Key Note Speech:
Movement, a Common Language for High Performance
Jami Tikkanen - Coach to Annie Thorisdottir - Worlds Fittest Woman 2011 and 2012, Movement specialist, Osteopath
‘Movement is the language we all share, regardless of the discipline you practice.’
Introduction
The best performers are the best movers – those that move with effortless movement.
Poor movement is easy. It leads to poor performance and reduced longevity.
Good movement is a choice, a conscious effort. It should be simple, sustainable and sharable.
1)Organise your spine:
The evolution of the human brain was to enable movement away from danger for survival, rather than for artistic performance and longevity. Therefore how do we create a safe environment for the brain first in order to create safe movement?
The back is central to survival connecting the nerves, organs and muscles.
Put the spine in a better position, and the brain says it is safe to move.
Poor posture – hips thrust forward, belly out and shoulders rolled in - minimal movement range.
Good spinal alignment – Squeeze the buttocks and belly to create a neutral spine - much greater movement range.
2)Prime movers – the joints:
By creating external rotation in the joints, it creates core stability with a full range of motion.
Whereas internal rotation in the joints limits the range of motion and creates instability.
Formula for stability = external rotation of joints + flexion of the limb
Tunnel Concept:
The tunnel concept describes the transition between the start of the movement and the finish position of the movement.
The tunnel is small if the performer is tired, if the position is hard or if the position is unfamiliar to the performer.
When the tunnel is shorter (moving from the start to the end of a position too quickly and without conscious attention to spinal alignment, external rotation and stability), injury is more likely to occur, thus shortening the longevity of the performer.
Movement through the tunnel:
- Look at starting position
- Create neutral spine
- External rotation of primary movers for stability against the ground
- Transition into movement
Movement through the tunnel should start from the core, moving out to extremities in order to create stability, avoid injury and enhance longevity of performance.
Summary
By applying these concepts of creating a neutral spine through conscious good posture and using external rotation of primary movers to create a stable base before executing movements, the brain will perceive the body is safe and stable enough to move with full range. This reduces risk of injury and therefore increases the performer’s longevity.
Introduce these concepts into small movements initially to build up safe movement and good practice into full performance techniques.
Comments and Q and A
How do you keep spinal alignment when in extension?
-Neutral spine is the starting point.
-Develop a high level of control when moving into extension and contortion.
-You can reason from analogy: Do something because it has always been done like that. Or reason from First Principle: Go back to basics, relearn and develop from there. The movement may not be as pretty, but operating from First Principle will give the performer greater longevity.
Is there a Perfection Point?
-Philosophy: Perfection in the lowest standard we can set ourselves.
-Practical: Each human is so far from their potential – even the best athletes have something they haven’t explored. E.g. Can the metabolism be more effective or efficient? How is the brain processing information? What is the level of proprioception and how can it be improved further?
-Yes, perfection might exist, but no, we are nowhere close to achieving it in full. Therefore everyone has the capacity to improve.
Where is a good starting point for teaching circus skills to beginners and children?
-The best question to ask for this is how can you make it play?
-Encourage questions. We learn the most form athletes that challenge perceived norms.
-Show instant changes that beginners and kids can make and achieve. Children’s brains are in a state of neuroplasticity and therefore are incredibly receptive to picking up changes and learning new skills.
-Encourage good form and practice by making it fun.
What part does anatomy and physiology playin using First Principles to achieve and maintain safe movement and good practice?
-The brain is primary, and it is the sensory information in the brain that allows us to produce the motor output.
-Physiology – Are we providing the requisite metabolic functions at the cellular level that support performance?
-Anatomy – Are we asking for performances from our athletes that are actually possible?
-Connective tissue will take several months to develop to allow the athlete to do what they wish in terms of developing performance.
-As an Osteopath, the more you know about anatomy and physiology, the more information you have to work from. Structure and function is very important to convey teaching in the clearest manner to the performer.
-Understanding the movement from a human perspective – the physical change we are trying to achieve, rather than referring to biologically technical form - is more helpful for the performer to translate into their training.
What are your technical thoughts on Push vs. Pull for movement technique?
-If your brain and your muscles are always used to one movement over the other, e.g. pulling, starting to do the opposite movement, push, will be very difficult.
-Therefore doing movement outside the performers normal movement vocabulary allows for the development of mental and physical learning and general ability to move, so movement that isn’t in your ordinary cannon will not become overly challenging.
-From a technical perspective, pushing and pulling are exactly the same movement, just in a different direction. It is a transferable skill.
How do you apply the same principles to a performer with a disability or physical restriction?
-The brain is still plastic, even if the body is unresponsive due to injury or a developed disability, so persistent practice can lead to some degree of development and change.
-Some injuries and physical restrictions can be improved by working from First Principles and integrating good practice into your training and performance, e.g. functional scoliosis.
How do you prevent over thinking and intellectualization taking over instinctive and subconscious movement?
-You can’t think about the movement too much as it will become a hindrance, because by the time your brain has created a conscious thought, your subconscious may have already caused the movement to happen – you are already too late.
-Learn the First principles and apply them on movements that are relatively easy, e.g. squats or a pushup. Perfect them on these more basic movements and then gradually translate that development in technique into your everyday training and practice. Translating straight into the movement of your performance will not be successful or long lasting.
-Visualization is valuable for movement, as thinking the words are too slow. Find an image that resonates personally to you and will help you get the movement right until the correct movement becomes subconscious.
How do you incorporate safety from the conscious mind into the subconscious movement instinct of the body?
-If the brain does not feel safe, the body will not be able to perform. It is not just the physical stress, but also the mental stress in the movement.
-Find a thought model that will make you feel most comfortable with a movement that is scary.
-Try to identify a personal trigger for yourself to reach flow state, where there is no fear.
-Ratio of appropriate challenge to skill level. In between these two is where we find flow: Too much challenge to skill level creates fear. Too little challenge to skill level creates boredom. Therefore find the level of challenge that is beyond your current skill level, but achievable in 1-3 sessions. Once that challenge is safely reached, build up to the next achievable challenge.
-Build a strong mindset by stacking smaller challenges over a period of time to reach the ultimate goal. Feel safe by breaking the challenge down into smaller components, which you can perfect over time, until the movement becomes routine and feels safe in the body.
1