FOOT PLACEMENT AWARENESS: YOUR ACHILLES AND YOUR TECHNIQUES WILL THANK YOU Steam clouded windows covered the room in spite of the fact that the air conditioner was blowing and the door leading to the street was open. The class had a great warm up and we were now working through our katas. Good spirit and good movement. With sweat running down my face, I spin into a down block and move into a lunge punch. “What was that “pop I just heard?” I feel a little pain and more tension in the back of my leg. “That’s the Achilles tendon area. Maybe I didn’t stretch enough.” I say to myself, acknowledging the unwanted thought. Trying to get lower into my stance to stretch out my calf, I start feeling more “discomfort”. “Maybe I did something wrong?” I make it through class and drive home. Getting out of my car, I notice that walking is now difficult and painful. I begin a conversation in my mind. “What the heck is going on? I know I’m getting a little older, but my body can’t be turning against me now!” The next morning as I hobble getting out of bed, I do some research and call my doctor. At the end of my visit, he tells me that I didn’t tear my Achilles tendon, but could’ve. I have tendonitis – my tendon is inflamed, tight and swollen. And so it begins….. Due to my constant fight against this new foe, I’ve been watching the way I walk, and especially the way I move my feet when practicing karate. I’ve noticed something very interesting. Myself, as well as a lot of other practitioners move through our techniques using the tried and true “heel to toe” method of stepping. This is how we were taught to walk, right? However, in karate class, aside from spinning and some backward movements, the natural way to step is by having the ball of the foot touching the floor first. This is called “forefoot striking” – a technique used by many top runners, especially barefoot runners. This technique allows the runners to move faster and more efficiently. It places less stress on the Achilles tendon and creates a more fluid movement throughout the entire movement of the foot and leg. The problem occurs when moving from shoes to going barefoot, as in the case with karate, and still maintaining the traditional “heel striker” walking movement, which starts with the heel. Describing the mechanics of foot placement, an article on the Run Forefoot website describes it by saying, “Habitual heel strikers have heel strike running mechanics cemented in their neuromuscular system – their body is used to moving as a heel striker, not a forefoot striker… heel strikers life their forefoot back to allow heel strike and forcefully push off with the toes to propel the body forward with each step, whereas habitual forefoot strikers do not. Instruct heel strikers… to run forefoot while barefoot and chances are, they will continue to lift their toes and push off with their toes at each step, hence the term residual habits.” (runforefoot/achilles-tendon-force/) In karate, students can have this same mind/body wiring which causes added pressure and strain on the Achilles tendon, as well as the entire muscular/skeletal system of the foot. Instead of gliding, we stomp. Instead of leading with our core, we lead with upper body and fall into our movements. Our movements become hard, disconnected and jerky. If our calves and thighs are being stretched and strengthened, we will find that we have more control over our foot placement when we step and how we execute our techniques. Being mindful during our training, we will see that our Achilles should rarely be in a stretched or taut situation. There is generally an arch in our Achilles, causing it to be loose. This is because once we move from the basics (kihon) with our heels on the floor, our heels are slightly up, we’re constantly on the balls of our feet and we’re in a fluid state of readiness. And, even in kihon, the focus is on overall muscle memory, stretching and strengthening the calves and thighs and having proper body placement, preparing us ready for that state of fluid readiness. If proper body placement is not occurring, we’re probably putting undue pressure and excessive usage on the Achilles tendon, as well as other areas of our body. So, during your next training sessions, take note on your foot placement and whether you’re maintaining an arch in your Achilles or whether it’s in a constant state of tautness. For fun, take a look at your foot position while driving and when you’re just sitting watching TV. Robert Bradley 1st Dan, WTKO
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 19:35:16 +0000
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