I am starting a new topic. In another thread
He ***** no more!
Kunoichi stated the following. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Ok. Sticking my two cents in again. Hopefully some of this will help you guide the Uechika of the future.
Knuckle push ups: Save them for the grown up classes. The pain discourages most children and the experts warn that it can damage tender epiphysial plates - the growth plates in their hands. Karate shouldn't hurt children. Same with stretching. Rule # 1 - it shouldn't hurt. Rule # 2 - it shouldn't hurt. Rule # 3 - it shouldn't hurt. Encourage the children to challenge themselves. Make it a fun game. "Who has a stretch as good as Sponge Bob Square Pants?"
Bored with the basics? Shame on you instructor. My mother used to say, "Boredom is the sign of a lazy mind." In this case it's your mind. Boredom with the basics indicates you are not doing your job in disguising repetition. Use your imagination and run wild with this stuff.
Parents expectations? While you are addressing the children, really be speaking to the parents so they can see there is a method to your madness, a purpose to the games. For instance we used to play the "memory" game. "Why do you need a good memory? So you can remember your katas in tournaments and tests! Where else do you need a good memory? In school. That's right. So you can go to college, get a good job and take care of Mom and Dad in their old age!"
Set your expectations realistically and focus on the good in children and you will find they rise to the occasion!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Children and conditioning
Moderator: Available
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
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- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Children and conditioning
Kunoichi
Again, welcome to the forum. We are blessed having someone with your experience in teaching kids as part of a discussion like this.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
I view it this way. If we want to keep children from getting hurt and we are going to let them punch the shields or a bag, then they must be able to support their weight in a pushup position. That's all I ever asked of kids. They did not need to actually do pushups. All they needed was to be able to get up on the fists and hold it. If they couldn't do that, then I would not allow them to hit the bag. There is a greater risk of them injuring those joints in the wrist and hand if they hit the bag improperly.
If we want to say that kids can't hit the striking shield, well then that's a different story. Then in my book, they need not learn to support any amount of force on those hands.
In the case of Chad, he elected to take the next step and actually do pushups. He did that on his own volition. I am relying on his body to tell him what works and what doesn't.
I had a discussion with a parent about this before. The parent wanted me not to have junior get up on the fists, but they wanted junior to be able to hit the pads. They couldn't see my logic - if they can't support their body weight on the static floor, then they shouldn't be hurling their fists at a bag. Parent elected to remove junior. We both walked away with our principles intact.
I would love to see literature on this, Kunoichi. It's a funny thing, what doctors tell us we should and should not do. Doctors told women they shouldn't be running marathons because their bodies were too fragile. It turns out that in some ways, they are better equipped to perform in such an athletic endeavor. When my wife was having our children and she wanted to continue her weight training, she couldn't find ANYONE to support what she felt was fine. She ignored everyone and did it anyway. I kept my mouth shut because she was monitoring her vital signs all the way through, and because I wasn't the one carrying the baby. She delivered a 9 pound 7.5 oz baby by vaginal birth without any medication whatsoever. Now all the magazines say it's OK to workout during pregnancy, as long as you do what she did - monitor vital signs and don't do anything brand new.
This is a matter of degrees, and not all or nothing. I am not asking kids to do makiwara training. However I do ask them to demonstrate a minimum amount of strength, coordination, and joint stability before allowing them to hit anything like a striking pad.
I'm actually the same way about kotekitae. I've heard people say that we shouldn't let kids do kotekitae, and yet the same folks will let them spar. To me, this makes absolutely no sense. The purpose of conditioning exercises is to reduce the frequency and extent of injuries that happen in the freeform arena. To skip the conditioning step on the grounds of fragility and then allow them to jump into the unpredictable, contact sparring ring is misguided. Again, in my book this isn't an all or nothing issue. It's DEGREES. Kids can do light arm rubbing and arm pounding. I find that if anything, it teaches them that if they hurl their bodies at their partners, it's going to hurt. That teaches them not to hurl their bodies at their partners.
Contrary to what people think, pain is a good thing if properly managed. Pain prevents us from doing permanent damage. Pain tells us our limits. Pain tells a kid not to stretch any farther. Pain tells a kid not to hit that spot any harder. We only run into trouble when we ignore pain, or inflict pain for pain's sake. While we may ask junior to wear a helmet before skateboarding or riding a bike, we must let junior fall to teach him not to do stupid things. If this happens before they get too terribly big, then they won't do something like jump into a shallow creek and break their neck when they are out of our reaches and behaving completely without external restraint.
Comments from all - especially Kunoichi - are more than welcome. This is a worthy topic, and deserves plenty of attention and thought.
- Bill
Again, welcome to the forum. We are blessed having someone with your experience in teaching kids as part of a discussion like this.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
I agree that this should be a strong operating principle. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quoteKarate shouldn't hurt children.
This is where I differ from others. Remember, <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quoteKnuckle push ups: Save them for the grown up classes. The pain discourages most children and the experts warn that it can damage tender epiphysial plates - the growth plates in their hands.
If we are going to let kids hit the pads and the bags, then that means that they should first be able to support a sufficient amount of force on those tender joints. Allowing kids to run on their legs never hurt the epiphysial plates in their feet, ankles, and knees. So a certain amount of force is obviously acceptable. The question is, how much?Karate shouldn't hurt children.
I view it this way. If we want to keep children from getting hurt and we are going to let them punch the shields or a bag, then they must be able to support their weight in a pushup position. That's all I ever asked of kids. They did not need to actually do pushups. All they needed was to be able to get up on the fists and hold it. If they couldn't do that, then I would not allow them to hit the bag. There is a greater risk of them injuring those joints in the wrist and hand if they hit the bag improperly.
If we want to say that kids can't hit the striking shield, well then that's a different story. Then in my book, they need not learn to support any amount of force on those hands.
In the case of Chad, he elected to take the next step and actually do pushups. He did that on his own volition. I am relying on his body to tell him what works and what doesn't.
I had a discussion with a parent about this before. The parent wanted me not to have junior get up on the fists, but they wanted junior to be able to hit the pads. They couldn't see my logic - if they can't support their body weight on the static floor, then they shouldn't be hurling their fists at a bag. Parent elected to remove junior. We both walked away with our principles intact.
I would love to see literature on this, Kunoichi. It's a funny thing, what doctors tell us we should and should not do. Doctors told women they shouldn't be running marathons because their bodies were too fragile. It turns out that in some ways, they are better equipped to perform in such an athletic endeavor. When my wife was having our children and she wanted to continue her weight training, she couldn't find ANYONE to support what she felt was fine. She ignored everyone and did it anyway. I kept my mouth shut because she was monitoring her vital signs all the way through, and because I wasn't the one carrying the baby. She delivered a 9 pound 7.5 oz baby by vaginal birth without any medication whatsoever. Now all the magazines say it's OK to workout during pregnancy, as long as you do what she did - monitor vital signs and don't do anything brand new.
This is a matter of degrees, and not all or nothing. I am not asking kids to do makiwara training. However I do ask them to demonstrate a minimum amount of strength, coordination, and joint stability before allowing them to hit anything like a striking pad.
I'm actually the same way about kotekitae. I've heard people say that we shouldn't let kids do kotekitae, and yet the same folks will let them spar. To me, this makes absolutely no sense. The purpose of conditioning exercises is to reduce the frequency and extent of injuries that happen in the freeform arena. To skip the conditioning step on the grounds of fragility and then allow them to jump into the unpredictable, contact sparring ring is misguided. Again, in my book this isn't an all or nothing issue. It's DEGREES. Kids can do light arm rubbing and arm pounding. I find that if anything, it teaches them that if they hurl their bodies at their partners, it's going to hurt. That teaches them not to hurl their bodies at their partners.
Contrary to what people think, pain is a good thing if properly managed. Pain prevents us from doing permanent damage. Pain tells us our limits. Pain tells a kid not to stretch any farther. Pain tells a kid not to hit that spot any harder. We only run into trouble when we ignore pain, or inflict pain for pain's sake. While we may ask junior to wear a helmet before skateboarding or riding a bike, we must let junior fall to teach him not to do stupid things. If this happens before they get too terribly big, then they won't do something like jump into a shallow creek and break their neck when they are out of our reaches and behaving completely without external restraint.
Comments from all - especially Kunoichi - are more than welcome. This is a worthy topic, and deserves plenty of attention and thought.
- Bill
Children and conditioning
I don't have a PhD in physiology but in my uneducated opinion much would depend on if you were looking at a long term viable commercial AMERICAN children's karate program. And of course the age of the child. How do Americans discipline their children? What are they looking for from your karate program? This is the land of milk and honey and soft, indulged children.
The Serbian children I have encountered in my travels start conditioning when they are 8-years old. American children play at karate. Serb children train with an earnestness that comes from living in a war torn land. They condition VERY seriously all the time, in every class. By adolescence they have unbelievable focus and they are like rocks. Punches and kicks do not phase them.
How many remember Maria Sofotasios from last year's tournament? Since infancy her brother Paschalis, Greek National Karate Champion, has done her the honor of hitting her over the head with his metal trucks and pummeling her. OK, so maybe it's brain damage, but you can hit or kick Maria anywhere you like as hard as you want and you will ricochet off her. Plus you had better be tied on because she is for all practical purposes impervious to pain and is going to be coming flying back at you! A lifetime of conditioning will do this.
Could you do this kind of conditioning with American children and retain them in your children's program? I seriously doubt it. The kids will be whimpering to quit and the parents would be calling their lawyers.
The Serbian children I have encountered in my travels start conditioning when they are 8-years old. American children play at karate. Serb children train with an earnestness that comes from living in a war torn land. They condition VERY seriously all the time, in every class. By adolescence they have unbelievable focus and they are like rocks. Punches and kicks do not phase them.
How many remember Maria Sofotasios from last year's tournament? Since infancy her brother Paschalis, Greek National Karate Champion, has done her the honor of hitting her over the head with his metal trucks and pummeling her. OK, so maybe it's brain damage, but you can hit or kick Maria anywhere you like as hard as you want and you will ricochet off her. Plus you had better be tied on because she is for all practical purposes impervious to pain and is going to be coming flying back at you! A lifetime of conditioning will do this.
Could you do this kind of conditioning with American children and retain them in your children's program? I seriously doubt it. The kids will be whimpering to quit and the parents would be calling their lawyers.
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Children and conditioning
Kunoichi
You don't have a Ph.D., but you have something very important here that is lacking.
1) You have experience in teaching U.S. kids and viewing the outcomes (measured on many levels).
2) You have viewed how kids are taught in another culture where war is a part of life, and viewed THOSE outcomes.
Both these pieces of field experience give us a lot to work with.
"Experts" are bandying first principles issues around. That is, people are making presumptions based on how they understand the growing body to work and develop. But experts that don't look at the data often fall flat on their faces. There are countless examples, and you and I have discussed a few through our anecdotes.
And then there are the indulgent U.S. parents, and lawyers, and for-profit karate studios, and... and... All these things cloud the issue here. That is, what is the optimal way to train and condition the child karateka?
Interestingly enough, many schools on Okinawa are just as reticent to venture into the conditioning thing with children.
With time, we will get good researchers to collect real data on the prevalence and possible causes of various injuries in karate. In the mean time, I think we all must take careful steps.
I operate on several principles here:
1) I do not believe ANYONE should hit something until they can prove that they are capable of bearing a certain minimum force on that striking surface. A static test (coming up in a push-up position) to me is as controlled a test as any, and offers an opportunity for an instructor to make corrections on the surface to use in striking and the way to hold wrist and fist. This cannot be corrected easily once the fist starts to fly towards the striking pad. It is an OBJECTIVE test.
2) I NEVER let anyone do partner work in my dojo until they have conditioned the surfaces that we expect will receive contact. This means that blocking and blocked forearms must be at least minimally conditioned. Thus in my dojo, kotekitae MUST preceed kanshiwa bunkai. This also means that ashikitae must preceed kyu kumite.
3) I NEVER let anyone do jiyu kumite (sparring) until they have successfully passed tests where they do yakusoku kumite and bunkai kumite. Any reasonable man on the street can see this logic.
Thus we have this progression of events:
1) Show how technique is done.
2) Show that the person can bear weight on the technique, and can do so with proper form
3) Use technique on a striking pad.
4) Condition the surface that will be blocked when the person uses that technique in a partner exercise.
5) Train and test for prearrange partner exercises.
6) THEN allow student to do freeform sparring.
In my book, skip any step there and you are asking for trouble.
Right or wrong, good or bad, there is a uniform process here. I believe everyone needs a method, and should be able to defend that method in a court of law should it be necessary to defend oneself against a law suit.
Just last spring, someone (an adult) quit the class because I would not promote them to green belt. I did not promote them to green belt because they did not spar that day. I did not allow them to test for sparring that day because they had JUST tested for prearranged kumite that day (having missed the regular test because he was out of town that day). In my book, you need "time in grade" between passing the prearranged kumite test and taking a test where sparring is done. I knew the person could have done just fine in a sparring test, and so did everyone else. However...rules are there to protect EVERYONE. In spite of the incredible flack I caught for saying "NO!" that day, one day this process is going to save my rear. In fact, I'm willing to bet that the process has already saved me (and the students) from many bad outcomes that I can't possibly know about.
One needs to start with ANY reasonable process.
And then we need smart people (like Kunoichi) and good data to continuously improve that process so we can maximize student gains and minimize the risk of adverse outcomes.
- Bill
You don't have a Ph.D., but you have something very important here that is lacking.
1) You have experience in teaching U.S. kids and viewing the outcomes (measured on many levels).
2) You have viewed how kids are taught in another culture where war is a part of life, and viewed THOSE outcomes.
Both these pieces of field experience give us a lot to work with.
"Experts" are bandying first principles issues around. That is, people are making presumptions based on how they understand the growing body to work and develop. But experts that don't look at the data often fall flat on their faces. There are countless examples, and you and I have discussed a few through our anecdotes.
And then there are the indulgent U.S. parents, and lawyers, and for-profit karate studios, and... and... All these things cloud the issue here. That is, what is the optimal way to train and condition the child karateka?
Interestingly enough, many schools on Okinawa are just as reticent to venture into the conditioning thing with children.
With time, we will get good researchers to collect real data on the prevalence and possible causes of various injuries in karate. In the mean time, I think we all must take careful steps.
I operate on several principles here:
1) I do not believe ANYONE should hit something until they can prove that they are capable of bearing a certain minimum force on that striking surface. A static test (coming up in a push-up position) to me is as controlled a test as any, and offers an opportunity for an instructor to make corrections on the surface to use in striking and the way to hold wrist and fist. This cannot be corrected easily once the fist starts to fly towards the striking pad. It is an OBJECTIVE test.
2) I NEVER let anyone do partner work in my dojo until they have conditioned the surfaces that we expect will receive contact. This means that blocking and blocked forearms must be at least minimally conditioned. Thus in my dojo, kotekitae MUST preceed kanshiwa bunkai. This also means that ashikitae must preceed kyu kumite.
3) I NEVER let anyone do jiyu kumite (sparring) until they have successfully passed tests where they do yakusoku kumite and bunkai kumite. Any reasonable man on the street can see this logic.
Thus we have this progression of events:
1) Show how technique is done.
2) Show that the person can bear weight on the technique, and can do so with proper form
3) Use technique on a striking pad.
4) Condition the surface that will be blocked when the person uses that technique in a partner exercise.
5) Train and test for prearrange partner exercises.
6) THEN allow student to do freeform sparring.
In my book, skip any step there and you are asking for trouble.
Right or wrong, good or bad, there is a uniform process here. I believe everyone needs a method, and should be able to defend that method in a court of law should it be necessary to defend oneself against a law suit.
Just last spring, someone (an adult) quit the class because I would not promote them to green belt. I did not promote them to green belt because they did not spar that day. I did not allow them to test for sparring that day because they had JUST tested for prearranged kumite that day (having missed the regular test because he was out of town that day). In my book, you need "time in grade" between passing the prearranged kumite test and taking a test where sparring is done. I knew the person could have done just fine in a sparring test, and so did everyone else. However...rules are there to protect EVERYONE. In spite of the incredible flack I caught for saying "NO!" that day, one day this process is going to save my rear. In fact, I'm willing to bet that the process has already saved me (and the students) from many bad outcomes that I can't possibly know about.
One needs to start with ANY reasonable process.
And then we need smart people (like Kunoichi) and good data to continuously improve that process so we can maximize student gains and minimize the risk of adverse outcomes.
- Bill
Children and conditioning
Bill,
Though an infrequent contributor, I'd like to weigh in a bit as I've been teaching youth for 25 years through the Boys Clubs and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
My first 6 years were in Scranton, Pa, and about the last 20 years in Derry, NH. Teaching for free as a community service, with youth from ages 7 to 21 in the Clubs.
The first thing to be considered is the area and the students overall needs to confront violence in their lives. While that may occur anyplace, different locations have vastly different needs. My students in Scranton, far more street smart than those in Derry, were developed in a different manner than I do today.
My program is a permanent part time dojo, and my average student participates in many sports in addition to their karate training.
Those activities contribute to their overall physical ablities and can enhance long term karate development.
But with the zero tolerance policy to violence in the local schools, and perhaps a less violent community, my goal isn't to force the students into how quickly can I build their ability to maximum return.
Instead I work on the long term, and much of the activity you're discussing would remain for youth after 6 or 7 years of training. I quite agree with you that until they can support knuckle pushups they have little business working impact training.
Thus for those who are short term students (2 or 3 years) the many other drills and training we offer keeps them more than busy, and if their physical ability isn't ready for impact, that's not a problem.
Parents concerns of course are a real issue to contend with. But long ago I realized that demonstrating what your program develops, night by night, through the overall student accomplishments, makes them well aware that you know your business.
It also helps that the instructors present (both of us at this time) show 50 years of combined experience and they're fully focused on teaching the class.
I'm very grateful that my location allows me to take a gradual approach in student development.
It also helps that we use an application of the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle in structuring our classes. For over 20 years I've never had any two classes which are structured like each other.
Keeping the students (of all ages and ranks) unaware of what's happening next, forever, keeps their awareness focused. Thats a useful tool too.
Instead of the student preparing for whats happening next, the instructor is keeping them on their toes.
------------------
Victor Smith
Though an infrequent contributor, I'd like to weigh in a bit as I've been teaching youth for 25 years through the Boys Clubs and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
My first 6 years were in Scranton, Pa, and about the last 20 years in Derry, NH. Teaching for free as a community service, with youth from ages 7 to 21 in the Clubs.
The first thing to be considered is the area and the students overall needs to confront violence in their lives. While that may occur anyplace, different locations have vastly different needs. My students in Scranton, far more street smart than those in Derry, were developed in a different manner than I do today.
My program is a permanent part time dojo, and my average student participates in many sports in addition to their karate training.
Those activities contribute to their overall physical ablities and can enhance long term karate development.
But with the zero tolerance policy to violence in the local schools, and perhaps a less violent community, my goal isn't to force the students into how quickly can I build their ability to maximum return.
Instead I work on the long term, and much of the activity you're discussing would remain for youth after 6 or 7 years of training. I quite agree with you that until they can support knuckle pushups they have little business working impact training.
Thus for those who are short term students (2 or 3 years) the many other drills and training we offer keeps them more than busy, and if their physical ability isn't ready for impact, that's not a problem.
Parents concerns of course are a real issue to contend with. But long ago I realized that demonstrating what your program develops, night by night, through the overall student accomplishments, makes them well aware that you know your business.
It also helps that the instructors present (both of us at this time) show 50 years of combined experience and they're fully focused on teaching the class.
I'm very grateful that my location allows me to take a gradual approach in student development.
It also helps that we use an application of the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle in structuring our classes. For over 20 years I've never had any two classes which are structured like each other.
Keeping the students (of all ages and ranks) unaware of what's happening next, forever, keeps their awareness focused. Thats a useful tool too.
Instead of the student preparing for whats happening next, the instructor is keeping them on their toes.
------------------
Victor Smith
Children and conditioning
Mr. Glasheen;
Your system seems absolutely fair, logical and well thought-out to me; and based upon sound logic.
It's a shame you have to use protection from lawsuit as a reference.
I cannot imagine a student coming to class "expecting" to be promoted. Mentioning, hinting or asking would be a direct insult to one's Sensei in my opinion.
It was your student's loss, not yours, I think. NM
Your system seems absolutely fair, logical and well thought-out to me; and based upon sound logic.
It's a shame you have to use protection from lawsuit as a reference.
I cannot imagine a student coming to class "expecting" to be promoted. Mentioning, hinting or asking would be a direct insult to one's Sensei in my opinion.
It was your student's loss, not yours, I think. NM
Children and conditioning
Victor, could you define or explain this Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle please? I am not familiar with it? Thanks, Vicki.
Children and conditioning
Well the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle (as found in Nuclear Particle Physics if my memory serves me correctly) revolves around the more you know about one aspect of an electron, the less you know about another aspect, or something to that effect.
As I interpret it to my karate classes, the more you know about the upcoming structure of a class, the less you're prepared to deal with uncertainty.
So we introduce uncertainty into every class by keeping the order and subject of instruction very fluid. Thus the student not knowing the order has to focus on dealing with uncertainty without the comfort of knowing what comes next. [This is opposed to the class structure where ever 15 minutes the class follows a formula every class.]
Trying to keep things changing, we're trying to help the student focus on the fact things change all the time, and you can't expect that B will follow A.
A minor point but one I believe in and follow.
Hope it helps,
------------------
Victor Smith
As I interpret it to my karate classes, the more you know about the upcoming structure of a class, the less you're prepared to deal with uncertainty.
So we introduce uncertainty into every class by keeping the order and subject of instruction very fluid. Thus the student not knowing the order has to focus on dealing with uncertainty without the comfort of knowing what comes next. [This is opposed to the class structure where ever 15 minutes the class follows a formula every class.]
Trying to keep things changing, we're trying to help the student focus on the fact things change all the time, and you can't expect that B will follow A.
A minor point but one I believe in and follow.
Hope it helps,
------------------
Victor Smith
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Children and conditioning
Vicki
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle comes about when attempting to measure both the position and the velocity of an electron.
* In a perfect world, we can measure the position of an electron with unlimited accuracy.
* In a perfect world, we can measure the velocity of an electron with unlimited accuracy.
* When we attempt to do both, we have problems. The more certain we are of an electron's position, the less certain we are of its velocity. The more certain we are of the electron's velocity, the less certain we are of its position. Why? Consider the principle that we always affect what we are attempting to measure. If we try to see where the moon is located, we do so by observing the photons that bounce off it. These photons have negligible effect on the moon. But photons (or other particle) bouncing off an electron are a different story. We cannot do so without altering the path of the electron. The same argument could be made about observing the velocity of the moon vs. the velocity of an electron.
Werner Heisenberg first enunciated the certainty/uncertainty dilemma in 1927. Since then, it has been dubbed the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
OK, so what does that all mean? There are several universal life maxims that come from all this. First, we disturb something in some measurable amount whenever we attempt to assess it. Second, there are often "no free lunch" situations in life. And finally, uncertainty is a fact of life, and should be appreciated as such.
- Bill
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle comes about when attempting to measure both the position and the velocity of an electron.
* In a perfect world, we can measure the position of an electron with unlimited accuracy.
* In a perfect world, we can measure the velocity of an electron with unlimited accuracy.
* When we attempt to do both, we have problems. The more certain we are of an electron's position, the less certain we are of its velocity. The more certain we are of the electron's velocity, the less certain we are of its position. Why? Consider the principle that we always affect what we are attempting to measure. If we try to see where the moon is located, we do so by observing the photons that bounce off it. These photons have negligible effect on the moon. But photons (or other particle) bouncing off an electron are a different story. We cannot do so without altering the path of the electron. The same argument could be made about observing the velocity of the moon vs. the velocity of an electron.
Werner Heisenberg first enunciated the certainty/uncertainty dilemma in 1927. Since then, it has been dubbed the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
OK, so what does that all mean? There are several universal life maxims that come from all this. First, we disturb something in some measurable amount whenever we attempt to assess it. Second, there are often "no free lunch" situations in life. And finally, uncertainty is a fact of life, and should be appreciated as such.
- Bill
