3-D Movement Focus: Introduction to the Biomechanics of Functional Grappling and Wrestling

I have the distinct pleasure of having many amazing people in my life. Friends, family, students, teachers and mentors. Interestingly enough, a person may fall into one of those groups, but many times, a person may fall into more than one to all of those groups.

One of those people who falls into many of those groups is Kancho Cameron Shayne, creator of Budokon (pictured below). Budokon or "Way of the Spiritual Warrior"  in Japanese, is Kancho Shayne's fusion of Yoga and Mixed Martial arts into a powerful conditioning system as well as an effective Mixed Martial Arts format combining Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kung Fu, Capoiera and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In talking with Kancho, we discussed how to appropriately get across the Principles of Grappling to our students with particular focus on leverage and angles of force. Through Applied Functional Science and the Principles of Function, I will go over more strategies and techniques that focus on the Chain Reaction Biomechanics of Grappling and Wrestling so that you can go into a situation with more knowledge, so that the application in "live" situations comes much easier.

A short 3-D Holiday Reflection

Happy Holidays to all!!!

Tis the season to be jolly and I hope this blog post finds everyone in good spirits. I have to admit that I really do enjoy this time of the year, especially the music. I think my radio has been tuned to 97.1 WASH FM since the day after Thanksgiving so I can listen to the music. I even listen online.

First, I want to thank all the people who have been following and reading the blog. It's been a great experience for me to sit down and write about the body and optimal performance. I appreciate your emails, messages and comments. As we move into the new year, I will continue to write the blog as long as you all continue to read.

In the past month, I have had the opportunity to really sit back and take a minute to look at the work that I do, and I have to admit that I am so blessed to have the privelge of working with people, helping them make their lives better. As I have said before, working with someones body, you are also working with their mind and the spirit. Having this opportunity is truly a blessing and I want to thank all of my clients/patients/athletes.

As I move into the new year, I am rededicating myself to constantly learning about the body. It seems everyday I learn something new about the body. However, a mentor once told me that "No one cares just what you know. They care about what you can do for them." A little harsh but true in my mind. I can no every nerve, muscle, bone, ligament, fascia, organ, etc in the body but that knowledge is nothing if I do cannot share and apply it. To this end, I will DEFINITELY be doing more instructional videos as well as workshops for anyone interested in optimizing performance in their body.

Finally, I am still working on a post regarding 3-D Grappling. It's taking me longer than normal because of many factors but I expect to have it out in a day or so.

Again, thank you and I look forward to sharing more with you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!!!!

Will

Introduction to Functional Manual Reaction (FMR)

Todays' post is courtesy of Dr. David Tiberio of the Gray Institute explaining exactly what Functional Manual Reaction is. This type of work is absolutely amazing in any setting and is worth looking into. I use it for post-rehab work as well training and conditioning. What I find most interesting is that I can apply this method with my athletes by going through the appropriate biomechanical movements in throwing a ball, shooting with a lacrosse stick as well as martial arts grappling and wrestling.

I will post in a few days!! Enjoy the wisdom below.

FUNCTIONAL MANUAL REACTION

Dr. David Tiberio Ph.D., PT, OCS, FAFS

FMR is an acronym that stands for Functional Manual Reaction. Functional Manual Reaction is the name that the Gray Institute uses to describe the application of hands to bone segments in order to facilitate an optimal sequence of motion during a functional movement. FMR is used during the clinical tasks of movement assessment, functional training, and rehabilitation. It can complement all aspects of movement analysis.

3-D Shoulder: Subtle Shoulder Instability Probable Suspects

Another round of THANKS to Dr. David Tiberio for his guidance on shoulder instability using Applied Functional Science!!!


As I continue this exploration of the shoulder, I am starting to really get into the complexity of the human body. Looking through the Applied Functional Science glasses, I really am able to see the antaomy and function of the shoulder in a different light from what I was originally taught and its amazing. As we progress on our respective paths, I am encountering more and more people who either have acute or chronic shoulder issues, but what I'm also finding is that many people have "dysfunctional" shoulder complexes and don't even know it. Who would have thought a gunked up scapula or glenohumeral joint instability can cause a global shift of function in the body?

In this post, I will focus more on the 3-D Shoulder with an overview of subtle shoulder instability as well as some PROBABLE SUSPECTS that we can go to.  If you are just linking in to this blog, please see my other two blog posts: Introduction to the 3-D Shoulder and 3-D Shoulder: Rotator Cuff Impingements and Probable Suspects for more on the 3-D shoulder.

3-D Shoulder: Rotator Cuff Impingement Overview and Probable Suspects

A big THANK YOU to Dr . David Tiberio of the Gray Institute for inspiring me to write this blog post based on his wonderful webcasts during the GIFT Program!

In my last post, I introduced the 3-D Shoulder. As I study it more, I'm finding that the shoulder really is an amazing piece of work. The simple complexity of the shoulder really can make your head spin, but if we are looking at it through Applied Functional Science glasses, we can start to appreciate and understand the complex simplicity.

As we look at the shoulder, we realize its wonderful function, but at the same time, it can be dismally dysfunctional. In this post, we will look at rotator cuff impingements through AFS and then look at PROBABLE SUSPECTS.

Introduction to the 3-D Shoulder

The shoulder comnplex is another interesting 3-D structure where the oxymoron of "complex simplicity" comes to mind. We see this when as we observe infants grasping for their parents hand, bottle, or anything else in reach. The symphony of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and other soft tissue is amazing to witness when proper chain reaction biomechanics are occuring. However, like many other structures of the body, the shoulder complex can be as dysfunctional as it is functional.

Another oxymoron that comes to mind regarding the shoulder is "Mobile Stability" or "MOSTABILITY". As we look at the shoulder, we see a complex that has the capacity to be extremely mobile in all 3 planes of motion. However, this is the classic "Goldilocks" phenomenon. Too much mobility we can have instability. Too little mobility, can lead to pathologies like impingements. We are looking for "just right" mobility which is accomplished through a delicate balance of STABILITY in the complex With this MOSTABILITY, we are able to functional load and explode the PELTRUNKULARUS system to allow the shoulder to do its job of catching, throwing, hugging, etc.

In this post, you will be introduced to the complex simplicity of the 3-D shoulder complex along with some simple strategies and techniques for post-rehab as well as training and conditioning.

3-D Movement Focus: Functional Wrestling and Grappling

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing the football team I work with win their conference championship. It was quite a feat for our athletes who may not be the biggest guys on the field, but they usually are the scrappiest. They worked very hard all summer long with the 3-D Training and Conditioning that included not only physical training but also mental and spiritual training. Spiritual training in the sense of having them be encouraged, successful and inspired to be play football. Congrats to the 2009 Bulldogs!

When the fall season came to a close, I was able to shift gears into our winter season that includes Basketball, Hockey and finally WRESTLING which I am involved in.

BRIEF HISTORY OF WRESTLING

Wrestling, to me, is one of the most fundamental activities that a person can take part of. It is also one of the oldest MARTIAL ARTS practiced thousands of years ago by many countries like Greece, China, and Egypt to name a few. Over time, wrestling has evolved into various forms, and the two most practiced in the United States are Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling, both of which are Olympic sports.

The history of wrestling is dependent on the country but the overall principle is that it is a martial art or art of warfare ("martial" deriving its name from the Mars, the Greek god of war). Wrestling was used in war situations that required hand to hand combat as well as in peace time where it was used to condition and prepare the soldiers for battle. It also was one of the first sports at the 1st Olympiad and continues to this day.