Greetings,
Below is a discussion of what has been termed by students and myself as my "female" guard. This is a more in-depth discussion of the physiological basis of the guard, demonstrating the differences between males and females in the structure of their pelvises and how this affects their movement. Due to the breadth of this topic, it has been divided into two parts, this is the first part.
Why?
A while ago one of my readers
(Curious Girl) wrote a comment asking for more information about the hip
position in my “female” guard proposed in one of my earlier articles. I have
finally managed to write that article, examining the pelvis and the differences
between males and females in more detail, at least the first part of it. It has
been an interesting time performing this research, especially considering there
is not a lot using fencing-specific actions.
I hope that the information below
answers some of the questions that you had about the guard which I presented. I
have learned quite a bit since then, thanks to my female students who keep
teaching and reminding me about the joy of our differences.
Disclaimer
I have said this before when I
have talked about recommendations about how bodies should move, but just to be sure,
I will say it again…
I am not a physiotherapist,
Occupational Therapist, or any other health-care professional. I am a person
who has done a bit of reading, as the bibliography will present, and I have
been training people in fencing for about 25 years or so.
If you’re interested in the
original post you can find it HERE, or you can find it in my book Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings, where I talk about the original female guard. I am a fencer with chronic health
issues and so have a care for those a) with chronic health issues, and b)
preventing others from gaining them. If you have a specific issue, talk to a
health-care professional or your trainer about solving this problem, they are
there to help. If you would like some general advice, please do contact me and I will give you what assistance I can.
A “sort of” Correction
The title of
this article is “The “Female” Guard”. It could just as easily be entitled the
“wide-angled” guard, or several other names. I primarily teach this guard to
female students due to the anatomical differences between males and females,
and due to the ill-fit that most of the typical guards found in many treatises
have with the female body. I do not claim that it will suit every female, or
that it is only for females. If you find the guard useful, please use it.
Why is this important?
Why is this
important? This guard is important because it is a first step in the prevention
of knee and hip injury, and the prevention of the risk of such injury. It is
also a step toward making fencing more comfortable for the female fencer. Regardless
of gender or body-shape, every fencer should be looking toward the prevention
of injury, regardless of what kind.
In the
examination of hip position as it relates to injury risk, a person must examine
the differences between male and female position of the hips both in a static
position, but also in motion, because they will both affect the characteristics
and potential of injury. The first thing that will be noted is that there is a
difference in the structure of male and female hips, and it is due to this
structure that males and females move differently. This results in different
injury risks.
“Men and women have different
passive hip ROM measurements, and as a result, require different degrees of
force closure across the joint to maintain stability. Further, injury patterns
and dysfunctions involving the hip and its affects on the pelvic girdle can be
different in men and women.”[1]
The range of
motion (ROM) is different for males and females due to the different structure;
the body can only move certain ways because of the structure. This results in
different movement patterns during walking and running between. While walking
is closer to footwork the same resulting differences in gait between the
genders needs to be noted, as it relates to the same indicated injury risk if
the body is not placed in an advantageous position.
“Gender differences in kinematics
during running have been speculated to be a contributing factor to the lower
extremity injury rate disparity between men and women.”[2]
Simply
explained, males and females move differently, and it is because of these
differences in movement that females have a higher risk of lower
extremity, primarily knee injury,
because of the way they move. This is because of developmental changes that
occur within the body which change the muscular structure and control altering
the action of the body. This causes the tendency toward injury.
Muscular Activation
“During puberty, females undergo
bone and muscle changes that often create laxity, or joint instability, that
limit neuromuscular control in lower extremities. To compensate for this lack
of control, female knee joints tend to rotate inward as weight is applied. This
places strain on tendons and ligaments, and increases the risk of tear and
injury.”[3]
The indicated
tendency of the knee to roll inward results in an instability in the structure
and excess stress on tendons and ligaments, and an increase potential for
damage. Such strain is worsened during movement such as running, and even
walking. This is partially because of the wider female hips and the increased
angle resulting between hip and knee, but there is more to this explanation,
such as patterns of muscle activation.[4]
There has
been a tendency to blame the issue present on this angle, which is created
between the hip and the knee, known as the “Q Angle”. There is muscular
involvement, which is important for the explanation of this weakness. The lack
of alignment is only part of the answer, the muscular issue compounds this
issue which leads to failure, they also have a job to do.
“no pre-activation of the
posterior kinetic chain resulting in more force – both internal and external
forces – applied upon ligaments and tendons surrounding the knee joint,
ultimately resulting in a situation of stress that can lead to mechanical
failure (failure equals injury, more likely than not involving the anterior
cruciate ligament).”[5]
The posterior
kinetic chain is the muscles which are connected behind the legs and up the
back, which help keep you upright. Without its pre-activation, force is applied
to other parts of the body, the ligaments and tendons which are not used to
such forces. This can lead to failure and injury; it usually occurs at the
weakest point which is the knee.
Knee Injury
Due to the
variety of factors which have been presented previously, structure of hips,
muscular development and activation, and movement style, females are more
likely to suffer a knee injury. Such remarks concern about running, but other athletic
activity involving similar active motions where stress is placed upon the leg could
also be included.
This is a result of the way
females move. The hips move differently to males when they are running, but
also when they are walking. [6] The
differences are important as they relates to differences in movement of the
lower extremities. It is a caution that should be taken to heart as it is not
just running that is an issue.
“This all means that women will
be at greater risk for knee injuries while performing in sports or physical activities
than their male counterparts, especially anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
injury.”[7]
Care needs to
be taken when performing in all sports and physical activities to make sure
that the knee is in the correct position, and the hip is in the correct
position to do the best to prevent injury either to the knee or the hip. Females
should not stop sports or other physical activities; there should be active
preventions present.
Injury Prevention
Preventing an
injury is always better than rehabilitating after an injury and that goes for
any injury. Here, the fencer should be paying attention to the position of
their hip in relation to their knee. They should be paying attention to the
position of their knee in general. The guard that is taught is meant to correct
the position of both the hip and the knee to ensure that both are supported
properly in actions. Part of this prevention of injury is in correction which
will be spoken about later.
Generally Different
Females and
males are different, they are different on an obvious physical level; they are
also different on the psychological level. It is something that needs to be
acknowledged by teachers and trainers of all kinds, regardless of whether they
are teaching physical or other skills. The way that the lesson is delivered and
the methods which are described should be changed to suit the individual.
Figure 1:
Drawing human body - female-anatomy-for-artist
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/EduMoLDeS/drawing-human-body-femaleanatomyforartist
There has
been a tendency, for a long period, of a “one size fits all” approach to
fencing, which ignores physical differences, and gender differences among them.
This has not been helpful, some will and have succeeded while others have lagged,
“refusing to address the issues that differentiate men and women is not helpful
either.”[8]
Training should be modified to suit the individual so all may excel, and part
of this is acknowledging the difference between male and female.
Motion
Females and
males will perform the same task, such as throwing a ball in a different
manner, “Women and men perform many athletic tasks in a sex-specific manner.”[9]
This is because of the structural differences between males and females. Females
move differently because they are built differently, this will become clear as
the focus of the discussion moves toward the pelvis and gait.[10]
When gait is
discussed, the primary discussion concerns walking, but running is considered,
as it is a form of gait. In the case of the fencer, footwork is a form of gait,
and the female will perform the actions of footwork in a slightly different
manner due to the differences in pelvic structure. Another study evident differences
in gender were present, as “statistically significant effects of “sex,” which
were independent of running speed.”[11]
So there were effects of gender on movement which were independent of running
speed.
Due to the
different structure of the male and female, there is a different centre of
mass, with the female’s being slightly lower than the male’s. Gait changes
between male and female due to the different centre of mass.[12]
There are differences between male and female on a physical and psychological
form, and these need to be acknowledged so that both can be trained
effectively.
Anatomical Discussions
The focus of
the discussion is the hips and their placement. To assist this discussion the
structure of the pelvic girdle will be discussed, what is commonly referred to
as the hips, “The pelvic girdle (hip girdle) is formed by a single bone, the
hip bone or coxal bone (coxal = “hip”), which serves as the attachment point
for each lower limb.”[13]
This single bone is actually made up of several different parts, like the skull
which come together to support one another, and most of the body. The structure
is important for within these structures we find the differences between male
and female that are so important.
The differences between the
female and male pelvis will be presented and the reasons for their differences
explained. We know that the pelvis is necessary, an essential part of the body
but knowing some of the details on an anatomical level allows us to understand
why the positioning of the pelvis is so important.
“the bones of the pelvis are
strongly united to each other to form a largely immobile, weight-bearing structure.
This is important for stability because it enables the weight of the body to be
easily transferred laterally from the vertebral column, through the pelvic
girdle and hip joints, and into either lower limb whenever the other limb is
not bearing weight. Thus, the immobility of the pelvis provides a strong
foundation for the upper body as it rests on top of the mobile lower limbs.”[14]
There are
elements of the pelvis which are universal, because they are necessary for
human beings to function. Knowing these features of the pelvis familiarises us
with the pelvis and allows us to be more familiar with the subject which is
being discussed, and the form and reason for the pelvis.
Differences
There are
some obvious physical differences between females and males when we examine the
sexual organs, however the differences between male and female go beyond these
differences. They go far beyond surface appearances.[15]
To be more specific these
differences are found in the structural elements. The differences can be found
in more anatomical differences than simply organs. “There are many significant
anatomical, structural and functional differences between the male and female
bony pelvises.”[16]
The human
pelvis of the modern human homo sapiens
sapiens evolved over millions of years to its present form. This
evolutionary change can be followed through the archaeological record from our
earliest ancestors who walked with a stooped gait all the way up to our modern
selves who walk upright. This change in locomotion required a change in structure
a change in our pelvis.
A further
change was required in our structure was needed in female bodies as our brains
grew, “the female pelvis evolved to allow the birth of large-brained infants”[17].
The change in our pelvis is important as it is a change which took many
millennia and changed our bodies to what they are now; the purpose of our
bodies determined their structure.[18]
“The geometry of bony pelvis
differs significantly between males and females – the phenomena caused by
adaptation to the obstetric demands. Females have a relatively larger and
rounder pelvic cavity, a shorter and more posteriorly projecting sacrum, a
wider subpubic angle, and smaller acetabula with a larger distance between
them.”[19]
Female bodies
are evolutionarily formed for the purpose of child-rearing. Adding our
evolutionary changes toward walking upright and toward bigger brains, this led
toward other developments in our bodies. Females have wider pelvises while, “Male
pelves are not constrained by the issue of childbirth, and thus are narrower
and more optimal for bipedal locomotion.”[20]
This goes toward the evolutionary purpose of the male and female. From an
evolutionary perspective and the perspective of the structure of the body, the
male’s body is built to have stronger muscles, evidence for this is found in
our skeletal structure.
“A male pelvis is smaller and
narrower in nature which is designed to support a heavy body build and a
stronger muscle structure while a female pelvis is wider and roomier and mainly
serves for the purpose of childbearing.”[21]
The heavier
build of muscle in the male is seen in our evolutionary cousins the apes,
especially in gorillas where the male is much larger than the female. We can
see how the pelvis relates to the function of the individual, the power of the
male requiring stronger muscles while the female’s purpose is primarily for
child-rearing. It is not the “evolutionary purpose” of the structure, which is
important to the discussion, but the difference in the structure. The evolution
of the body shows the path to how we got here and the reason for the structures
which we now possess. Figure 2 (below) depicts an image of a female pelvic
girdle (above) presented with a male pelvic girdle (below) so the differences
can be seen.
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Differences are clear in the
human skeleton, the wider pelvis of the female, for example. “The pubic arch is
usually wider in the female pelvis at about >80°.”[22]
Allows for a larger head on the baby, thus allowing for a larger brain, as shown
previously; the male skeleton and pelvis does not require this structure, so it
is narrower. “While in the male it is heart shaped, and narrow. A male pelvis
has a v-shaped pubic arch that is approximately <70°.”[23] So
there is a distinctive difference in the connection and angle between the femur
and the lower extremities. Even the acetabulum, which the head of the femur
sits at the hip joint, the socket, is of a different shape.[24]
The biggest difference
between the male pelvis and the female pelvis is the female is wider than the
male pelvis. This is the simple difference; other differences have been noted,
however this simple difference has a greatest effect upon the motion of the
male compared to the female, as there are biomechanical considerations to be
made. In its simplest form, the wider hips of the female make them more prone
to torsion knee injuries, simply due to the form. The “female” guard addresses
this by acknowledging this difference and working with it.
The Acetabulum and the Femur
While the
focus of the discussion is mostly upon the hips, we must not forget what is
joined to the hips. So, there must be a discussion of the lower extremities. The
position of the hips will affect these lower extremities.
The female’s wider
hips creates an increased angle between the hip and the knee and thus between
the lower leg, which will be affected by the position the individual takes in
their guard position. The “female” guard attempts to neutralize this angle.
However, we must discuss those bony parts of the body which result in such
angles of difference between the male and the female.
There is a very good image (Figure
3, below), very relevant to our study as it shows the pelvis in a seated
position and shows the acetabulum of the male and female next to one another.
The seated position is useful, in a correct guard position the pelvis should be
almost in a seated position. The acetabulum will determine, in part, how far
the leg will be able to move.
The
acetabulum is where the femur connects to the pelvis and the shape of it will decide
how the femur is able to move. The position of the pelvis decides the position
of the acetabulum and possible movement of the femur and lower leg. There are
some marked differences.
The
acetabulum is on the side of the pelvis and is part of the hip joint, the
socket. There are variances between male and females in the shape of their
pelvises. There are differences in the shape of the acetabulum between male and
female. The position and shape of the pelvis results in further differences.
The female has smaller acetabula with a larger distance between them.[25] The
larger distance between them is caused by the wider pelvis and results in the
wider valgus angle.
It is necessary to investigate the
root cause of the position of the femur and the lower leg when examining this
issue and difference between the male and female. The examination of the
acetabulum tells us the reason the femur is positioned differently in females
and that that there is different movement in gait.
The male
acetabulum faces more to the side while the female acetabulum faces more to the
front. This simple difference has significance in the positioning of the femur
and lower leg. It would be easier for the male to line their feet up with their
knees with the narrower stance simply because their pelvis allows them to turn
their legs in this manner, allowing them to line their knees up, while the
female pelvis is less inclined to do so.
End of the first part...
Bibliography
Betts, J. et.al. (2013) “8.3 The Pelvic Girdle and Pelvis”
in Anatomy and Physiology, OpenStax,
Houston, Texas https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/8-3-the-pelvic-girdle-and-pelvis,
[accessed 21/2/22]
Walker, H. (2019) Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings, Sword and Book Enterprises, Brisbane, Australia
Endnotes
[1]
Hunt, D. et. al. (2010) “Gender differences in passive hip range of motion in
asymptomatic adults”, 7th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and
Pelvic Pain, Los Angeles 2010
[2] Chumanov, E., Wall-Scheffler, C. and
Heiderscheit, B. (2008) “Gender differences in walking and running on level and
inclined surfaces”, Clinical Biomechanics 23 (2008) 1260–1268, doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2008.07.011,
p.1260
[3] Steenerson,
L. (2014) “Physical differences between men and women regarding training”, Life
Assurance (9 Feb 2014), https://womenselfprotection.blogspot.com/2014/02/sical-differences-between-men-and-women.html,
[accessed 21/1/22]
[4]
Breaking Muscle (2017) “The Difference Between Male And Female Biomechanics In
Strength Training” in Editorial, Breaking Muscle (22 Sept 2017), https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/the-difference-between-male-and-female-biomechanics-in-strength-training/,
[accessed 21/2/22]
[5]
ibid.
[6] Chumanov, E. et.al. (2008), p.1260
[7] Steenerson,
L. (2014)
[8]
Breaking Muscle (2017)
[9] Mohr, M. et. al. (2021) “Sex-Specific
Hip Movement Is Correlated With Pelvis and Upper Body Rotation During Running”
in frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.657357/full
[10] Lewis, C. et. al. (2017) “The
Human Pelvis: Variation in Structure and Function During Gait” in The Anatomical Record (Volume 300, Issue
4, p.633-642), https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.23552,
[accessed 21/01/2022]
[11] Mohr, M. et. al. (2021)
[12] Lewis, C. et. al. (2017)
[13]
Betts, J. et.al. (2013) “8.3 The Pelvic Girdle and Pelvis” in Anatomy and Physiology, OpenStax,
Houston, Texas https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/8-3-the-pelvic-girdle-and-pelvis,
[accessed 21/2/22]
[14]
Betts, J. et.al. (2013)
[15] Nakahara,
I. et. al. (2009) “The Gender Difference of Normal Hip Joint Anatomy”, 55th
Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Osaka, Japan.
[16]
Zidon, Dr. H. (2019) “Differences Between the Male and Female Bony Pelvises”,
Complete Anatomy Community Blog, Elsevier,
https://3d4medical.com/blog/differences-between-the-male-and-female-bony-pelvises-anatomy-slices,
[accessed 9/3/22]
[17] Lewis, C. et. al. (2017)
[18] A
functionalist perspective to be true, but most of what is being spoken about is
about the function of the anatomy.
[19] Šavlovskis,
J. and Kristaps, R. (2021) “The Bony Pelvis & Gender Differences in Pelvic
Anatomy” Anatomy Standard (12 Aug 2021),
https://www.anatomystandard.com/Pelvis/Pelvis.html,
[accessed 21/1/22]
[20] Lumen Learning (2022) “The Hip” in
Boundless Anatomy and Physiology, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ap/chapter/the-hip/#:~:text=The, [accessed 21/1/22]
[21] Tamon,
G. (2011) “Difference Between Female Pelvis and Male Pelvis”, Difference
Between Similar Terms and Objects (31 Aug 2011), www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-female-pelvis-and-male-pelvis/,
[accessed 21/1/22]
[22]
Zidon, Dr. H. (2019)
[23]
ibid.
[24] Tamon,
G. (2011)
[25] Šavlovskis, J. and Kristaps, R. (2021)
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