Muscle Strenght or Muscle Resistance?

[Lin-Wu]

In another,post someone said that,in the beggining of the training,a person does not know how to use the leg muscles without tensing them.I agree,because every time I do Tui Show and sometimes tai ji forms,I end with my legs asking me to stop.My question is:How can this person stop tensing the leg muscles and still have a resistant stance?Does it come with time and experience?

[Laughing Cow]

Lin-Wu.

1.) It will take some time and hard work.

2.) If your stance/weight shift is correct you should only have the discomfort of muscles unused to that pose, which should be gone by now. ;)

3.) You don't resist you re-direct the incoming force via the waist & feet to the ground.

4.) Relax the mind and the body will follow. Stop worrying and listen to what your body tells you, but at the same time don't over-analyse that feed-back.

Overall I would assume that you are tense all over and that your weight-shifting & breathing is not fine-tuned yet.

Could also be that you are trying to force a too low-stance(copy your Sifu & elders stances), we are told dropping the stance by a bit over 1 inch a year is good progress.

My Sensei always sez we need to "cultivate" the pyramid in Tai Chi. All the weight and base at the bottem the top needs to be empty.


It is tough to retain the correct level of Song(Fang Song in our case).
Sifu used to tell e to fix my stepping, so I concentrated on the stepping and my chest got tense "Big yell, don't tense chest."
Sometimes feels like you can't win. ;)


Hope this helps.

[Lin-Wu]

Bullseye!!!!!Congrats!!!!
I do tend to do things slower,but my sifu tells me to go slower.And sometimes I do too slow because I`m learnig new moves and such.But one of my questions remains:What do I have to do?You said the things I shouldn`t do,but do I have to do some special training to correct this?Should I ask my sifu to let me go faster?What should I do?

Many questions,many questions....Obcessed....confused...but at least,eager to learn

[Lin-Wu]

And I think I over reacted.It`s not PAIN,it`s just exaustion.But,nevertheless,it gets in the way.

[Laughing Cow]

Originally posted by Lin-Wu
What do I have to do?You said the things I shouldn`t do,but do I have to do some special training to correct this?Should I ask my sifu to let me go faster?What should I do?


You shouldn't need to do any special training, there are some exercises that can help though.
Yang style seems to be obsessed the doings things super-slow, one reason why I left and started Chen. ;)

My last Sifu kinda insisted that everybody train at the same speed, form X takes 7 minutes, not 6:40 or 7:10, etc. :eek:

Bassically while doing the forms pay attention to what your Body is doing and try to be as relaxed as possible.
Also try to apply the rules of your style as much as possible. I.e. the 10 points.

In the classics it is said.
Form training is way of knowing yourself.
Tui Shou is the way of knowing others.

Honestly all I can say is follow your Sifu's advise, speak to him openly about your concerns.

Also try to find a copy of the TJQ classics online, reading them might help in understanding TJQ better.

[Lin-Wu]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Laughing Cow
[B]

You shouldn't need to do any special training, there are some exercises that can help though.
Yang style seems to be obsessed the doings things super-slow, one reason why I left and started Chen. ;)

I agree.Yang style seems to be obsessed on doing things super-slow:)
When you have the chance,tell me what the exercises are,because I still have to correct this flaw of mine.And describe them,because I don`t know the names in English.And,if you can,answer my question on Chen tai chi kicks thread.

Too many requests,I know,and apologize about them

[bamboo_ leaf]

Try really relaxing the legs and letting the soles of the feet be soft. This will allow your weight to drop into the ground and not be contained in the body.

[Lin-Wu]

"...the soles of the feet be soft."How do I do that?Total body relaxation,maybe?