how does slt strenghten the body

[Phenix]

as the title of the discussion. how?
any idea?

[quiet man]

For example, YJKYM strengthens the legs (the lower the stance, the better).
Besides, speaking in general terms, SLT is a physical activity (and a rather demanding one), and any kind of ph. activity strengthens the body...

(and that's all I know )

[reneritchie]

Depends on how you do it. If done in order to do so, the SLT as taught by some sifu will change your tendons. Some will charge your marrow. Some will align your meridians and settle your breath. Others will just have you waving your arms around, or building a little bit of leg muscle.

WCK won't automatically do much, and if the person you are learning from is vague or mysterious in any way about what you're doing (speaks in nebulous terms about "internal", "energy", "Qi", or any other sound bite) it will probably do less. If the person has specific, detailed expertise in one or more areas, it could do more. (And Chinese body theory does not exist in a vacuume so, if interested, you should be able to examine whatever you're shown within similar areas such as TCM).

[t_niehoff]

RR, excellent post. I'd only add as a footnote that we should keep in mind that the object is not just to learn the forms but rather the object is to use the forms to learn. Solo practice, including form practice, offers us a great deal IME. But if a teacher doesn't show you how to get major benefits out of solo practice (including how to use the forms to continue to learn), that's not reflective of the practice, it's reflective of the instruction. TN

Terence

[kungfu cowboy]

Maybe changes in muscle, bone, ligaments, tendons, number of mitochondria, muscle memory, and moonwalking.

[yuanfen]

The moonwalking can help provide you DONT dangle your kid over a balcony!!

[kungfu cowboy]

This is true!

[anerlich]

LOL at the whacko jacko reference.

IMO SLT teaches correct posture and alignment for effective "rooting" (as an Aussie, I can't use that word with a straight face) and power generation. As one practices, one's skills and their related attributes improve.

Unless one is a total couch potato otherwise, it will do little to increase strength, be it of muscles, tendons or anything else.

[[Censored]]

Unless one is a total couch potato otherwise, it will do little to increase strength, be it of muscles, tendons or anything else.

What other physical activity strengthens the knee joint like SLT? I've never seen anyone, athlete or otherwise, able to tolerate the knee strain on their first day, week, or month.

[anerlich]

Originally posted by [Censored]
What other physical activity strengthens the knee joint like SLT? I've never seen anyone, athlete or otherwise, able to tolerate the knee strain on their first day, week, or month. [/B]

I've been doing Russian MA squat and shinbox drills for about 2.5 years. Those drills blast and strengthen the tendons and ligaments of the knee and ankle like nothing else. Fantastic for developing attributes for close, tight armbars and the like from top positions while on the ground.

Get a Xingyi guy to show you Dragon stepping. Kind of like jumping one-legged squats. A challenge for anyone's knees.

Duck walks. Bunny hops.

One or two hundred full range Hindu squats will blast those suckers also.

IMHO, the basic stance should not unduly stress the knee ligaments in any case. They might hurt if you've always used muscle to hold yourself up rather than learning to rely on tendon and ligament tension, but IMO that goes pretty quickly. I've yet to have a student tell me their knees hurt too much to continue, not from doing SLT anyway. In TWC we don't toe in, and that might make a difference, but I would have thought that stressed the medial ligaments more rather than less.

[fa_jing]

I like the pigeon toed stance alot, I think it is sophisticated. My quads always give out before my knees, but I think it is good static exercise for the knees.