Stillness within Movement

[Daredevil]

The old line "stillness within movement" is very common in the internal arts and I've always liked the sound of the concept even if I really haven't understood it, nor felt it.

Recently, while doing Chen style's Silk Reeling exercises I've felt something that feels exactly like that old adage. I have no idea if that is what is meant by it, though, so I'd like to hear your views.

The sensation I'm talking about happens when the waist is properly leading the movement of the (for example) hands . The hand moves one way, propelled by the waist, while the hand itself remains still, perhaps only slightly twisting. When done "right", a sensation of "stillness within movement" occurs, which feels very fluid and calm.

Or maybe I'm making too much out of a funny sensation. Heh.

Any comments?

[dedalus]

That's a pretty cool way of thinking about it :). I've always considered that concept in terms of the meditative state of mind you can access in IMA, but I really like your interpretation too.

[dedalus]

Actually, that's pretty much what you said, isn't it?

[RickMatz]

When I'm practicing, I start with standing stake for ten minutes or so - until I feel that my body is connected as a unit. Then I move on to other exercises, while maintaining that feeling.

Best Regards,

Rick Matz

[crumble]

Although "stilness in motion" includes the idea of "fluid and calm" it also includes alignment with gravity, so that moving has the same un-awkward feeling as simply standing.

It seems like to get at "move like you're not moving" you... 1) need to get relaxed and fluid, 2) do enough stance training so that you develop a instinct for good structure, and 3) combine the two in order to keep your movements as aligned as they were when you were stationary in stance training.

-crumble

[RickMatz]

From my reading, this is the basic method of YiQuan, in a nutshell.

Best Regards,

Rick

[Nexus]

Stillness in motion is just a saying, a metaphor if you will to describe a sensation which marks a certain type of progress in your tai chi/or internal art form. It applies not only to the body but also to the mind, which is an even higher degree. This is described as initiating a form and then returning to an self-aware state of mind when you have finished the form.

- Nexus

[RickMatz]

I see that the orinator of this thread is from Helsinki.

There is a very good Yiquan website, that is in English, Finnish, and Chinese. It is:

members.surfeu.fi/yiquan

There is also a group of YiQuan people in Helsinki. You can contact them trough that website.

Best Regards,

Rick Matz

[Daredevil]

I'm passingly familiar with that Yiquan group, having participated in a number of their classes. Yiquan is certainly interesting, but somehow I like the idea of forms and drilling them until you transcend them, so I never turned into a Yiquan guy. Maybe I should delve into it again at some point .. but for now, there's enough to do in Baji and Taiji. :)

[Fu-Pow]

I've noticed the same sensation lately as well. I think it is a function of keeping a balanced kind of "relaxedness" in the movement. It feels like my muscles are gently twining around something inside which remains still. I imagine this is also what it means to find the "curved within the straight" or the "hard within the soft."

[Daredevil]

Originally posted by Fu-Pow
It feels like my muscles are gently twining around something inside which remains still. I imagine this is also what it means to find the "curved within the straight" or the "hard within the soft."

Yes, that's a very good description of what's going on with me as well. Something about that sensation makes me almost want to try to reproduce it every time I train. That kinda fixation can be distracting so I try not to pay too much attention to it. I'd just like to know what the hell it is exactly? :)

[les paul]

I usually don’t participate as much on this news group as I would like, however I’m on holiday.

The concept of “Moving in Stillness” according to my Sifu is different than what has been posted so far.

Some are equating the beginnings of basics of issuing jing (force) as the concept of Stillness in Movement or “She dingjing dong” (a ruff translation of the term). Staying connected to your center, while your body coils to build up jing is a huge concept in internal arts. It is used in many ways; an example of what I am talking about is keeping your guard up as you move into an opponent. Your guard doesn’t move forward but your body does (i.e.. your body is coiling amassing jing, once in range the guard becomes a strike.) At no time did the hand/guard retract towards the body and thus give ground. The Xingyiquan I study doesn’t retract the hands after striking. It stays put, becoming a block or another strike if need be, while all the time the body is coiling and recoiling to issue the various jing needed for the task at hand.

Of course this is easier said than done, hence a lifetime of study

Now for “She dingjing dong” or “Stillness in Movement” I was taught it’s an internal exercise used during post standing. While post standing one brings the Qi to the extremities to the vary point of movement. He/she then concentrates on maintaining that level.

Ok, what does this mean?

In western thinking

Stand in your favored post stance. Think to yourself that you want to move your arms and shoulders or any part of your body, but don’t! There is a fine line between thinking of moving and actually doing it. TREAD ON THAT LINE! Don’t move……. yet move. If your doing it right, Qi should start to flow in these extremities and your Dan tien will get warm. Hence Stillness in Movement! All this must be done while SUNG!

This does wonderful things to your reflexes and your ability to manifest Qi

This is just one internal exercise and not to be confused with opening and closing of the gates which is different.



Spanky

[RickMatz]

In western thinking

Stand in your favored post stance. Think to yourself that you want to move your arms and
shoulders or any part of your body, but don’t! There is a fine line between thinking of
moving and actually doing it. TREAD ON THAT LINE! Don’t move……. yet move. If your
doing it right, Qi should start to flow in these extremities and your Dan tien will get warm.
Hence Stillness in Movement! All this must be done while SUNG!

This does wonderful things to your reflexes and your ability to manifest Qi

This is just one internal exercise and not to be confused with opening and closing of the
gates which is different.
=======

This is a hunyuan li exercise in YiQuan.

Best Regards,

Rick Matz

[bean curd]

stillness in movement.

" see a smooth pond with stillness, the stillness is apparent calm, yet the activity is underneath. if the mind can grasp this then yin is yang even though it appears to be yin "

[Wu-Xing]

Heres another perspective from the xingyiquan side of the fence. The rolling of thunder used to be practised in xingyi postures but it was dropped because it was seen as common.personally, i believe it was Due to a lack of understanding for whatever reason people began to believe it was a shout or somthing similar, which in all fairness would be seen as "common".But it was not that ;the practise of holding the rolling thunder inside was a concept (movement in stillness) that later people took too literally. During san ti it would be used so that the posture was no longer "static" feeling . The practitioners reflex's would also be improved as they are no longer just standing still in a repeditave fashion and falling "mentally" and "physically"asleep (obviously i dont mean the kind of sleep you get in bed, but a dulled slow mind and body)