Posted by Lee W. on January 06, 1999 at 23:15:30:
In Reply to: Wu style for fat people? posted by Henry on January 06, 1999 at 19:14:23:
What I said was that the alignment of the spine with the rear leg while allowing the pelvis to align with the leg instead of tucking would make it easier on the low back.
If you have a few extra pounds, something that strains the low back would be particularly noticeable. A person who was quite thin would be able to go down the road of bad form and alignement a lot longer because the stresses to a vulnerable area would not be so great. This is an instance of pain being a good indicator that you are doing something wrong and making you examine yourself and make a change. The longer you do something wrong, the more of a habit you have to break. So, if you feel the pain early, you will be likely to correct it early.
At NO time was I implying an insult to anyone in regards to their weight.
You are right in noting that doing things with bad alignment only gets worse with added weight. However, you are wrong in assuming that the forward lean is totally bad. If you do it with too much tuck in the pelvis, it will be bad. If you allow a natural alignment, it works. Having seen Kumar do his, this is how he works it. He has the typical Wu style lean and it does not cause him pain. In fact, he has on more than one occasion attributed the Wu lean and the working of the pelvis in the stepping to doing a great deal of rehabilitation for his low back.
Again, I am sorry if it came across the wrong way. what I was trying to convey was exactly what you pointed out. Namely that if you do it wrong and have more weight the bad effects will do more damage faster. This is simple physics - mass interacting with gravity and area to become pressure. Pressure applied to vulnerable areas of the body ends up degenerating body parts.
As for consulting sources...careful what you assume. One of my students is an orthopedic surgeon. I have another consultant who specializes in orthopedics from a Chinese Medicine approach. I have gone over structural analysis of the postures with both sources. Now, the big problem with all of this is the margin for error. A very small change in foot position in front stance can turn a healthy approach to something that will destroy cartilage in the knee. Similarly, a small shift in the forward lean and the front knee position can turn a very natural and comfortable posture into something that will destroy the knee and the low back.
: Lee,
: Are you making fun of Kumar for being fat? He himself in his book points
: out that fat people are as good or better than thin people.
: Or are you making fun of Wu style as particularly suited for fat people.
: I'm fat and I can tell you that the leaning is not good for your back.
: Add that extra fat weight to the suspended torso weight and the stress
: on the lumbar discs is even greater than when skinny people like yourself
: lean.
: This may be a good time for you to consult a medical person about spinal
: structure, posture, back management. Get a neutral opinion from someone
: you trust. You don't want to go aroung spreading false information about
: backs and stuff, would you?
: Henry, fat and proud of it, and not a Wu stylist.
:
: : I can understand how Kumar would reference Wu for helping his low back.
: The alginment with the rear leg in front stance does remove a lot of
: stress from the low back.
: It is especially noticeable if you have a few extra pounds from what
: I have seen and been told by friends who have a few extra pounds
: (I don't have any so I have to take their word for it).
: The tilting of the pelvis through the step also does a good job
: of working the lower back muscles in a gentle way to strenghten them
: so I can see where praise of this methods health benefits is deserved.