Fulcrums: Greek or Oriental?

[Alan Armstrong]

How important are the fulcrums in your martial art style?

Where are they located?

Will your fulcrum knowledge always help you defeat stronger opponent?

Have you found limitations when applying your fulcrum techniques or are there no limitations?

As fulcrums are a Greek mathematical concept and most martial art styles are oriental in nature, how do you cross reference the differences or similarities?

Personally I don't use the Greek methods consciously. I use the oriental way; do you know about this other way?

[sensei8]

Fulcrums are important to a MAist, imho. Why? I can't execute any known manipulation from Tuite and the like without first having some practical knowledge of body mechanics/fulcrums and the like. Move this way, this DOES happen...move that way, this DOESN'T happen! Yes, the fulcrums, as the OP puts it, have to be tweaked at times for said manipulation to succeed. Why? No two attackers/attacks are the same!!

Good topic, Alan!!

[ps1]

They are important to human movement, period. No human movement can happen without a skeletal fulcrum. It has nothing to do with understanding the physics behind them 100%. Understanding mechanical physics helps, but is ultimately not necessary to using levers.

[Alan Armstrong]

Math or physiques is not my thing. My understanding of things is more visual or sculptural. Manual manipulation or body feel works better for me personally.

Having gotten past all that. My take on using fulcrum techniques is like viewing the human body like links in a chain. They are all linked together at junctions. Just like they are at each joint of the human body. The Chinese use this "link" method of understanding joint manipulation also.

Each finger has three links, they are attached to a larger link, that being the hand/wrist. That is attached to a long link that is attached to the elbow. Which is attached to another longer link, that being the shoulder. Mapping and connecting the entire body using different sizes and shapes of links.

I make drawings of these connections on paper and connecting links using washers, keychains and chains. As the head represents the largest washer with two smaller connecting washers below, representing the neck. Amazingly by twisting the head it only turns as far as the human head cam turn. Having a working model (nothing elaborate) helps me get a better feel for the body mechanics involved.

Realizing the limitations that this (chain link) representational perspective holds, it works well in theory and in practice for me. Each twist of the chain effects the next chain and so on. Just the same way joints and muscle limitations have on each other also.

[DWx]

Math or physiques is not my thing. My understanding of things is more visual or sculptural. Manual manipulation or body feel works better for me personally.

Having gotten past all that. My take on using fulcrum techniques is like viewing the human body like links in a chain. They are all linked together at junctions. Just like they are at each joint of the human body. The Chinese use this "link" method of understanding joint manipulation also.

Each finger has three links, they are attached to a larger link, that being the hand/wrist. That is attached to a long link that is attached to the elbow. Which is attached to another longer link, that being the shoulder. Mapping and connecting the entire body using different sizes and shapes of links.

I make drawings of these connections on paper and connecting links using washers, keychains and chains. As the head represents the largest washer with two smaller connecting washers below, representing the neck. Amazingly by twisting the head it only turns as far as the human head cam turn. Having a working model (nothing elaborate) helps me get a better feel for the body mechanics involved.

Realizing the limitations that this (chain link) representational perspective holds, it works well in theory and in practice for me. Each twist of the chain effects the next chain and so on. Just the same way joints and muscle limitations have on each other also.

Sounds like you have a working knowledge of physics and mechanics

[Alan Armstrong]

Another way I get a feel for fulcrums other than link, chain connecting and twisting, is in the playground.

Seesaws. The swings. Roundabouts. All have axis's and fulcrums.

Around the home: Door hinges; door and window handles. Bottle openers, can openers, water facets, knobs and dials. Electric fans,

Martial art theory and body mechanics is all around us.

Many garden tools use fulcrum ideas (for cutting and leverage) to make us stronger than we really are.