Okinawanstrength:DevelopingtheIronBody

StuartMcGillPhD(www.backfitpro.com)

Strengthiscontextspecifictoremainimmovable,toberesilienttoblowsandforces,andtoliftand
handlelargeloadswithlowriskofinjuryrequireaspecifictypeofstrength.Thebodyisstiffenedto
becomeunbreakable.ThemartialartsoftheislandofOkinawa,Japanhaveembodiedthesestrength
principlestodeveloptheIronBody.Theyinvolvemuscularstiffeningaugmentedwithsomebreathing
andbreathholdingtechniques.Wehaveinvestigatedsomeofthesetechniquesinthelaboratoryandin
thetrainingroom.Theyenhancestrengthandinjuryresilience.HerearesomethoughtsonOkinawan
strengthanddevelopinganironbody.

Injuryresilience
Thefundamentaltenantofresiliencetoabsorbblowsandremainimmovableisenhancedthroughdrills
toachievetotalbodystiffness.Thisarisesfrommuscularcontractionwithbreathholding,orcontrolled
breathingtechniquestocreatearigid,unforgivingcylinderoutofthetorso.Thespineiscompressed
withthismuscleactionwhileitisposturedintoaneutralposition.Thisbeginswiththespine
maintainingthenormalcurvesassociatedwithuprightstanding,althoughslightshiftsmayoccurwith
themuscularcompression.Thisiscorrectiveforsomepeoplewhoexcessivelyelevatetheirribcage
duringstrengtheningefforts.Thelungsarefilledtoabout70%offullvolumethentheribcageand
abdomenarestiffenedpreparingthemtobeartremendousloadwithoutanyinternalmicromovement
atthespinejoints.
Oneofthebestdrillstoachieveaneutralspinewhilelearningtheforcefulbreathingisonewerecently
assessed,andpublishedintheJournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch(Badiuk,Andersenand
McGill,2014),wenamedittheLewitafterDrKarelLewitandhiscolleagueDrPavelKolarofPrague,
CzechRepublic.DrLewithascontributedalifetimeofcreativeassessmentandcorrectiveexercise
approachesbasedonposturalandbreathingmechanics.Hisinspirationcombinedwithgreatinsightinto
severalstrengthcorrectivesrefinedbymygoodfriendDrClaytonSkaggsofStLouis,ledtothisparticular
exercise.WhilethemastersofOkinawankaratedescribedeepabdominalbreathingtogetherwith
muscularlockswhichinvolvemindfulfocus,theLewitforcesthistorso/abdominalcompressionwith
aneutralspinewhenpracticedwiththeguidelineswepublished.
TheessenceoftheLewitistodevelopengramsoftorsostiffnesswherethetorsocylinderremains
compressedwithoutribcageflair.Thistechniquemaybeemployedinpulsesorforsituationscallingfor
isometrictorsostrengthoverlongerdurations.WhentheskillsacquiredduringtheLewitare
transferredtostanding,thevisualgazeislockedontothehorizontal.

Verybrieffly(theintere
estedreaderiisreferredtoourjournalppaperforaco
ompleteguidee),theindivid
dual
laysonthefloorinacrrook/layposittion,whileth
heyteeteron thesacrumttoachievean
neutralspine.Then
theexercisereallybeginsatthebotttomoflowtidebreath,w
wherethelasttremainingairisforcedou
utof
htlypursedlipscreatingaresistance.N
Noticehowth
heribcageispulleddownas
thethoraxxthroughtigh
thetorsoiscompresse
ed,butthelum
mbarspinedoesNOTpresssintotheflo
oor.
Oncethisabilitytocreateanironttorsoismasttered,techni questoroottintotheearrtharepracticed
leadingto
othefulldeplloymentofOkinawanstrengthindaily strengthtrain
ning.

RootTrraining
Rootingin
ntothegroun
ndbeginswith
hskilleddeve
elopmentoftthebigfoot.Thefootisttrainedtogripthe
groundussingthetoesandtheheelss.Thiscreatesthelargest baseofsupportpossible.Stompingth
he
foottoachievethemuscularrootisacommonpractice.Approgressionw
wouldbeginw
withrootingbo
oth
ncontinuebystandingand
drootingwith
hjustonefooot.Theseskillssaretestedb
byapartner
feet,then
pushingth
hestiffenedaandrootedtraineeinpulse
es,andwithsslowerforcesstohonetheabilitytosteer
thelineoffdrivethrougghthelinkage
eintotheroo
otedfeet.Pulssesmaybeappliedwithastickessen
ntially
thepartne
erisgivenfulllpermissiontobeatthetraineelookkingforasofftspot.Anysoftspotis
indicatedbypain.Thetraineelearn
nstostiffenth
hearea,elimiinatingthetisssuecomplianceandpain.The
pliedtochalle
engetheroo
otedposturemaybemaddemorecomplexwiththeeadditionof
forcesapp
twistinglo
oadsappliedtothearm,le
egandtorso.
Otherpro
ogressionsmaayincludelearningtowedgethebodyaagainstimmo
ovableobjects.Herethebo
odyis
stiffenedtoapplyisom
metricforceto
otheobject,aandwellroottedandwedgged.Mindfulffocusisusedto
ughoutthebo
ody,auditingforanyfeelinngofweakneessorcompliaance.Thisisthen
conductaasurveythrou
correctedwithmorere
egionalstiffne
ess.

Puttingtheprinciplestogethertoenhanceperformanceandinjuryresilience
Unfortunately,inmyclinicalpracticeconsultingonbackpainIseefartoomanypatientscreatedby
trainersprescribingstrengthtrainingwithoutsufficientOkinawanstrength.Theymistakenlyhave
clientsperformexercisessuchasdeadliftsthinkingthatpreservationofaneutralspineistheprimary
coachingcue.ThosepracticingOkinawanstrengthwouldbeginwithestablishingaroottothefloor.The
torsoisstiffenedwithmotiononlyatthehipandkneetoallowdescenttothebar.Asthegripis
establishedonthebarthelatissimusandtorsomusclesformanantishrugeffortaddingmoretorso
stiffness.Thebreathisheldandthebarispusheddownwardsfurthercompressingthetorso.The
stiffenedbodybecomesawedgeunderthebar.Theninsteadofliftingthebar,mindfulthoughtis
directedtopullingthehipsforwardandthrough.Ofcoursethiswouldbeprecededbyhip
assessmentstoestablishthesafedepthofthesquatwhethertheclientisqualifiedtopullthebarfrom
thefloororwhethertheyshouldpullthebarelevatedonblocks.Itisimportantnottoimpingethehips
norsacrificetheneutralpositionofthestiffenedspine.Ifyouarefamiliarwiththecoachingcuesofmy
friendandelitecoachMartyGallagher,coachingsuperstarsinthepowerliftingworldsuchasKarwoski
andGillingham,youwillbefamiliarwithOkinawanstrengthprinciples.
OtherathleticendeavorsmayrequiretheabilitytoburstoutfromOkinawanstiffnessintoaspeedtask.
Speedisonlypossiblewithmusclerelaxation.PavelTsatsoulinehaspromotedtheseideasviakettlebell
techniqueswherehehonescyclicstiffnessandrelaxation.Thereareseveralrelaxationdrillstocreate
speedoutofabaseofOkinawanstrengththatenablesfasterlimbmotion,andhigherstrikeforce.
ManytechniquesthroughoutthemartialartshavebeengiventraditionalexplanationsandOkinawan
techniquesarenoexception.Forexample,pushingthetongueforcefullytotheroofofthemouth
behindthefrontteethtraditionallyhasbeenexplainedastheconnectionofenergiesbetweenbody
meridians.However,modernscientificinvestigationinourlabhasconfirmedthatthisengagesthedeep
flexorsoftheneck,stiffeningtheneckandprovidingananchorforthetrapeziuscomplextobeginthe
formationofthestiffenedtowerthatwillenhanceliftingandpullingability.
Forconsideration,reflectionandcaution
Aswithallexerciseapproaches,customizingtotheindividualproducesthebestresults.IstheOkinawan
techniquesuitedforeveryone?ConsiderthattheOkinawansarethetallestpeoplewhentheyare
sittingdown!Atleastinthereportedanthropometricliterature,theOkinawanshavethelongestbody
butshortestleglengthratioonearth.Thislowcenterofgravity,andlowhiphingelevelcreatessome
greatleverageadvantagesforsometasksyetisadisadvantageforothers.
Ifyouhavelongerlegsasaproportionofyourstandingheight,orifyouhavemorelordosisinyour
lumbarspine,theOkinawantorsocompressiontechniquesmayneedsometuning.Itgoeswithout
sayingthatahistoryofbackpain,particularlythatassociatedwithcompressionloadintoleranceor
bendingintolerance,maybeexacerbatedbyOkinawantechniques.Ontheotherhand,itmayhelp
others.Competentprovocativetestingwillguideyouhere.

Thereisalsoadownsid
detosomeironbodyharrdeningexerccisesfromtraditionalOkin
nawantechniques
oldmastershavedamageddtheirhandsfromyearso
ofstrike
ofstrikinggandbeingsttruck.Someo
hardeninggthattheyaaresubstantiaallydisabledintheirseniorryears.Howeever,thosew
whohave
developed
dtheskillofm
muscularlyhaardeningwith
hpristinetechhniqueandnojointdamaggebuild
impressivedurableath
hleticismintotheirlaterye
ears.Asatesttamenttogoodform,MarrtyGallagherhas
justenjoyyedhis45thco
onsecutiveye
earofpulling500poundsffromthefloor!
Moreind
depthanalysissofcreatingiinjuryresilien
nceandperfoormanceenhaancementisccontainedinm
my
textbookUltimatebackfitnessand
dperformancce.(seewww
w.backfitpro.ccom)

My friendRobKiinginjuredhisbackafewyyears
ago,,attheIPFW
WorldPowerLiifting
Cha mpionshipsinAfrica.

Hehhasbeensucccessfulinrehabilitationan
ndin
empployingtheprrinciplesofO
Okinawanstreength
tobbeathisprevio
ousmark(andloadthatcaaused
inju ry),wintheC
Canadianchampionship,and
com
mpeteagainattheworlds.Inspiringman!

1. Badiu
uk,B.W.N.,An
ndersen,J.T., McGill,S.M. (2014)Exerrcisestoactivvatethedeep
perabdominaalwall
muscles:TheLewitt.J.StrengthCondit.Res.,,28(3):856600.doi:10.15119/JSC.0b013
3e3182aac3f3
3.

2. McGill,S.M.Ultim
matebackfitnessandperrformance,Fi fthedition22014,Backfitp
proInc.,Waterloo,
Canad
da,ISBN0973601804(w
www.backfitpro.com)

Theautho
orthanksDrC
CraigLiebenso
on,LosAngellesSportand Spine,whoinspiredthisaarticle.