Awareness Through Movement #423

Opening the knee – KINETIC CHAIN

Today we will be exploring the kinetic chain of our skeletal system through the act of pulling. The English language could have us think of our legs are the same as, or similar to those of a table or chair…
which are in fact very different to these things that move us from A to B.

kinetic systems are designed to animate objects and facilitate movement.

Although they’re both called "legs," the legs of a human are built for totally different jobs compared to the legs of a table or chair…. which are more like a solid, stiff post—to hold something up…. like the tabletop or seat… and keep the structure steady, these legs are not capable of moving, bending, or responding to outside activity. They’re purely a rigid support, usually made of wood or metal, designed to stay put and resist, or hold weight without changing. If that structure wobbles or shifts, it’s a big problem—the whole point of a table or chair is to be reliably fixed in one position.

Now think about our legs and the human body and, which is very different to one solid piece fixed in space. Our living system is a team of bones—like the thigh bone (femur), shin bones (tibia and fibula), and all of the little ones in your foot—working together with joints, muscles, tendons and fascia. Our legs are built to move humans around…. they bend at the knee, they twist and turn at the hip, and flex at the ankles so that we can walk, run, turn, jump, sit… dance and all the other activities we have proven capable of. These legs are alive and adaptable, rather than stuck in one shape. The bones of the legs provide support… for sure… and they’re part of a system that’s dynamic
—always shifting, balancing, and responding
to adapt to move through, and with, our environment.

So, a table leg’s job is to be a dead-end anchor: strong, still, and simple…
whereas our leg’s are a living bridge: flexible, coordinated,
and ready for action.
One holds up furniture;
the other carries us through life.

That’s why calling these two very different structures both "legs"
can cause confusion,

—they’re worlds apart in what they do!

Tonight we’ll be ‘crossing’ them in an unusual configuration
to accept some weight and pull us….

into the upright position.

Yet another party trick awaits :)