Sunday, March 11, 2007

endurance sports and kung fu (part 2) - center of gravity

i'd mentioned in a previous post about my decision to take kung fu lessons, and about my belief that there was some symbiotic connections between the 2 that i think people may have overlooked.

i'd said that there were a number of things relative to sports (and triathlon) i'd found in the short time i've been doing martial arts. among them is the notion of the center of gravity, and the manipulation of it.

i think most athletes are aware of it, if not consciously then unconsciously, and use it naturally as a component of their athletic abilities. i mean, being an athlete is about developing and possessing skills like mind-body awareness, mental concentration and visualization, physical strength and speed, as well as physical coordination, all of which relates in some way to utilization of the body's properties, which include the center of gravity.

but what i don't think most athletes are aware of is the way other activities such as kung fu (or even outside of kung fu, like ballet, yoga, etc.) perceive it. and i think to really get a good grasp of something, you need to get some perspective on it in terms of its context to other things, since this allows you to really understand the full potential, value, and need for it towards the purpose you use it. the center of gravity is a major part of each of the 3 individual disciplines within triathlon, but i didn't really become aware of just how much until i saw how it was used in kung fu.

granted, there are differences in how the 2 subjects deal with center of gravity. but there are also similarities--similarities which i think help to gain a better sensitivity and better use of the concept.

to see what i mean in detail, reference the cross-posting from my kung fu blog: jonathan on a path: center of gravity

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