I have a feeling that it is just the way Ekolu explains it that is different to Dave. The triangle thing that Ekolu mentions is just a way to remind yourself that the action is all about your torso twisting rather than the action just coming from your shoulders and arms - so when you reach forward to start the stroke your bottom hand/arm is not actually lengthening, you get the reach from twisting your torso, then your put the blade in the water - way forward (at that point your top hand will be up high and quite a long way back - almost over your head), then you pull back by untwisting your torso and pulling down at the same time. If you do that most of the power comes from your core muscles particularly the obliques, the ones at the top of your six pack (that thing under the comfort pack on top
). The triangle thing just helps get it into your head that there is this stable structure of of paddle handle and two arms. Don't forget that most of what Ekolu says (I think) is about that really aggressive power stroke to get you onto a runner.
Jeremy Riggs describes it as hugging a bear, I actually prefer that because that helps you to remember to keep your chest open which in turn stops you scrunching up your shoulders. If you practise it now notice what is happening to your shoulder blades, keep them pulled down as you do the paddle action and you can feel how much more space there is in your shoulder joint. Just imagine that you hug the bear, then you lift it up, then you twist it sideways so that it's body is almost horizontal rather than vertical then you keep it in that position and sweep it down towards the board, then you straighten it back up at the end of the stroke.
I think that a really good exercise to learn to engage the muscles that keep your shoulder blades pulled down it to stand up close to a wall so that your palms are flat on the wall with you elbows quite bent. Now consciously raise and lower your shoulder blades by engaging those deep muscles beneath your scapula - the hardest bit is pulling down, we are all pretty good at that shrugging neck, shoulder scrunching thing but not so good at the opposite. When you have done that exercise (3 sets of 15 on each side every day!) for a while you will find that you can stabilise the "bear hug" or triangle way more effectively and you will really end up with the stability that Ekolu talks about. Without the shoulder stability you can't effectively transmit the power from your core to the paddle.
Just my interpretation of it all, all I know is that it's very confusing but I think Ekolu Dave and Jim are pretty much on about the same thing just explaining it very differently. Todd Bradley seems quite different though with the bent upper arm punch thing - I wouldn't even dream of saying which is right and which is wrong though.
.. Doh!
