What is the weight of the human body parts?

Master Kongling All, Questions and answers balance, body manipulation, body mechanics, throw 2

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At the base of body manipulation

In martial arts terms, one of the most important pieces of knowledge in relation to the human anatomy is the percentual division of the weight of its various compositive elements (and groups of elements).

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

This type of information becomes precious when we have to manipulate our opponent:

On the ground
Executing a throw
Disrupting his / her balance
Channeling his / her inertia
…

What influences the weight of the components of the human body

Before entering in details, it must be said that the weight and the percentual weight of the human body parts can vary depending on several factors, including:

Age – Generally, younger individuals have less muscle mass and more bone tissue compared to adults, while older adults might have less muscle and more fat tissue
Sex – Women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat than men and their breasts can contribute (on average) to around 3.5% of their total body fat weight
Body size – Taller individuals might have larger organs but a similar percentage distribution compared to shorter individuals
Body composition – Each one’s muscles, bones and fat have different densities, impacting their contribution to overall weight

A note by Master Kongling – What we are trying to say is that providing a single “one size fits all” answer isn’t possible. However, the ones we are going to share are general ranges enough precise to base our tactical choices.

How the body’s weight is divided

Let’s start considering the larger body parts:

40-50% of the weight is occupied by the upper part of the body
50-60% of the weight is occupied by the lower part of the body

About the groups:

8-12% of the weight is occupied by the head
45-55% of the weight is occupied by the torso (chest and abdomen)
5-6% of the weight is occupied by the full arm
16-19% of the weight is occupied by the full leg
2.52% of the weight is occupied by the forearm plus the hand
6.18% of the weight is occupied by the calf and foot

Entering more in detail we can say that:

20-25% of the weight is occupied by the chest
25-30% of the weight is occupied by the abdomen
5-10% of the weight is occupied by the pelvis
3.25% of the weight is occupied by the upper part of the arm
1.87% of the weight is occupied by the forearm (hand excluded)
0.65% of the weight is occupied by the hand
10.5% of the weight is occupied by the thigh
4.75% of the weight is occupied by the calf
1.43% of the weight is occupied by the foot

A note by Master Kongling – Again: let’s take these numbers with a pinch of salt, the percentages are only indicative. Our martial objective is not absolute mathematical-scientific precision, rather we need to have a general idea to achieve our practical fighting purposes.

In-depth video courses

Body manipulation for combat – How to exploit the body mechanics common to any human being
How to use feints in combat – The art of real-time deception for high-level preparation
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – The basic preparation to develop real martial skills
Structures for combat: liquid, solid, fluid – The secrets of body tension management for martial arts
Muscle chain for martial arts: how to – Our methods to connect / use the power of the entire body
Static and dynamic balance: how to – Develop the capability that distinguishes a beginner from an expert fighter

In-depth articles

Kung Fu: the parts of the body to condition – What are the body elements to improve and the order
Martial arts’ body mechanics [MINI-GUIDE] – A free guide to the most important mechanics

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What is the weight percentage that you were not expecting?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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