The function of hitting in sanchin

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Dana Sheets
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The function of hitting in sanchin

Post by Dana Sheets »

I wonder if someone with access to some technology could run an experiment.

I'd love for someone to record real time data of someone being pushed on and hit in sanchin.

The analysis of the data would look at when, by how much, and for how long the pressure on the floor increased as the individual channeled the forces through their stance into the ground. If the pressure decreased at the moment of the hit, I would hypothesize that the hitee leaned into the technique. If the pressure stayed the same...what happened?, etc.
Last edited by Dana Sheets on Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

You're talking to the right person, Dana. I was trained in all that.

It might cost to build some stuff, and I don't (now) have access to the materials or a lab. But I might be able to swing something since I know the chairman of engineering at VCU. (He was my undergrad advisor at UVa.) This would be particularly true if we could get a research paper out of it. Academia is all about the publications, you know. And I could use another for the CV.

We should talk.

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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

I don't think it would cost too too much if some creative programming could happen.

The Wii Fit board measures weight...there might be a way to link a couple of boards together and have someone put one foot on each board.

http://adminsecret.monster.com/news/art ... n-wii-fit-

Or we could email this guy:
http://code.google.com/p/casainho-proje ... hroomScale

and ask him to use a couple of large pet scales:
http://www.petgadgets.com/product_detai ... tent_id=80

The person being pushed/hit would have to indicate (honestly) each time whether they'd maintained their balance throughout the hit/push or lost balance, or lost then regained balance.

The pressure testing boards would need to be mounted into the ground so that they didn't slide....

In a more complex study you're review the ability of an individual to ground the forces from different directions in various stances. So while we intuitively know that grounding a forward push with your feet parallel is difficult there really isn't hard data that says compared to having your feet parallel, the hourglass stance is XX% more efficient in grounding a forward push.

Of course I'm making a theological leap that a person able to ground forces to their feet is also using the same sort of power train to add pushing off the ground into their strikes.
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