(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per novice:
ANd the only force on the paddle is the rotation of your torso? You
dont use your arm muscles?

I'm no expert, but in Bob Twogood's class that I took a few years ago
"Straight-Arm Paddling" was introduced as an exercise - so I'd say "No, the arms
are not completely straight all the time." But I'd also say that there's
very little arm effort involved and virtually all the power comes from rotating
the torso against the push of the leg.


There's always confusion between "Don't flex your arms" and "Don't bend your
arms". Flexing your arms is indicative of using too much arm muscle and not
enough torso rotation. Not bending is often used as a training exercise (to
force torso rotation), but, in normal paddling, proper torso rotation is done
with a comfortable, relatively fixed angle in the arms.

I think that unless the instructors (amateur, professional or the guy in the
next kayak) really get the terminology correct, we'll be answering this question
forever. It should be in a FAQ, if not already.

Mike