ARE YOU BREAKING YOURSELF?
Avoiding the Techniques of Personal Destruction
by Scot Conway, Ph.D., J.D.

In the first Indiana Jones movie, Indy said “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.”

Two things can slow us down: years and mileage. As we get older, our bodies lose some of the recuperative powers we take for granted in our younger years. However, age does not have to bring poor fitness, and our ability to perform can be compromised far before old age finds us. If we do our moves improperly, we can damage our own bodies and, like Indy, suffer from the mileage.

Many full contact fighters, in kick boxing and boxing, find that the toll the sport takes on their body slows them down far before the years catch up with them. Cracked ribs, fractured sternums, torn knee ligaments, unstable knees, strained necks, over extended joints, bad backs and more can plague martial artists from repetative mistakes made in training. If we understand the mechanics of our bodies better and perform our movements properly, however, many of the expected losses of ability from years and mileage can be reduced, even eliminated.

PROPER TECHNIQUE

Proper technique is often thought of as the execution that is most effective. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the less effective technique is the better technique. Breaking a stack of bricks larger than the next man might prove superior technique, but if he broke his arm in the process, would you consider it superior? Part of the goal of martial arts, in combat or training, is to avoid injury. Beating the bad guy is less meaningful if you sacrifice your own body in the process. Proper technique, then, is not merely the technique that produces the intended result on the target, but the technique that also avoids unintended consequences to you.

FUNCTIONAL ERRORS

Perhaps the greatest expert in the area of Functional Anatomy and correcting problems related to improper use of the body is Peter Egoscue of the Egoscue Clinic. His clients include professional athletes and even a former President of the United States. His particular expertise is the diagnosis and correction of anatomical dysfunctions. It is from Peter Egoscue and his clinic staff that this author learned the principles of Functional Anatomy and has applied those principles to his own area of expertise, martial arts. The number and magnitude of functional errors then discovered was staggering.

Consulting on this article is Dr. Joseph Estwanik. Dr. Estwanik is one of the nation’s leading combat sports physicians. He is the author of Sports Medicine for the Combat Arts and the designer of the Boxergenics grappling glove featured in the July 2000 issue of Black Belt Magazine. Dr. Estwanik, having treated many injured combat athletes, is a strong promoter of safe combat sport and self defense training. Unlike physicians without a specialization in combat sports, Dr. Estwanik is fully aware of the necessary risks taken by martial artists, but he also notes that many injuries can be avoided, and many risks can be reduced.

Let’s define the term “Functional Error.” This author’s comments do not proclaim the changes recommended here as correct and that all other executions of techniques are incorrect. Functional Error, here, is defined as an erroneous use of the body, a micro-movement or faulty training exercise that causes unnecessary wear and tear on the joints.

In many cases the “error” will generate a move with great power or impact, but it will unfortunately accomplish this in a way that will cause long term damage to the body. The explanation of the error and the proposed solution are meant to be applications for long term health and fitness, not immediate power and result. If the “error” did not produce the immediate result intended by the movement, no one would do it that way. Correcting the error will allow the martial artist to continue to acquire skill and power into later years.

The problem with doing the techniques with functional errors is that you probably won't immediately or noticeably injure yourself. What will happen is a prolonged wearing down on the joint. This deterioration’s result will be arthritis, weak joints, stiffness, loss of range of motion, and a susceptibility to stress related injuries and breakage when you're older. In fact, the whole reason most people don't know there's a problem is because it won't show up for ten or twenty years of training, and when it does surface, it's blamed on "old age."

Fortunately, these errors can be corrected. Following are corrections to fix common functional errors in four frequently used techniques: Roundhouse Kick, Reverse Crescent Kick, Back Knuckle Strike, and the Outside Block.

IMPROVING TECHNIQUES: ROUNDHOUSE
PROTECTING THE BASE LEG

A conventional roundhouse places substantial lateral stress on the knee of the base leg. This stress is largely avoided by using a target to stop the kick, but when there is no target, the base leg must absorb the stress from stopping the kick.

The top of the foot is the common striking surface. While this is proper for sport martial arts, striking a hard target, such as the head, with the top of the foot exposes many small bones to impact. This can damage the foot.

The solution to these problems is the same. By executing a roundhouse differently, you can change the direction of the stress on the knee. This solution also increases the range of the kick and protects the foot. It also makes the kick more difficult to see coming. The functionally correct kick requires more precision, so it requires more training to execute properly.

Chamber the knee for the roundhouse exactly as you would chamber a forward thrust. As you twist into the roundhouse, your knee reaches toward your target and the pivot in your hip allows more power to the kick. The kick snaps outward to strike at a 45 degree angle into the target with the ball of the foot.

The torque on the knee shifts from a circular motion with a long axis that stresses the joint to a move lateral motion. With a proper pivot of the base foot, ending with the heel toward the target, the stress on the knee is nearly eliminated. Hitting with the ball of the foot protects the small bones on the top of the foot, and 45 degree strike with the ball of the foot increases the range of the kick by nearly 18 inches.

It has the collateral effect of allowing easier modification for a variety of possibilities. If the target gets too close, the kick easily modifies for a more conventional attack angle with the foot or the shin. A slight movement in the knee can change the kick to a side thrust or can jam a charge with the shin. This roundhouse corrects the long term functional problems caused by kicking dysfunctional, and it promotes greater effectiveness once the kick is mastered.

The kick does become more difficult in the sense that your margin of error is reduced. If you hit with the ball of the foot rather than the top of the foot or shin, you need to be more precise. With the increase in range and power, though, the time and effort it takes to develop the additional skill is well worth the investment.

IMPROVING TECHNIQUES: REVERSE CRESCENT
PROTECTING THE KICKING LEG

Reverse Crescent kicks are the inside-outside crescents, also called crescents or windmill kicks is some styles. The most common technique for throwing this kick uses centrifugal force to carry the kick through the target, hitting with the leg straight and using the mass of the leg for additional power. More powerful crescents are often thrown by using the hips and shoulders to make this a potentially powerful kick.

However, this kick also puts a lot of lateral stress on the knee of the kicking leg when it hits. When striking a solid target, the foot can be stopped. When that happens, the stress on the knee is perpendicular to the design of the knee. The amount of stress is determined by the weight of the leg and the degree to which the torque of the body adds to the power of the kick.

The simple solution is to never practice this kick against a target, or practice carefully and infrequently to avoid injury. Alternatively, practice for this kick can be limited to light targets that move easily with the force of the kick. However, most martial artists practice moves for the purpose of making them useful for combat, and certainly we do not want to train for self defense only to sacrifice our knee when our safety depends on solid technique.

If you intend to use Reverse Crescent kicks against relatively stationary targets, including opponents, you need to execute the kick differently so you can change the direction of stress. Using a purely centrifugal force kick stresses the knee, but by adjusting the kick with a snap, you can increase the effectiveness of the kick, the speed of execution, and fix the functional error all at once.

Rather than sweep the leg in an arc while it in straight, chamber the kick at the knee. The knee sweeps in a circle with power coming through the hips from torquing the shoulder. With the blade of the foot as the striking edge, snap the foot out as the knee passes the target area. This tightens the arc of the kick making it faster and harder to see coming.

After impact, chamber the kick at the knee. This changes the arc of the kick from a circular arc to a parabolic arc. At the moment of impact, the force of the kick hits in the same direction it normally strikes with a centrifugal force kick. However, the change in the kicking arc reduces the lateral force on the knee by shifting the direction of the leg before and after the kick, thus protecting the knee.

The same fix can be applied to a Spinning Reverse Crescent. As you spin, the leg stays chambered and snaps out, then in. The apex of the parabolic arc is much, much safer and much more powerful than a kick that simply flings the leg around in a circle. Jumping Spinning Reverse Crescents can also use this fix.

The result with a spinning version of the kick is a dramatic narrowing of the kick. This makes it easier to execute in close quarters, harder to see coming, and it virtually eliminates the possibility of having the kick jammed in a way that could injure the knee. Chambering the leg offers more control of targeting, letting you adjust to a moving target more easily than a conventional Reverse Crescent.

Doing a functionally corrected Reverse Crescent, with or without a spin or jump, is more difficult because there is a particular point at which all the power is focused: the apex of the parabolic kick. That means that you have to be more precise in the execution of the kick. Properly executed, this kick is far more devastating than a conventional circle kick.

IMPROVING TECHNIQUES: BACK KNUCKLE
PROTECTING THE FIST AND ELBOW

Back Knuckles, often called Back Fists, are normally executed by hitting a target with the back of the hand. By spinning, then hitting, a tremendous amount of force can be generated to plow through an opponent’s head, the most common target of this blow.

This move will normally smash the small bones in the hand against the skull of an opponent, inviting a broken hand. Done spinning, this move normally uses centrifugal force for some or all of it’s power, swinging with the arm extended so the body can whip the hand around with devastating force. This invites a broken arm. If the move is blocked at or just above the elbow, the force of the blow can injure, or even break, the elbow.

Dr. Joseph Estwanik especially notes that a miscalculation can result in a hyperextended elbow. A full extension of the arm on a centrifugal force blow relies entirely on the ligament for support. The muscles and tendons do not help support the joint, and injury is much more likely. Maintaining a slight flex in the arm engages the tendons and muscles and dramatically increases the stability of the elbow.

With training gloves on, you are not likely to break the bones in your hand. Against a soft target, like a punching bag, your hand will probably not be seriously injured. Skulls, however, are hard, and self defense against violent criminals seldom allows for gloves. If you are training for pure sport, then a back-of-the-hand Back Fist will probably be effective. For self-defense, however, the move needs to be done differently. The elbow issue remains in sport fighting or self-defense.

When you do a properly functional Back Knuckle, hit with the knuckles. Do this by flexing the wrist back so the same two knuckles you use when you punch are hitting the target. When you strike with your knuckles, the angle of impact should resemble a punch. Don’t hit the knuckles perpendicular to the back of the hand or you will likely break something.

Changing the Back Knuckle this way changes the stress on the wrist so the alignment of the bones assists the stability of the wrist. Otherwise the moment of impact puts tremendous lateral stress on the wrist that must be fully controlled by the muscles in your forearm. However, with the wrist bend modification, you still run the risk of wrist injury if you just plow your hand through the target.

This problem is easily corrected by chambering the Back Knuckle. By chambering the forearm and striking out, you increase your power and control at the same time. At impact, you chamber the fist again. This means your elbow will point toward your target and your fist snaps out, making full use of the power your generate by twisting your body, but adding the power of the triceps to the blow.

This also makes the attack harder to block. Until the hand snaps out, and opponent must block at the elbow. To block elsewhere, the opponent has to wait until the hand is on the way, which is only a fraction of a second. The functional execution of the Back Knuckle protects the elbow, since the same block that could break the arm on a straight Back Fist would only stop the move done properly.

Doing the move properly also allows for an elbow strike if your opponent charges the spin. If, as you spin, you notice that you opponent is penetrating your Back Knuckle range, the elbow strike is a ready move. In fact, the elbow strike is very nearly the start of the Back Knuckle, so you need to change almost nothing.

A functional Back Knuckle is more difficult because there is a focus point at which the power of the strike is maximized. Done properly, the power is incredible. If you impact earlier or later, you’ve lost much of your power. Like the functional changes in other moves, it requires more skill, but it is safer to do, faster to execute, and much more powerful when done right.

IMPROVING TECHNIQUES: OUTSIDE BLOCK
PROTECTING THE FOREARM, ELBOW AND SHOULDER

The Outside Block, also known as an Inside-Outside Block, is normally executed by twisting your forearm to the outside. You turn your fist so the back of your hand is facing forward and the bones in the forearm line up. The hand travels slightly beyond your shoulder so the arm can deflect a blow to the outside or clash with a circular blow.

This move is normally reserved for use in forms since most martial artists know intuitively if not from experience that such a block in painful to execute against an opponent. Besides the pain issues, this block has three functional concerns.

The first and most obvious is the effects of impact. The two bones in the forearm are called the radius and the ulna. The radius is the thicker bone, and the ulna is the thinner and more fragile of the two. With this block, any lateral blow is taken on the ulna, the smaller bone, risking a broken bone. While it would certainly be better to have a broken arm than a broken skull, having neither would be preferable. Dr. Estwanik notes that ulna fractures are particularly slow to heal.

The second and third functional errors have to do with a nonfunctional twist of the elbow and the shoulder. The elbow is twisted in a manner almost identical to a bent arm lock takedown you might find in Aikido or Jujitsu. From a completely executed block, your arm is almost exactly where a good grappler would fight to get it so he could take you down by the arm. The elbow is not meant to go that far in that direction. It will sustain damage over the long term if you keep doing the block with that extra push. A similarly dysfunctional stress is put on the shoulder. Over time, this stress will take its toll on the joint.

This can be fixed much more simply than most errors. All you need to do is twist your hip and shoulder into the attack as you execute the block. The turn in the shoulder should be sufficient so your forearm no longer takes the impact on the ulna, but on the back of the forearm evenly spread on both bones. This way you do not take the full force of the blow on the least qualified bone. This spreads the impact across both bones, thus protecting your forearm from all but the most powerful of blows.

This also changes the direction of movement of the block as you complete your move. Rather than twisting your elbow outward, you will be unbending your elbow using its proper hinge motion. The back of the forearm strikes into the target with a hinge movement at the elbow, so it preserves the joint. The direction change also aligns the shoulder properly so the shoulder joint does not twist.

The result is a block that is not only safer, but much more stable. Stability helps increase power. The alignment of the elbow and shoulder into the block makes it much harder to force through than a typical Outside Block. It also gives the option of striking into the block with greater force than could be mustered by clashing the typically executed block with an attack.

As with most fixes, there is an element of additional difficulty doing this block properly. Rather than respond with the arm, you must respond with your whole body, with the shoulder and arm at a minimum, to do the block safely. This requires more skill, but for a more powerful and much safer block, for a block you can actually use, it is certainly worth investing yourself in the training.

FIXES

Sometimes functional issues are a matter of what is right and what is wrong. In these cases, fixes are critical. At other times, it really is a matter of good, better and best. There are always tradeoffs. You generally need more skill to apply a functional technique. Functionally proper techniques are usually more powerful, so the time spent on them does have its rewards.

Most of us won’t ever need our martial arts skill to defend ourselves against a violent criminal assault. The significant minority of us that will use our skill will most likely do so only rarely. Our training is not devoted solely to those moments, but to a lifestyle of personal development. If we truly wish to be developing ourselves, then we should not be destroying ourselves.

By training functionally, we can avoid the techniques of personal destruction. By avoiding those techniques, we can train well into our advanced years. When we do slow down over the decades, it will be the years, not the mileage, because we’ve taken good care of ourselves.

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