just have to be overcome. I think that the best piece of advice (got it from my teachers) is: Don't try and move around the problem area, rather try to work your way through it.

Hope this makes at least a little sense.

Chris
Posted by: nenipp

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/05/04 01:19 AM

I'd say it makes sense, you may also find it useful to think of posture and alignment as a dynamic process, rather than something static, fixed.
Eg: if you are carrying a bag, your "perfect" posture will be effected, because the bag will be part of the equation.
(now it's my turn to hope I'm making some sense)
Posted by: Fisherman

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/05/04 08:45 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by nenipp:
I'd say it makes sense, you may also find it useful to think of posture and alignment as a dynamic process, rather than something static, fixed.
B][/QUOTE]

I agree with you there. If the posture/alignment of the body is fixed then it looses its ability to move freely and change.
You may be well aligned and strong in one posture, but every posture has its weakpoints. A smart opponent knows where these weakpoints are and will take advantage of them. The idea is to be able to maintain the structural integrity/strength when you have to change in order to counter his movement.
This same concept of structural harmony while changing/moving should be applied to form training. It is best to go slow at first and 'feel' your way through the changes; constantly checking yourself to make sure that everything is in its proper alignment for optimal structural strength.
After your body begins to remember the proper structure (muscle memory) then you begin to speed things up and move more freely. However, this process must not be rushed. It takes a good deal of patience to work through things before you reach a point where you can 'play with' the training pieces.
These concepts of movement are then carried over to sparring, etc.
There are some things where I can now move quite quickly with my structure intact. There are also some things where I still **** . It is those places that require my patience and attention.

Chris
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/05/04 10:36 AM

Thank you for your replies, but I'm still not sure that I get it. When my feet are off, that means my legs will also be out of alignment, which I can also feel throughout my back being not straight, which effects my shoulders...... I'm not really concerned with movement right not, I just want to be able to stand, evenly and rooted, right now.

Maybe not, but it feels like a bigger problem than you guys make it out to be. In my weight training, I have had structural problems (squat especially) for years, and by working through it, I still haven't over come it, and my training has had serious limitations because of it.

I know I can't change my body in such a way, (right? [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG] ) But there has got to be some trick to getting closer to a more balanced stance.

Thanks for all of your imput guys. I have to admit, the more I learn, the more I see how much I still haven't learned, and sometimes it feels like perpetual failure. IMA is hard!
Posted by: Fisherman

Re: 2 foot sizes, body alignment - 08/05/04 12:37 PM

Lucid,
A couple of things that might help you.
"When my feet are off, that means my legs will also be out of alignment, which I can also feel throughout my back being not straight, which effects my shoulders......"

Well, at least you are noticing these things. Isn't funny (well, maybe not funny)that if one part of the structure is out the entire structure is out.

"...but it feels like a bigger problem than you guys make it out to be. In my weight training, I have had structural problems (squat especially) for years, and by working through it, I still haven't over come it, and my training has had serious limitations because of it."

Hey man, I think we have all been there and experienced the same things that you are going through. I still have major limitations because of flaws in my structure.

"But there has got to be some trick to getting closer to a more balanced stance."

I'm sure you have heard of the concept of the 6-Harmonies?
The 6-Harmonies are 1. Hands and Feet together 2. Elbows and Knees together 3. Shoulders and Hips (on both sides of the body = 6).
You mentioned your feet. One of the big things that has helped me is making sure that the toes of my foot are aligned with my knees, this may help with the squats.

"I have to admit, the more I learn, the more I see how much I still haven't learned, and sometimes it feels like perpetual failure. IMA is hard!"

Sounds to me like you are on the right track and on the edge of a breakthrough with your training. Stick it out! Darn skippy IMA is hard. Thats why we love it, right?

Chris