I am always delighted when my interests intersect. I feel like I just received a two for one coupon, or I hit it big on the slot machine just when I decided to put in two quarters rather than one.
Tonight’s Kenpo Karate lesson cover the concepts of “harmonious motion” and “counter action”. To summarize, this means that the human body can generate more force during a strike by simultaneously performing a counter action or a complimentary action. For example, if I throw a right outward block I can compliment that action by allowing my left hand to follow the movement of the right hand. This in turn sets the entirety of my body into a harmonious motion that follows through my torso all the way into my hips. It is possible to compliment this harmonious motion with a counter action. By stepping back with my left foot at the same time I perform the harmonious blocking action, I am able to layer on additional force.
I hope this makes some sense. It is can be difficult to describe an action without showing some visual reference. If you want to get a better idea of this concept, try this exercise. Put both of your fists against your chest. No punch straight ahead with one arm while trying to leave the other arm firmly planted against your chest. Now stick one arm out as if you had just finished throwing a punch and keep the other fist against your chest. Now go ahead and quickly draw in the outstretched arm as you extend the fist that was lying against your chest. You should notice a significant increase in power.
I feel like my body has always known this lesson, yet I never had the appropriate words to quantify it until this evening. The real kicker is that this same lesson can apply to my animation. Think about a run cycle. We are taught that your right arm goes back as your left leg goes forward. Now consider this with the ideas of harmonious motion and counter action in play. Now you have a why behind the action. Conversely, this principle can be used to portray a physically week character. Just think about the punching exercise I described earlier. If you were to animate a boxer, you could make that character feel week by eliminating some of the harmonious and/or counter action that would be displayed when observing a stronger fighter.