You can take one on the field, or receive one to the face. You can skin one, or bandage one. You can keep them up, or blow them out. You can operate on one, but you can't operate with only one. You can fully or partially replace one, and even bury a heart at a wounded one. You can have your reflexes tested by tapping on one of them, and your faith tested when you're on both of them. I'm talking about the knee, of course. Have you ever thought about the place of the knee in sport and popular culture? Ask someone what they think about when they hear the word "knee." Will they reflect upon a healthy knee? A knee that needs repair? The stability the knee provides? The efficiency with which the knee moves? The aches our knees provide as we age? The practice of kneeling in religion? The knee as a reference point in "proper" skirt length over the decades? The depth of trouble one can be in? A knee can be your best friend, and your worst enemy. We don't often think about our knees when everything is going well with them. It's only when something goes awry that we look down, sigh, and shake our heads as if to ask, "Come on, knee! What did I ever do to you?" The knee doesn't have as much cultural meaning as the head, let's say, or the foot...or even the finger. But whether straight or bent, the images of the knee in our minds remain...flexible.A couple random videos
Luckily for me I have not had any major knee incidents past a couple scrapes and cuts. But I have witnessed a lot of knee injuries. The first on that I remember seeing is a friend's knee cap get dislocated. At first i thought he just tripped and fell but then i noticed that the knee cap was in the entirely wrong place. It had slipped from its normal position in front of the knee to the left side of his left leg. I don't know what happened after he was taken away but when he came back his entire leg was wrapped in a huge white... cast i would like to say. He was unable to walk properly for the better part of six weeks as he took time to recover.
ReplyDeleteAnother knee thing is that i know the destructive power that a knee to any part of the body can deliver. I also know that the knee is a good spot to attack if you are in a self-defense situation. I spent this last summer studying Yongmudo, or Hapkido, at UC Berkeley. There I was taught how to properly deliver a knee strike, how to break a knee, and how to protect yourself from hurting your knee.
Ahhh...the thought of the knee and the video of the knee snap and sound was so disturbing. When I think of the knee, it reminds me of those crucial movies or television shows of someone who snaps their knee, especially the violent movies where people get attacked from the front! I am glad that nothing major like that ever happened to me (knock on wood), but I can't imagine the pain or feeling of it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand to Daniel's blog, The defense mechanism with breaking, or avoiding the breaking of the knee is possible. The knee is one of those easy spots to attack to an opponent and it also takes a long time to recover too. The knee is a fragile spot and should be taken care of because it is a major body part people need for survival.
-Kelly Leung
Unfortunately for me, I have experienced a good amount of knee injuries and can vouch for how much it sucks. As the blog mentions, people don't realize how important their knees are until something goes wrong with them. However, the same thing can be said about any other body part, like the hands. The bigger question is, since the knee seems just as important as other body parts, should it be regulated in use in contact sports? And if so, how should it be regulated?
ReplyDeleteFor example, when I was doing amateur Thaiboxing in Thailand awhile back, I was observing a tournament I was thinking about entering. I heard about this guy that had a signature knockout knee kick, so I waited to watch his match. Within two minutes of the match, the guy goes for it and knee kicks his opponent in his left ribs, breaking them in the process. It really seemed like an unfair match from the get go, but that's besides the point. This shows that the knee can be used as a very powerful weapon when used properly. It can even be deadly. It's notable that a full force punch can create the same amount of damage, if not greater, but at least the hands are padded with gloves. If an un-padded knee can be used in a match, then why can't a "headbutt" be used as well? Where do we draw the line of what is an acceptable weapon in these contact sports? I'll admit that a clean knee strike to the face is highly entertaining to watch, but receiving one to my own face is a different story. That may show that it is in the best interest of the spectator to allow knees to be used. Yes, I understand that not all contact sports allow the use of knees, but for the ones that do, how might regulating the knee change the sport? And in who's best interest will it favor? So, at one point do we become "flexible" with the rules of the knee?
Shane Fandinola
It's quiet a coincidence that I finally decided to start reading and posting about these Kin164 articles and started off with this one first because just the other day at work I had a long discussion with a co-worker about the importance of knee and joint stability! At one of my jobs I am a host, which tends to quickly and easily become quiet boring about a tenth of the way through my shift. One of the major reasons I get very tired is because I am constantly standing on my feet for hours! I have been noticing that after a while, I tend to lock or over-extend my knees and I get very achy and sore from it. After reading this blog I you have sent my mind racing with knee questions, I feel like you could write a pretty interesting book about knee's and their importance (although I'm sure someone already has!)
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you started off your blog with how one can take one on the field or receive one to the face because it really set the tone of how important and different the uses of a knee involve. Being able to relate the videos to the blog was a great visual and entertaining way to show knee's and their affects. I also never even thought able how you could not operate within two knees. There are so many body parts that we can live without I find it so interesting that is one is so essential, for good reasons too! This blog definitely shows us just how important our body is and how easily we take it for granted!
--Briana Shimizu
Briana Shimizu:
ReplyDeleteIt's quiet a coincidence that I finally decided to start reading and posting about these Kin164 articles and started off with this one first because just the other day at work I had a long discussion with a co-worker about the importance of knee and joint stability! At one of my jobs I am a host, which tends to quickly and easily become quiet boring about a tenth of the way through my shift. One of the major reasons I get very tired is because I am constantly standing on my feet for hours! I have been noticing that after a while, I tend to lock or over-extend my knees and I get very achy and sore from it. After reading this blog I you have sent my mind racing with knee questions, I feel like you could write a pretty interesting book about knee's and their importance (although I'm sure someone already has!)
I liked the way you started off your blog with how one can take one on the field or receive one to the face because it really set the tone of how important and different the uses of a knee involve. Being able to relate the videos to the blog was a great visual and entertaining way to show knee's and their affects. I also never even thought able how you could not operate within two knees. There are so many body parts that we can live without I find it so interesting that is one is so essential, for good reasons too! This blog definitely shows us just how important our body is and how easily we take it for granted!
--Briana Shimizu
Christina Calcagno (kin 164)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this blog and the responses of everyone else. When I think of the word knee I automatically think of basketball and torn ACL's. From my involvement of sports I have witnessed many ACL tears (which are common among women), as well I have experienced knee sprains. The knee so small, but very significant in athletic performance along with daily life.
I decided to ask my grandmother what came to her mind when she heard the word knee and she too commented on the literal knee and knee pain. However, she went on to say that she wished she had the knees of a teenager. She has bad arthritis in her knees, which make it difficult for her to walk,sit and stand. I started to laugh a little bit, because in my head I am thinking what really does my 95 year old grandmother need with "teenage" knees? But as she started to talk about not being able to walk to church, or the store. My grandmother is quite religious and prayer is a big part of her daily life. Prayer at night, by the side of her bed was mandatory if I ever stayed the night.
While a knees may seem insignificant and just another body part, to many such like my grandmother they are vital and important to everyday activities. I understand that wear and tear on the knee is inevitable, but through this blog it has allowed me to see the appreciation of the human body and all that is enables us to do.
Christina Calcagno
I agree with Kelly's blog, the snapping of the knee was extremely disturbing and it sounds very painful. I have been a soccer player for 6 years and luckily no knee injuries but many of my friends have torn their ACL or injured their knee in some other way.
ReplyDeleteWhen i used to work in a PT clinic, I observed many knee injuries and they seemed to be the most painful out of any other injuries the patient's were recovering from.
The knee is an important part of our body and should be taken care of properly in injured. So play safe and give some time for the healing process because, as i saw in the clinic, it does take a while and plenty of hard work and pain.
I didn't know at first where you were going to go with this blog considering you were just describing a knee, but it is curious why the knee isn't thought of as much as other body parts like the head. I've never had a real knee problem but it is easy to understand how hard it would be to function without one. Even those few times when you are physically exhausted and your knees give out on you, you feel sort of helpless. Whenever I hear that someone had a knee injury I automatically think how much that sucks because now their knee will always be messed up. Its almost like no one can bounce back after a knee injury. They always have to wear bulky braces, they always seem to be limping or needing to sit down so that their knee can rest. A knee injury is almost like a never ending injury. Once it happens it only gets worse. Although it is interesting to point out the video of the UFC fight, since it showed the knee as a strong part of the body. The knee appears to be a useful body part for defense even though it at times can be weak. The knee has two purposes such as stability when moving and as a hard surface, but many athletes are careless about their knees and end up hurting them. Weight-lifting seems to be one of the only sports that people regularly wrap their knees as a safety precaution. I feel like a significant amount of knee injuries could have been prevented if the athletes were to have properly wrapped their knees before performing strenuous tasks.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the knee plays a huge (often overlooked) role, not only in sport, but every day life. When I think of the knee in sport, I think of how an injury to the knee could cause a drastic blow to an athlete's sporting career. One of the most serious injuries athlete's encounter is an ACL tear. I've had friends who have torn an ACL and have never completely recovered, or have given up on sport altogether.
ReplyDeleteAnother great point in the blog is the role plays in relegion, or how it is a sign of respect. Whether one is kneeling to a King, or kneeling on the football field because a player is down. An active and fully functional knee is extremly significant in and out of sport yet no one pays the attention due as much as say a quarterback's throwing arm or a kicker's groin. All are important, but without the knee, those players might as well take a seat.
Oww!!! Seeing that video and hearing that snap just hurted my knees. When I think of knees, I think of the flat feet that I have. Because flat feet is linked to having bad knees, I need to keep my knees strong so the pain won't surround me at random time.
ReplyDeleteLike what Kelly said, the knee is one of the weak points in the body. An opponent or enemy and take it out and leave you injured for a long time. The knees takes a long time to recover because it is a major part of the body. If our knees were busted or taken away from a disaster that happen, people would be walking like Hank Hill's dad from "King of the Hill". Wobbling
The knees are an important part of our body and we use them in simple everyday activities. People injure knees all the time when playing sports and they do not always come back the same. Even with all the technology and medical advances we have had, a knee injury can end up being a lifetime problem. I have played sports all my life and have been fortunate enough to never had any problems with my knee. That being said, I have friends that have had knee injuries and many of them have not been the same since. My friend just had surgery on his meniscus last friday. Hopefully he can fully recover.
ReplyDeleteThe knee can be such a delicate part of our body and yet can inflict serious damage to an opponent. MMA fighters use their knees to land damaging blows to their opponents often knocking them out. I thought it was interesting that you showed a serious knee injury and also had a person using his knee to hurt somebody. It shows how strong a knee is but also how vulnerable it is.