Stable

For optimal body use we need the pelvis to naturally sit beneath the abdomen.

The physical centre of the body contains a lot of water, our intestines etc and needs to be pretty stable.

Stability is accomplished by encouraging the pelvis to operate naturally and without interference. This may involve stopping existing bad habits in favour of letting the body re-align itself.

Posture

The pelvis is pretty large. If you turn it to the right or to the left, the entire upper body is affected. Turn it too far and the knees bear the brunt of the turn.

If you tilt it forwards or backwards, the entire balance of the body changes. Pretty soon you are leaning.

Although the pelvis itself has limited scope for movement, inclining or rotating the pelvis has a major impact on posture.

Core stability

People talk a lot about core strength but not much about core stability. The two concerns are not the same.

Core strength is about the muscles of the lower body (crotch, groin, hips, buttocks, lower back, legs and abdominals) whereas core stability is about keeping the pelvis favourably aligned.

  Remember, when moving, there is no place that does not move. When still, there is no place that is not still.

(Wu Yu-hsiang)

 

Arthritis?

The body must be exercised carefully, with a clear emphasis upon safety and relaxation. Dr Paul Lam (an expert in using tai chi for arthritis) emphasises the importance of:

1. Higher stances
2. A lot of qigong to improve breathing, relaxation and healing
3. Looking deeper into the art of tai chi in order to improve students awareness and understanding

  Programs for fighters should consist mostly of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of muscles in a minimum time.

(Frederic Delavier)

  When you dwell on the sound of your breathing,
when you can really hear it coming and going, 
peace will not be far behind.

(Paul Wilson)

Remobilise

In order to increase mobility the emphasis needs to be upon working the body both in class and at home between lessons. Adopt a multi-faceted approach:

• Strengthen your muscles

• Align your skeleton better

• Sit less

• Stand less

• Stretch more

• Improve balance

• Gain coordination

• Increase bodily awareness

• Be mindful of how you use your body

Step?

In order to get closer to something, we step. This is a fundamental human skill, yet so many people reach beyond their natural range instead of stepping. Why is this?

Laziness? Poor body awareness? Naivety? If you reach rather than step closer, you sacrifice your balance, and with it your strength.

It is absurd to think you are going to get anywhere by giving only an hour a week to your practice or that you can regularly skip classes. Martial arts is not like a bridge club, where you drop in when you have nothing better to do. Martial arts will always make greater demands on your time than would most hobbies or avocations.

(Dave Lowry) 

 Some people in this culture believe that the “consumer” is entitled to good service and if they feel wronged are entitled to take their custom elsewhere. This may or may not be a useful strategy with plumbers, electricians etc but foolish in the extreme in relation to tai chi.

(Peter Hobson)

The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armoured opponent.

By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armoured foes had passed.

Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other.

(Bruce Frantzis)

An inch

There is a point where something is weak, then it becomes strong, only to become weak again. Like a 'bell curve'... The human lifespan is like this: a baby, to adulthood, to decrepitude and death.

Seek to do only what is necessary to find that optimal point of strength. Sometimes it requires just an inch of movement.

Just enough?

It is so tempting to stretch, to extend, to reach. To force, to push.

Don't do this. Just do what you need to do to accomplish the result and nothing more.

Aim for this ratio: minimal effort achieves maximum results.

A different way?

Tai chi advocates moderation in all things. e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very little fitness benefit and no martial development.

If you train too much, the body will become tired and there is an increased risk of injury.

 

Tai chi poise is healthy. The body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet. We listen to what the body is telling us rather than push and punish ourselves.

Hands

Over-use and wrong use of the hands can cause immobility and arthritis. Main culprits:

• Computer mouse

• Mobile phone

• Tapping a touch screen

• Unnecessary application of force

• Gripping too hard

• Knitting

• Sewing

• Repetitive activity

• Using a keyboard

• Playing video games

Sitting

The main culprit for loss of mobility in most adults is sitting on their backsides too much. Sitting causes:

• Strained neck

• Sore shoulders

• Stiffness

• Upper back pain

• Lower back pain

• Loss of circulation

• Joint compression

• Swollen legs

• Heart disease

The solution is easy. Switch off the PC, the TV and walk whenever possible rather than drive.