STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Anatomy and physiology is synonymous to saying what it is and what it does.
For example, looking at the anatomy of the bicep, it is a structure comprised of the humerus bone, tendons, ligaments and its muscle fibers.
It’s physiology involves the contraction of the muscle to (let’s say) lift or pull an object from its extended position to a flexed position (for example, a curl).
If you’re a GC Krav Maga student, you would know we talk about the anatomy of self-defense at least once a cycle and it functions within this easy to digest linear plane:
Primary-Engagement-Disengagement
PRIMARY as a structure, involves you having your hands at neutral ready. As a function, it is the position from which your hands may be found when you’re trying to deescalate, trying to push away someone imposing themselves, or simply when someone is surprised.
ENGAGEMENT as a structure, are your self-defense techniques (chokes, bear hugs, hair grabs, clothes grabs, headlock, etc.). It’s function, is to create a pre-determined set of movements to get you out of danger. If you look at wrestlers or grapplers, they drill reversals for hours to get better at it in competition. Same idea.
DISENGAGEMENT as the structure, is a pre-set decision for beginner and intermediate students because the variables are unknown. Its function assumes that there are friends or force multipliers coming at the end of this. This helps your decision making process figure out “do I stay, or do I go?”
Why is this idea important? It’s important to integrate this in your training as a complement to the system. Think of it like driving a car; a lot happens before you even get to drive, but the same things in reverse happen when you park the car.
Attached is the full video on Structure and Function. Thank you for jumping onto this post and walking the path with me.
Do what is hard today, do the impossible tomorrow
-Mr. Noi