How We Do Our Work - (Part 4) Holds

Part of the Liddell and Johnson transcription system was a division of signs into MOVEMENTS and HOLDS.  Stokoe had theorized that signs were simultaneous bursts of Handshape, Location and Movement; but Liddell and Johnson recognized that movements occurred between locations and that sometimes hands on videotape were blurred and sometimes they were not, meaning that signs had parts and the parts occurred in specific sequences.  One of their working definitions for distinguishing movements and holds was if a video image showed three consecutive frames without blurring then it was a HOLD.  In the non-videotape world that means that if your hand is still for one tenth of a second you have generated a HOLD.  One tenth of one second is sufficient distinction.  One tenth of one second.

When we interpret, we have a very strong tendency to let our non-dominant hand linger in signing space until we need it again.  This is a matter of convenience and it seems to be the way to save our energy.  This is an INCORRECT PERCEPTION.  First, there is no linguistic reason to keep our non-dominant hands hanging in our signing space.  Second, it actually requires continued muscle strain to keep a non-moving hand suspended in signing space.  The more distal it is, the more effort is required.  If you don't believe me, put your hands out in front of you and hold them still for five seconds.  Start at EXTENDED distance... then DISTAL...  then MEDIAL... then PROXIMAL... and finally in CONTACT with your CHest or ABdomen.  Even holding it in contact with your body still requires muscular effort.

This is called STATIC LOADING.  It occurs every microsecond that we use muscles to HOLD a posture.  It takes energy to do it.  It will exhaust your muscles.  STATIC LOADING is BAD.  Remember that the linguistic value of a HOLD is completed in one tenth of one second... all the rest of the time you keep your hands in space is that NASTY Static Loading.

Now let your hand drop to your lap, or to your side.  Release it entirely... stop spending muscular effort to maintain its posture.  This is a true RESTING STATE and it is something we rarely allow ourselves to do during our work.

There are countless examples of Deaf people on video recordings that show them NOT resting their non-dominant hand.  Pat Graybill and MJ Bienvenu leave their non-dominant hands right where they last used them until they need them again.  That is normal conversational behavior.  But you are not a normal conversationalist.. you are an INTERPRETER and you are very BUSY... both in body and in mind.  So you need to let your body reduce its muscular strain as much as possible while you are working so that the blood can properly flow and repair any minor damage that occurs during our work.