Why is this balancing technique easier for some cultures than others?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the ease of performing a specific balancing technique as demonstrated in a video, exploring potential cultural, anatomical, and biomechanical factors that may influence this ability. Participants share personal experiences and hypotheses regarding the differences observed among individuals from various backgrounds.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that physical characteristics, such as the size of hips and the center of mass, affect the ability to balance, with smaller hips potentially allowing for a center of mass positioned above the ankles.
  • One participant notes that height may play a role, indicating that taller individuals might struggle more with the technique due to their center of mass and torque considerations.
  • Another participant discusses the influence of leg joint proportions and lower body mass on balance, mentioning that tight ankles and muscle mass can hinder performance.
  • There is a viewpoint that cultural upbringing significantly impacts the ability to perform the technique, with some cultures practicing it from a young age, making it a more natural skill.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on whether the ease of performing the technique is primarily due to anatomical factors or cultural upbringing, indicating that multiple competing views remain without consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference the need for anthropometric data to further understand the differences, suggesting that the discussion may be limited by the lack of specific measurements and definitions related to body types and cultural practices.

fahraynk
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Who can explain this video? It must be because the people in the video have smaller backsides/hips so their center of mass would be above their ankles and then their arms are providing the extra torque... Or just stretched out ankles?
The moderator is taller than everyone else in the video I think that is why he can't do it either... As in not a ankle stretching thing but a center of mass/torque thing.

Either way my knees hurt now after 20 minutes of falling backwards.
 
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fahraynk said:


Who can explain this video? It must be because the people in the video have smaller backsides/hips so their center of mass would be above their ankles and then their arms are providing the extra torque... Or just stretched out ankles?
The moderator is taller than everyone else in the video I think that is why he can't do it either... As in not a ankle stretching thing but a center of mass/torque thing.

Either way my knees hurt now after 20 minutes of falling backwards.

Nothing to it.
On the first try.
 
I have always had a problem doing this. I have tried to figure out he problem. I conclude that it is partly due to relative lengths of leg joints and lower body mass. Short lower leg and long upper leg will put your CM way back beyond your heels (particularly if your body CM is low). My ankles are very tight and that limits how low an angle I can get my shins, too. Also, I have 'big' thigh muscles and 'big' calf muscles so I can't fold my legs together as the people in the video were doing.
I guess there will be many sources of anthropometric data across the racial types. That could resolve the matter. I must find a spare hour to search . . . .

I have achieved the pose when carrying a heavy back pack (raised CM). That surprised me at the time. But my joints soon started hurting.
 
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Personally, I think it is entirely a cultural thing. If you are raised to do this from the time you can walk, it's nothing special. It is done in Asia and other parts of the world and not here in the US
 
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