I love the back and forth debates of the use of the Scorpion mobility exercises. Forces you to think and make a choice of if they are practical, dangerous, or effective. One attack on Mike Roberston was his inclusion of the Scorpion exercise as part of the MM DVD. Leave attacks to Mike and Eric alone as it’s not a finishing move in the UFC. Are they blowing up spines with the exercise? Where is the recall? Not if it’s done right. The real problem is in the administration of the motion with groups of athletes and how it is coached. By allowing the armpit to rise you are rotating from the shoulders and that allows for movement from above (thoracic) rather than below (lumbar). When you place your chest on the ground and keep it flush the only area to move is the lumbar region. Allowing the shoulders to rise from a high position the exercise becomes safer. The real question is where did it come from? If you ever used it did you research the history of the exercise? Who invented it or was the primary proponent? Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson didn’t invent the exercise. Mark Verstegen didn’t have a peyote experience in Arizona and come up with the scorpion exercise after watching the insect sting Daryl Eto during their drumming session. It was before, and, nobody worried about it including it as it was in vogue in the 90s. The industry is changing and not evolving as people are rushing to promote or sell crap online. We have people under the age of 30 being marketed as experts in their field. If you had 30 years of coaching time instead of inserting affiliate codes into blogs you will have the answers providing you are evolving. Eric Cressey still used it a few months ago so it can’t be that bad…can it?
Instead of giving up on an exercise find a way to make it more effective and safe.
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