Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41562730›Full record

ReviewJournal of functional morphology and kinesiology2025

Applying Principles of Biomechanics of the Spine to Martial Arts: A Review on Balance of Stances in Goju-Ryu Karate-Do.

Michael Fiechter, Tobias Pötzel, Marc E Pfeifer

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Michael FiechterSwiss Paraplegic Center, Spine Surgery, 6207 Nottwil, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-0073-5651
Tobias PötzelSwiss Paraplegic Center, Spine Surgery, 6207 Nottwil, Switzerland.
Marc E PfeiferSwiss Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Renmei (SGRKR), 6330 Cham, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8662-7431

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Balance is referred to as a state of equilibrium where forces of agonist and antagonistic muscles are equal. This is particularly relevant in the practice of Goju-Ryu Karate-Do, a martial art style with combinations of hard and soft techniques. Particularly, karate stances not only depend on technical aspects but also on the ability to achieve a centered posture. In this narrative review, we aim to integrate the existing knowledge about alignment parameters of the spine to various stances in Goju-Ryu Karate-Do to improve biomechanical understanding, allow technical modifications, and consequently enhance positive training experience. Balance is constantly challenged during the interplay of accelerated movements and subsequent controlled postures (Japanese: "Kamae"). This requires continuous neuromuscular coordination to maintain the body's equilibrium. In particular, the body's center of gravity, which is located around the second sacral vertebra in a standing position, needs to be kept within Dubousset's "efficiency cone" for low energy consumption and minimal fatigue. This state is primarily maintained by aligning the spine, the pelvis, and the lower extremities, which is a result of complex biomechanical interactions of various spinopelvic parameters. Applying these concepts of Dubousset to stances in Goju-Ryu Karate-Do helps to explain why during the aging process or natural degeneration, technical modifications are needed to guarantee an optimal training experience in senior or disabled practitioners of Karate-Do. Biomechanical parameters of the spinopelvic axis are crucial in mastering the art of Goju-Ryu Karate-Do. Only with a balanced stance and an optimally situated center of gravity, a block or attack may be successful and movement strategies effective. However, technical modifications of stances must be considered in aged or disabled karateka to allow a sustained training experience.

Indexed as

alignmentbalanceGoju-Ryukaratespinestance

Identifiers

PMID41562730
PMCPMC12821703

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.