Running and your Gung Fu foot strike.

[diego]

Chi Walking Chi Running

Some of the more common complaints associated with the lower leg are plantar fasciitis, Achilles pain, shin splints, calf strains, and runner’s knee. Though the specific causes for each may vary, they almost always have their root cause in how the foot makes contact with the ground....Upper Leg This includes the hips and back as well as the hamstrings, quads, and IT band, the strong connective tissue that runs down the side of your leg from hip to just below the knee. Common complaints are tight hamstrings, tight IT band, soreness in the lower back, and hip flexor pain. Not surprisingly, all of these can be greatly relieved and even eliminated by keeping your pelvis level (which engages your core) and keeping your stride short so that you land midfoot.

this chi step sounds like things you here internal masters talk about like in Hsing Yi you land mid step and then step out controlling your center from a footsweep or bodyslam throw...

in your method how do you foot strike when stepping repeatedly?.

I bought The Runner's repair manual used for two dollars and it says land on your heel to outside and ppush off the ball abehind your big toe and the toe beside it...in The anatomy of exercise it talks about posture running where you wave with the torso and use that to fal on your ball wave again and the supporting foot follows, like a deer...it says don't ever run on your heel without giving an explanation, so I made this thread.


http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/09/foot-strike.html
I'm n a rush I will post the links to the books tomorrow.

[uki]

this is a cut and paste post from the sept/oct 2009 issue thread... i find it quite appropriate for here...

45 minutes from my house is a state park called "hickory run" - it is a really large flat and level boulder field(two of them actually) where one can enjoy the wonderous provisions of nature in complimenting your practice... it's an awesome spot to practice running - the route is plotted out one step at a time, several steps ahead of time... it's great fun and a killer adjective to any practice. it's amazing what nature can freely provide - it can beat any gym or health club... heck, these boulders here teach better lessons than most people. the boulders really are a treat... you can do most anything on them as far as training goes... what is really cool about them is that near the south end of the field, the boulders are tumbled rounded at the north side they are jagged and pointy... i like to run full speed from one end to the other and back... it really tests your hand/foot co-ordination aswell as endurance... they have got me twice: once i was running in cotton kwoon shoes and i stubbed my big toe(but i kept going until i was finished) when i finally stopped it was all black and blue - the second time i was playing with the straight sword doing form across from one end to the other, about halfway i mis-stepped and i went tumbling, the sword flew out of my hand... LOL... i run across them juggling rocks also(that's a whacky one) it's really amazing once you get into the zone while running... no run is the same, no foot placement is the same - absolutely amazing if you ask me. if you ever come to pa, i suggest you stop and check it out... alot of raw energy there that you can dip into. :)

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/hickoryrun.aspx

[TenTigers]

I'm getting visions of Stuart.."Look what I can do!"
However, attention wh0ring aside, running on uneven terrain such as natural areas,woods, etc works the legs and ankles,and entire body and is much more natural than beating the pavement, although the chance of injury is greater. You must do this with some caution.

[Skip J.]

this chi step sounds like things you here internal masters talk about like in Hsing Yi you land mid step and then step out controlling your center from a footsweep or bodyslam throw...

in your method how do you foot strike when stepping repeatedly?.

I bought The Runner's repair manual used for two dollars and it says land on your heel to outside and ppush off the ball abehind your big toe and the toe beside it...in The anatomy of exercise it talks about posture running where you wave with the torso and use that to fal on your ball wave again and the supporting foot follows, like a deer...it says don't ever run on your heel without giving an explanation, so I made this thread.


http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/09/foot-strike.html
I'm n a rush I will post the links to the books tomorrow.
Well, maybe some internal masters will step in here; but if not, I can say a few words. I notice that the author was not given of the Chi Walking and Chi Running books. I have the Chi Walking book, but I have lent it to a 86 year old student who really needs it for balance. And so, the author's name is Danny with a last name starting with De I think. Same author for the Chi Running book.

What I found in the Chi Walking book is that I already do what is written in the book. And yes, keeping the pelvis level is really focused on as a major part of the tai chi posture to walk in.

In chi walking, you extend the back leg so your weight is always on the back leg - which is a main tai chi principle - and swing the non-weighted leg to the front, where it then becomes the back leg/weighted leg. The book shows excellent diagrams and photos of them walking "in posture" so to speak.

So you swing the free leg around with the foot flat above the ground, and land almost flat footed. Say 80% mid-foot and maybe 20% on the heel at most. This is because you "root" down thru the arch in the middle and "stick" to the ground securely in tai chi. Yes, the same rooted "posture" that you stand and do a footsweep or any other tai chi movement can be incorporated into daily walking. I do about 2 miles a day and 6 miles on Saturday.

Speaking to uki's post about running in State Parks and natural areas, I have found chi walking in my local State Park to be a real challenge. Your head is up, your chin is back, and your eyes are at "enemy" eye-level in front. So here I am stepping over tree roots crossing the trail and climbing up'n down steep slopes with only my peripheral vision looking down. It's tough......

Would have having the book help when I started that? I don't know.... but it sure does help the one and two year students a bunch...

I can't say about the Chi Running book, I'm too old to run...

[uki]

I'm getting visions of Stuart.."Look what I can do!"naturally, if someone wants to inspire someone, they have to get their attention first. :)


However, attention wh0ring aside, running on uneven terrain such as natural areas,woods, etc works the legs and ankles,and entire body and is much more natural than beating the pavement, although the chance of injury is greater.no pain, no gain.

You must do this with some caution.is there REALLY any need to tell people this?? i mean... come on, seriously? :p

[KC Elbows]

I have jogged since I was a kid, somewhere along the way I remember reading that landing towards the ball or midfoot is preferable to landing heel first. It also seems more natural to me, and is more useful in rough terrain for the kinds of runs uki is talking about.

As for where to look, use common sense. A posture looking forward in martial arts presumes an opponent in the front facing, if the opponent is elsewhere, another posture is used. Since terrain is the focus in running, you'll probably occasionally need to be looking at it, at least until you know the terrain implicitly.

[uki]

Since terrain is the focus in running, you'll probably occasionally need to be looking at it, at least until you know the terrain implicitly.this is precisely one of the reasons boulder running is such a good form of training - each step must be plotted out... there is a constant analyzing of the terrain while you are running, it commands a great deal of attention to the fine details all the while maintaining a relative constant pace... eventually you can work your way up to a full run... no two steps or foot placements will ever be the same - some steps are short and others can be lengthy jumps...

[Lucas]

personally i detest street/track running, yet if its in the forest or along some other natural path such as boulders, its lots of fun. when i go bouldering i generally like to find a nice river with a long bouldery stretch. you can also get some good climbing and jumping in too if you have a river that has gigantic boulders along the way, just dont do this alone in case you take a big fall. and if you plan ahead, you can plant a raft up river, go back down river and run/climb your way to the raft, then ride it back down.

trailblazing is another great activity. running in un trailed forest can be a great work out, both physicall and mentally, and you can also find some of the best scenery you will ever see.

last time i went trail blazing with a friend in national forest, we came across a mountain lions hunting trail....so of course we decided to track it.

when we realized we were nearing the cats personal territory, we turned back so not to disturb anything, on our way back to the river we found this tree. it was so strange. it was in a small clearing in the middle of the forest, likely no one, or very few people have been in this exact spot. well in the clearing center was a small mound. on this mound was a small tree, aproximately 10 ft. tall. and the funnything was that since it was a small clearing there was a direct spotlight of sun on this tree.

we both felt completely awed, this place felt kind of sacred for some reason, we both had this impression. perhaps something died in that spot where the mound was. we hung out there for a small time then left. we could not re find this spot the next day. there were also these strange black tall fungus looking things growing in the clearing that we didnt see anywhere else the entire 2 weeks of camping in that national forest. strange stuff.

okay so i went off on a strange tangent there.

bouldering is fun m'kay

[KC Elbows]

this is precisely one of the reasons boulder running is such a good form of training - each step must be plotted out... there is a constant analyzing of the terrain while you are running, it commands a great deal of attention to the fine details all the while maintaining a relative constant pace... eventually you can work your way up to a full run... no two steps or foot placements will ever be the same - some steps are short and others can be lengthy jumps...

A similar situation is posed more locally to me by fields of locust thorns. When I used to camp out in the area, before moving here, my desire to run and my desire to not be cut to ribbons by thorns were at odds for awhile. Generally, my desire not to be seen running into locust thorn bushes outweighed my desire to have someone around to call an ambulance, and so I developed my method in secret.

Eventually, being able to navigate one particular field of locust thorns made a bobcat decide that he and I were kindred spirits, or I looked tasty enough to stalk for awhile. I left his field to him after that, but if anyone ever chases me into Climax Springs Missouri, I know exactly what ground to take them on.

[uki]

i believe this whole concept amounts to the merging of energies... your own with that of the terrain(earth) about you... at the boulder field there is immense energy to be felt and harnessed, very powerful energy... the energy of slow moving glaciers grinding and tumbling the earth into rounded stones over the course of hundreds, if not thousands of years - likewise you can find lightning strike marks thru-out the expanse of rocks. beneath the field about 15 feet or so is a stream also... the rocks are loaded with crystals... a very powerful place indeed.

[GeneChing]

Check out Fundamental Martial Arts Conditioning: Mountain Running By Ricardo Tonet in our 2009 September/October (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=830), on the newsstands now.

[uki]

Check out Fundamental Martial Arts Conditioning: Mountain Running By Ricardo Tonet in our 2009 September/October (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=830), on the newsstands now.something tells me that this article is what inspired the conversation... i know it brought to mind my boulder running practice the moment i saw the article(hence my original posting in the sep/oct 2009 thread). it's amazing how things tend to merge themselves when the time is ripe for bearing fruit... compare to the tibetan art of lung gom. :)

[diego]

so the russians in the 70's did some research called POSe looks interesting considering gung fu is all about ancient postures...


http://www.posetech.com/library/dr-02-04-004.html
trying to find some bootleg info on this research...anyone practice this?.