Stretching the body with Qi




I really pity those of you who train with an instructor who does not teach anything about Qi!

The one big difference between Wenhsiuquan and Jeet Kune Do is that Qigong is expressly part of Wenhsiuquan's training regimen. 

Last week I have learnt a really cool training method from Wu Style Taijiquan. I must admit that the writer of the book actually gave a lot of complex information that I have still not digested, but one really cool technique did find its way from the pages into my morning work-out's warm-up.

It goes like this:

Standing in an upright posture (yoi for the karate people), feet flat on the ground, shoulders relaxed, and so forth (Taijiquan people know the drill...) you begin to stretch your neck upwards so that all the vertebrae have a space between one another. This is not done by straining, but rather in a relaxed posture and while breathing slowly.

 Just by doing that I have already felt a surge of Qi course through my veins. Not quite the same as flexing all my muscles and yelling until I am bathed in a halo of fire and my hair turns white, I suppose, but awesome nevertheless. Those of you who have just made your acquaintance with Qi may be happy enough with this, but I immediately went on to do something else:

The next technique was called, very simply, but still aptly, "Lengthening the limbs with the imagination".

Now- Wu Taijiquan's high stances and techniques are not something I would choose to practice, but hey, I love my high kicks! So- after learning this technique I immediately applied it to my splits! Instead of visualising the muscles softer and longer I actually imagined my legs growing longer! Now THAT really does wonders! In no time I ended up a lot more limber and kicking for the skies!

I am still not as flexible as Chloe Bruce, and really also do not want to be. Still- the increased flexibility I have gained is welcome. I really see no point in kicking beyond your own head's height (and in earlier years some fighters would not even bother going beyond their own waist-level) and I would therefore not spend too much time training to do so. If you, however, want to be the next Chloe Bruce (no- I do not mention Jean-Claude van Damme in my posts) then I hope this tip is of at least some help.

Enjoy your training!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blindfold training

Image
Now here's something I have not yet written about. :D I have been interested in the Zen side of Japanese martial arts since the age of 16. It was about at this age when I began with Qigong as well. As a young karateka back then I did not have the confidence, strength or aggression of my classmates and looking back- I think it was a good thing. Because of that classes scared me. Now- had it not been to exposure to the mental training techniques provided to me by Zen- I would not have seen this hostile dojo environment as the ideal testing grounds for the things I have read. This is one major factor to which I attribute my development as a martial artist. One very important training tool that has always served me well and that continues to do so to this dat is Zen Meditation. This, in itself, has provided me with a number of benefits about which I can write in detail. One of those- was the development of intuition and sensory acuity. It is actually wonderfu
Read more

Tai Chi Movement #3- Wave Hands like Clouds

Image
I have just started searching for examples of this movement on the internet and realised that among all the people doing Tai Chi out there I might just be the only one who would apply Cloud Hands the way I do. I have found different variations of the movement itself as well. This makes my writing about my version and its application a bit unfair as you will be missing out on some really elaborate applications. Now- how I always did this movement is starting from a posture like the Lute Playing posture like the picture below- or the Spread Wings posture like this: From either one of these ready postures I then rotate my front foot and let my body follow while my leading hand makes contact with an imaginary thrust and I then complete the rotation by passing the attack while I guide its force past me with minimal effort and my free hand follows the blocking hand to wind up for an outward strike. When the rotation and step is complete I shift weight
Read more

Learning a Martial Art- some basic guidelines

Image
I think we have by now come across a couple of people who are studying some martial art or the other on their own. Back when I tried doing it at the age of 10 I used a book and later more books followed. Well- even after I did join an actual dojo more books followed even then... People are quick to say that you can't learn a martial art from a book. That is understandable. I for one know that you can't work as a lawyer if you have only gotten your law degree. In fact- few people feel as incompetent as a bright graduate starting out as a candidate at a law firm. The main reason why martial arts can't be learnt by reading alone is that experience plays a large part in developing the skills that any martial art has to offer. Knowledge is not enough. Nonetheless- self study is possible. We may argue about to which extent, but the history of Chinese and Japanese martial arts feature instances where people studied a scroll or a f
Read more