Hello Lee,
In this free monthly newsletter, you will receive news updates and information that will be of interest to you on the subject of American Kenpo Karate. I apologize for the delay in getting this month’s newsletter out; we have been having some technical difficulties.
This month – More on the knee joint, book review The Art of Learning, weapon formation, Don’t drop your liability insurance!
Online learning site
It’s getting closer. I’ve been uploading material we’ve been working on since April 2009. I have about 60 of the base techniques about ready along with segments drills, general rules and principles, extensions, sets, freestyle techniques and an Instruction for Instructors section. As we get it up and running for you, the focus of the material will be toward beginner and intermediate students with more being gradually added. It’s broken down into Kenpo 101, 201 and so on like my book series with the higher numbers indicating more advanced information.
The video and sound quality is good. Bill Spearman of the Spearman Resource Group is a professional videographer and he’s done a very nice job. I posted a poll on my blog asking about pricing and your votes are being considered to set the subscription price. I’m anticipating you’ll get a basic subscription that renews monthly that you can turn off any time and be able to add other sections you’re interested in, too. More details to come.
“The cautious guest who comes to the table speaks sparingly. Listens with ears, learns with eyes. Such is the seeker of knowledge.”
– Viking saying
Recommended ResourceThe Art of Learning. Dr. Rowe struck again when he gave me this book by Josh Waitzkin. I’d heard of him previously, through tai chi circles. I loved the book and I understand things can change a life if the lessons within are integrated. I wish I’d have written it myself. Josh was a world champion chess player and later a world champion at tai chi push hands. If someone is a world champion in two disciplines, I’d say he has something worth reading. He combines memoir, performance psychology, Eastern thought and parenting. Here’s a subject excerpt on the book;
•The soft zone. Recalling intense periods of creative flow in which his performance was inspired and effortless, Waitzkin explores methods of creating inspiring conditions. Those include practicing stress and recovery to manage tension, figuring out what inspires serene focus and creating a routine to trigger that state.
I have a book review on my site in the Recommended Reading page, with a link to Amazon.com
Seminars
February – Esslingen, Germany and Ft. Myers, FL
March – Charleston, SC, Middletown, CT and Chicago, IL
April – Plymouth, England (date change)
May – Leesport, PA
June – Charleston, SC
See my schedule page on my site for details.
New Yellow belt video is hereVersion 2.0 of the Original 10 Yellow belt techniques is available. It is 41 minutes on just the techniques – no basics, no forms. Each technique is discussed in application with principles and main themes. It will couple up to what will be on my new website. The DVD will give you the basic ideas and the site will fill in even more. Techniques are shown in the air and on the body. It’s gotten good reviews. School/club owners/instructors can get discounts on multiple copies.
“Always leave an escape route.” – Biker wisdom
Tip of the MonthConcentrate on forming your weapons. Put your mind (consciousness) in your hands or feet. Really feel what they do when you curl your toes for a kick or form your hand for a claw. Learn to duplicate that correct feeling each and every time. It feels good when you do it right. Ed Parker called the idea the “compact unit”. Make a tight fist, pinch that elbow in. Spongy weapons don’t deliver power, they soak it up. And they increase the probability you’re going to hurt yourself. Remember, where your weapon makes contact is where the “rubber meets the road”, where the force of two bodies meet. It’s important they are formed right!
One of my black belts, Bruce Meyer, taught a children’s seminar and asked them to make a fist and then examine it. “Ask yourself, would I want to get hit with that?” he said. The answer should be no. Good advice for adults, too.
“The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself.” – Mary Englebreit
Members Only update
This month’s article is on not turning your back.
When you join the Members Only section on my website you’ll have access to over 125 historical and technical articles on Kenpo and more. One constantly expanding section is the Kenpo Instructor’s Handbook. It’s $29/year.
Annual fundraiser for Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF)
We are joining again with the Special Forces Motorcycle Club, Inc to raise money for their annual benefit for the above-mentioned SOWF scholarship. It will be held here in Ft. Myers, FL on Saturday, April 10th. Among other programs, SOWF provides scholarships to about 900 children of fallen Spec Ops serving our country. If you want to help please send a check made out to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Mail it to Lee Wedlake’s Karate, 12451 Metro Pkwy, #104, Ft. Myers, FL 33966. I will include your check with the rest of our contributions. It is tax-deductible and their IRS Tax Exempt number is 52-1183585. Their website is www.specialops.org. Thanks!
Functional anatomy by Marc Rowe, MD
Some of this is a repeat from last month but Dr. Rowe has added much to the description of how the joint works. I wish I’d have read this when I was 19 years old.
FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF THE KNEE JOINT
The knee is the body’s largest and most complex joint and the joint most susceptible to injury and osteoarthritis. It is of particular significance to the martial artist due to its vulnerability and because it comes into play with almost every martial art move. Although it is often thought of as a simple hinge, it is in reality a mobile trocho-ginglymus joint. This means it is a pivotalrotation. hinge joint and allows flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) and slight inward (medial) and outward (lateral)
The knee joint has four bones; three of them, the femur, tibia and patella are directly involved with joint function, the fourth the fibula serves as an attachment site for one of the ligaments. The lower end of the femur forms the upper bone of the knee joint. It widens into two large and thick rounded condyles. The condyles roll on the flattened upper end of the tibia, the tibial plataeu. The condyles are covered with smooth cartilage so they can slide easily and smoothly.
The tibial plateau contains two discs called minisci made up of cartilage and strong fiber. The menisci act like a gasket, helping to distribute the weight from the femur to the tibia. This allows the weight exerted by the femur on the tibia to be spread out across the tibial surface and thus protect the articular cartilage on the ends of the bones from being damaged by excessive forces. The menisci also make the knee joint more stable by converting the tibial surface to a shallow socket or cup that helps prevents the rounded ends of the femur from rolling off the tibia plateau.
The joint capsule is made up of fibrous material that encases the knee. It adds stability to the joint. Joint stability is further increased by the surrounding four knee ligaments. Each ligament has a particular function in maintaining knee stability as the knee moves in flexion, extension and rotation. They are made up of tough fibrous tissue, span the joint space and are firmly attached to bone.
1. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) runs between the inner surfaces of the femur and the tibia. It resists forces acting from the outer surface of the knee.
2. The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) travels from the outer surface of the femur to the head of the fibula. It resists impacts from the inner surface of the knee.
3. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most important structures in the knee. It is frequently torn requiring corrective surgery. The ACL travels across the knee joint from the front of the tibia to the back of the femur. It acts as a check preventing the tibia from moving forward. It is most commonly injured in twisting movements.
4. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) travels from the posterior surface of the tibia to the anterior surface of the femur and crosses the ACL inside the joint
The two cruciate ligaments control the back-and-forth motion of the knee and together are the most important structures controlling stability of the knee.
The two main muscle groups of the knee joint are the quadriceps and the hamstrings. They extend and flex the knee. When the knee is in a flexed position the stabilizing ligaments are lax and these muscles become the principal stabilizers of the knee joint. Well-developed and balanced quadriceps and hamstrings are essential to protect the knee from injury during bent knee martial art movements.
The quadriceps muscle group is made up of four individual muscles, which join together forming the quadriceps tendon. This thick tendon connects the muscles to the patella, which in turn attaches to the tibia via the patellar tendon. Contraction of the quadriceps, pull the patella upwards through a groove formed by the two femoral condyles causing the knee to straighten. The patella works like a fulcrum, increasing the force exerted by the quadriceps muscles. The undersurface of the patella is covered by a smooth articular cartilage so that it can slide smoothly over the femur.
The hamstrings are comprised of three separate muscles that have their origin on the ischial tuberosity (one of the bones of the pelvis). The hamstrings run under the gluteus maximums, down the back of the thigh to attach on either side of the back of the tibia. Contraction of the hamstrings flex the knee and provide stability on either side of the joint line.
Extension- Contraction of the quadriceps muscle group initiates knee extension. As the muscles shorten and the patella tendon pulls against the tibia, the femoral condyles roll clockwise and backward on the tibial plateau straightening the knee. The backward motion is checked by the posterior cruciate ligament preventing the femur from rolling off the tibia.
As the knee reaches almost full extension an important maneuver, locking out orscrewing in begins. The femur undergoes inward rotation on the tibial plateau and screws into the socket formed by the meniscus on the top of the tibia. This maneuver completes extension. The four ligaments are now pulled taut. The tight ligaments and the screwed in position of the femur provides good bone on bone alignment and allows force to be directed in a straight line into the foot directly into the earth. However in the locked out position, the tense ligaments are vulnerable to injury by direct force on the extended knee and by rotation of the knee with the foot planted. Forced rotation of the locked out knee can also result in meniscus and articular cartilage injuries.
Flexion-When the knee is in full extension and the femur is screwed in, the knee must be unlocked for the knee to bend. This is accomplished by contraction of the popliteus muscle, a small muscle that lies behind the knee joint and runs from the tibia across to the femur. Contraction rotates the femur outward (lateral) and unlocks the knee and allows flexion. Injury to this muscle will interfere with locking and unlocking the knee joint.
Actual flexion isinitiated by contraction of the hamstring muscle group. The shortening of the muscle causes the condyles of the femur to rotate counter clockwise and forward in the cup formed by the meniscus and the knee bends. During flexion, the forward motion of the femur riding on the tibial plateau is checked by the anterior cruciate ligament so the condyles do not roll off the tibia.
During flexion all four ligaments become slack and a small degree of inward and outward rotation can take place. Maximum rotation is less than 20 degrees. Since the ligaments are loose when the knee is flexed major knee stability must be provided by the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups.
In a standing position with the feet apart and the knees bent, the body’s center of gravity is shifted forward. To maintain stable balance the hips must be slightly flexed shifting the center backward.
The knee joint — take home messages for the martial artist
1. When the knee is fully extended the femur is screwed securely into place on the tibia and the four ligaments are drawn tight. There is excellent bone-to-bone contact and the joint is held in an aligned but rigid position. Lines of force are directed down the femur into the tibia and then through the foot and into the ground. However, the locked out knee is a vulnerable knee. Forces applied in any direction can rupture the ligaments and injure cartilage. When the knee is screwed in and the foot firmly planted, forced rotation of the knee can result in twisting injuries to the ligaments, the meniscus, the articular surfaces and the joint capsule.
2. In flexion the knee is no longer in the screwed in position and the ligaments including the cruciate ligaments are loose. This allows a small amount of inward and outward rotation of the knee joint. Repeated rotations cause soreness and over rotation, tears or rupture of the ligaments. When rotation is required with planted feet, the knees should remain centered over the toes and rotation should take place at the hip joints and the waist.
3. When the martial artist stands in the horse stance with the knees over the toes, the body’s center of gravity is shifted forward. To compensate the center of gravity must be shifted back by hip extension moving the hips back over the heels.
4. When the knee it is in a flexed position the ligaments that provide stability are loose. Stability is then principally dependent on the hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups. To protect the knees the martial artist must develop strong and balanced hamstrings and quadriceps.
Don’t drop your insurance! Submitted by Tim Walker, school owner
Good Morning, I thought this was important and you might want to pass this on or remind our group and friends the importance of keeping their liability insurance current.
Many businesses are cutting cost and expenses. Dropping insurance or not renewing policies may come to mind, especially if the business owner has never had to make a claim.
Last week here in Branford, FL one of the mirrors came loose from the wall at the dance school across the street from my kenpo school. The mirror hit a little girl in the head and cut her face. The girl was life-flighted out and I do not know her condition at this time.
Some points for our group and friends, keep insurance policies active and make sure you have enough coverage.
Frequently check your facility for safety hazards. Check fasteners on mirrors, pictures, signs and anything hanging on the walls or from ceilings. Check floor mats and carpets, are they a tripping hazard? Are floor tiles secure? When it rains, do you have “caution, wet floor” signs to place where customers are walking in? Do you have proper lighting inside AND outside? If it is dark outside your business, not properly lit or lights are burned out and someone falls or is attacked, the property owner and possibly the business owner could be found liable.
We teach “common sense is self defense”, safety check your businesses. It protects both our clients and ourselves.
Website updatingIt’s coming, really! I’ve got loads of new stuff to upload as soon as Tom fires it up. Keep checking.
See you next month!