Are The Hips Immovable?

[Harkon72]

Power is generated by the spine, regulated by the hips and foot position. All styles to my knowledge do this to one degree or another.

[bushido_man96]

I think power come from the muscles, more or less. The spine is basically a support structure, but the muscles are what allow for power production. The musculoskeletal system is what allows the body to move and work in a powerful and efficient manner.

[bushido_man96]

This is why you'll find in traditional African martial arts the concept of the body moving as if it has no bones. There is an African martial arts evasion technique wherein one evades blows by moving the shoulders, spine, etc., in a snake like manner. Power, in the African systems, is derived from flexible joints (the hips) moved in or out of the direction of attack. Black boxers like Muhammed Ali exemplified some of this African martial concept in their boxing styles.

I don't think Cassius Clay had experience in African Martial Arts. As far as his Boxing skills went, he used great footwork, and the ability to bob and weave to evade strikes, reducing the number of direct powerful hits he took considerably.

[Harkon72]

That's true, his ability to ride blows and draw an attack gave him a distinct advantage. Body flexibility and a flowing posture melts to accomodate the opponent, and to defeat him.

[shango]

This is why you'll find in traditional African martial arts the concept of the body moving as if it has no bones. There is an African martial arts evasion technique wherein one evades blows by moving the shoulders, spine, etc., in a snake like manner. Power, in the African systems, is derived from flexible joints (the hips) moved in or out of the direction of attack. Black boxers like Muhammed Ali exemplified some of this African martial concept in their boxing styles.

I don't think Cassius Clay had experience in African Martial Arts. As far as his Boxing skills went, he used great footwork, and the ability to bob and weave to evade strikes, reducing the number of direct powerful hits he took considerably.

The understanding of body movements relative to spinal and hip flexibility is a hallmark of African dance, much of which has direct relationships with traditional African martial arts (as in "Sanguar," the ability to use a thousand twists and dodging movements to evade blows, also found in Libanda). Perhaps he may not directly had, but his understanding of it in combat harkens back to an African sensibility regarding such movement in combat. Spacial awareness is a direct result of this sense of the body and how, therefore, to apply movement in physical combat. In otherwords, his understanding of this type of movement did not come out of a cultural vacuum.

[bushido_man96]

I don't think his understanding of it came from his being African American, if that is what you are getting at. There are so many more African American fighters now and during the time he fought, but they didn't show those same traits. I think Clay's ability in the ring had less to do with some DNA connection to African MAs, and more about his natural speed and his focus on moving a lot and avoiding contact in fighting.