ok, so how the heck do you root?

[greyseal]

I've been told that standing on one foot and kicking/punching helps to develop a strong root in some manner. Have you found this to be true? And if not, how do you people practice/develop a strong root?

[greyseal]

Oh, and by the way, the answer I'm not looking for is "Let's go Yankees!" ;)

[Martial Joe]

Well..I have this idea...Train your stance...and do Sil Lum Tao alot.and slowly might I add.It takes time and there is no other answer...

[greyseal]

Okay, so I practice the form and stance, but how will this improve the root of my body? I don't know if I'm asking this in the correct manner. Is it profitable in the endeavor to imagine myself connected to the ground, or to think heavy body? What type of sensation does one experience when you are becoming firmly rooted? Is it something that is even describable, or does it merely have to be experienced to be understood? I'm not talking anything mystical here, I'm just curious about any type of 'feeling', or lack thereof, that might lead me to know I'm going about it correctly. I notice that when I do chi sao, many times I'm being pushed backwards, or even during 2 man drills. It seems as though I'm like a feather, while my counterpart is like an oak, though they do not seem to be using any extra force.

[kungfu cowboy]

Nothing mystical about it. My take on rooting is that as you practice your stances correctly over time, your body changes in ways that give you greater balance, control, and a very real "connectedness" to the ground.
The physiological changes include increased muscle mass, tendon strength and size, etc, not forgetting also the mental component (both neurological and psychological(in the sense that you learned to endure the pain of training, and developed the patience to do it)). In a physics sense, all these changes allow you to disperse force better into the ground, thus allowing you to stay on your feet connected to a major source of power. Of course this is all speculation; but I like to pretend I know stuff.

poop is good food

[Eric]

The problem I had with stances was that I had a tendancy to lean forward. I would be on the balls of my feet rather than on the heels. I had done other martial arts before wing chun and was used to being on the balls of my feet. I had to force myself to stay in the heels, I did this by simply relaxing. If I relax my stance I can sink into it and I just feel very stable in that position. Let your body relax and sink into the position itself. Trying to force yourself into the position will get you no where, plus it is usually less comfortable to force the movement than it is to just let the movement happen on its own. There is nothing mystical about that at all. You will not "feel" anything when you sink into stance correctly, and I think that is the way it should be. If there is discomfort or you are concentrating on the correctness of stance too much you are prohibiting yourself from rooting correctly. The root is already there you just have to accept it. sheesh I am coming off like Cane's Sifu here.. Don't fear, grasshopper, the root is planted, relax and let it bloom.

heh.. good lord, I am going to go puke now..

[jameswebsteruk]

When you are in your stance, is it stable and strong? Heres a good way to test. Stand infront of a wall with no stance. Do an inch punch, or a strong push off the wall. Notice how your upper body gets thrown back with the recoil?

Now drop into your stance. Do the same thing. Ideally, your upper body shouldnt move back at all, because all the recoil is transferred down into your legs, which can absorb it.

The way the rooting is taught under the WSL methodology is to really push your hips up and out, whilst keeping your back straight. Think Waynes World "SShhhwwiiing!" without leaning back!

You will find your thighs and gluts are tensed, but your knees and lower legs are relaxed. Relax your upper body. All the strength is now in the waist and legs.

This is the basis for a strong stance, and necessary to develop prying force, luk sao de chung.

In this way you are delivering force with the stance, (borrowing energy from the floor, some call it), via strucure and the biggest muscles in your body, the leg muscles.

This may sound immobile, but having mastered the concepts of the basic stance, Chum Kiu is there to teach how to move and turn with mobility, whilst keeping your stance.

Hope this helps a little.

Regards
Frank

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running
around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." ;)

[El_CLap]

It could also be that your opponent is simply pushing very hard. Blend with his force. Shift if you have to.

[dzu]

My Sifu has written an article on it. You can find it at
www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/article_root.html (http://www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/article_root.html)

regards,

Dzu

[Chum Kil]

dzu

The link does not work. Can you try to post it again.

John

Have little and gain;
Have much and be confused.

[dzu]

My bad..


it should be

www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/articles_root.html (http://www.chusaulei.com/martial/articles/articles_root.html)