Engineering Commons^™

The Biomechanics Of Music Performance, Rachel F. Bellisle, Jessika Decker

Senior Honors Projects

When first learning to play a wind instrument, beginner musicians are taught how to hold their instrument and correctly position their body. They are taught how to sit, where to put their hands and fingers on the keys, and how to hold their arms. This initial lesson on posture and hand positioning is often short, as one quickly moves on to learn the embouchure and breathing techniques that allow sound to be produced. As a musician progresses in skill, positioning is emphasized more, and they learn that it can affect their risk of strain or injury and improve their sound …

Kinematics Of The Lower Extremities During Fundamental Martial Arts Tricking Techniques, Kevin P. Grassie

Honors Scholar Theses

Martial Arts Tricking (MAT) is a relatively new sport that combines martial arts, gymnastics, acrobatics, and breakdancing for the purposes of creating aesthetic and impressive combinations of kicks, flips and twists. It has been growing exponentially through social media and the overall athletic and entertainment communities. The sport is very unique in that the movements, with their blended influences, provide novel ways for athletes to generate and utilize their momentum in a creative way. The results often include off-axis flips and twists, single-leg landings, and complicated yet fluid techniques that easily chain together.

Due to the sport only being a …