If you are a martial artist or a sportsperson and you never have some kind of issue with your back… consider yourself very lucky.
Peter O’Sullivan, Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, claims we’ve got it all wrong about poor posture causing back problems.
‘Sit up straight, stop slumping, you’ll ruin your back!’
Is there any data out there to support this idea? Has it ever been tested? According to professor O’Sullivan, it seems not.
Should you aim for a perfectly straight back?
To find the root of the idea of the straight back, you have to think cultural rather than medical. Apparently, the origin of this goes back to the days of the military musket. Centuries ago, soldiers were trained to be ‘ramrod’ straight to support the standing firing position for using the musket (with compensation for recoil). This went further into formalised weapons drill, parade ground stuff, with all that marching etc.
Culture.
The ‘military posture’ became much admired and was copied as a model of good deportment in civil society. The opposite of this was seen as the slovenly overly-relaxed ‘slump’.
I remember years ago a Japanese Wado karate Sensei saying that when kneeling (Seiza) we should sit like “a lion surveying his territory. Not like a sleeping pig, or a Chinese beggar”. (his words not mine). From this you can see the contrasting picture. Posture denotes attitude. There is something in that, but…
Spinal structure.
The spine has a natural ‘S’ curve in it, and it is not a uniform thickness all the way down the vertebrae. To force it into a position that is perfectly straight could be classified as an aberration, both structurally and functionally.
Closer examination reveals that there is something really clever going on here. One expert physiologist said that if the vertebrae were stacked up perfectly vertically, over time the pressure of gravity would put an intolerable load on the lowest vertebrae and associated discs. He was of the view that with a normal ‘S’ shaped spine the pressures exerted are spread, rather like the way the cables in a suspension bridge share the load along the different sections.
This is all well and good if we are talking about static structures (like buildings and bridges) but in our spine we need mobility and efficiency, with all the parts contributing intelligently. That is a marvel in itself.
Posture.
What Peter O’Sullivan says is that with regard to posture we have got it all wrong. His research suggests that a distorted, slightly slumped posture is not a cause of back problems, it’s often the result of existing back problems; either that, or just what’s natural to you. O’Sullivan says that there is possibly one exception, and that is if the head hangs forward repeatedly, because of the weight of the head, it can lead to neck problems.
Posture as an indicator of attitude.
There is another issue connected to posture which I hinted at previously; that is posture related to attitude or outlook.
Two factors:
· Posture as a physical statement (body language). A straightened back might project an aura of confidence and togetherness. While a hunched posture may imply the opposite; timidity, fearfulness, shrinking inside yourself.
· Literal ‘tensions’, linked to psychological stress. As an example; think of driving in a difficult situation, gripping the steering wheel, creating tension which impacts on the shoulders and neck.
As martial artists we know that posture can relate to efficiency, e.g. think of how breathing can be inhibited by adopting a cramped, bent forward position.
Our spinal alignment can also affect our balance and our ability to move. We train against inefficient movement by ensuring we are in control of our centre; an orchestration involving many parts but particularly the core and the spine.
Posture as an expression of perfection.
Think of dancers, classical ballet; you may observe that the postures are deliberately exaggerated to create a particular expression or emphasis; this is all part of the art, contributing towards the effectiveness of the performance.
And kata?
But what of the performance of solo kata in martial arts? Well… it’s a performance, often a caricature of an interpretation of formalised fighting skills; generally treated as either a catalogue of techniques, or a training exercise to build specific muscle habits. But when it’s a ‘performance’?
I wonder about the current kata champions. It always intrigues me that the ‘expressiveness’ starts before a single technique is thrown; just by the manner in which they walk across the area to stand in the start position. This is characterised by, chin up, chest out, arms swinging like toy soldiers; it’s not natural, in fact it’s a very deliberate over-statement (I am pretty sure the origin of this is to be found in gymnastics).
In martial arts, surely, our deportment and posture are a result of our training, not something that is artificially schooled for the sake of a performance? Again, we seem to have things the wrong way round.
You have to ask yourself, as these aspects become more and more exaggerated, where will it end?
Final thoughts.
Our whole skeletal structure is a wonderful complex orchestration, designed by evolution for movement. In fact, our health and thriving relies heavily on movement. Yes, sitting and relaxing are part of what we do as humans, but it is movement that is our real zone of existence. Modern lifestyles seem to be geared towards the opposite – the comfy chairs, the moving walkways, all support the notion that an ideal existence should be an urge towards torpidity and inertia. To me, that is not a way we should celebrate our small window of existence in this world.
Sit and slump if you must, but enjoy the vitality and energy of movement while you can.
Header image; Tim Shaw via AI.
Kata image credit: WKF News.
Supple spine and shoulders are important especially in bigger and or older people especially men. As you say move it and keep it supported by strong muscles.
I liked this one, Tim! In jiu jitsu, we often talk about "correct" or "proper posture" for a given situation - this just indicates how your body should be positioned relative to your partner's, and it underlies your point that the human body is meant to be in motion. Each posture is very different given each situation.
Sitting (or standing) still isn't what we're wired for at all.