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When one is born, they will normally move internally, up to the age of around two years. An experiment for an to try, is to put a coin, or small object in an infants palm, and let him close his hand around it. If the infant wants to hold that coin, a grown man will have difficulty opening the infant's hand. If this was due to muscular strength, there would be no contest. The infant is using chi, something that we are all born with. As the years go, the child will learn how to move, from humans, whereas his first moves are intrinsic, primal, and natural. From humans, he learns that you are supposed to use your muscles and bones, this way and that, and looses his unfiltered unprocessed, undescribed ability. Then when one wants to learn how to throw a punch, different muscles are used, in the arm. the child might take up boxing, where he will learn to use the right muscles in his arm, and shoulders. In karate, and the better boxing schools, and Judo; he will learn to use his hips. From there he might be content to refine these abilities, switch to the internal, or use both external and internal. The internal will start with the flow of energy, and the lack of tension in the muscles. For general health purposes, this might be enough. For martial purposes, and for dealing with forces greater than oneself, they may be able to connect this energy flow of chi, to their Lower Dan Tien (just below the navel area). It is highly advantageous, to connect this to, or below the ground, your root (hence foundation). This use of the ground is ironically, is most highly developed in Hsing Yi, but is also employed by the better warrior/fighters of Shotokan, Goju, Shto Ryu, and Tae Kwon Do, in their step-stomp punch. A crude mechanical comparison, would be of a car coming to an intersection, applying its brakes, and something getting hit with the car, as it stretches forward, after the brakes are applied. This is a good example of the Ying/Yang theory, of something becoming so extreme, that it becomes its opposite; predominately hard and external Shotokan etc. becoming so hard, that they become soft, so external, that it eventually becomes internal (usually not taught till 2nd degree and up).
A few internal exercise to develop and check this root, are:
In both of these exercises, try going front to back, left to right, and get a 'rock the cradle' cadence going. For me, it is easier to exhale, as I sink and or retreat, and inhale as I rise, and/or advance. An external way of developing a good chi root, is to hike a while up hill, with a pack of 50-100% of your body wait. Do your sets, Aikido rowing exercises, or the Tai Chi posture Embrace the Moon, after you have gone as far as you can. The 'minds eye' should be oriented toward the center of the body. "After the whole body is relaxed, the mind must also be relaxed, but be slightly oriented to the navel (the center of the body or Lower Dan Tien). It must be noted that slight orientation means that the mind must not be excessively oriented, otherwise the result may be just to the contrary. Nervous tension may result from it. In serious cases, such un-wholesome results as the over-tension of the nerves may even be created." from a Pa Tuan Ching classic. You will learn to see yourself, and it will be unnecessary to theorize. When you can see, subservient groveling will be unneeded to secure this information from someone else. As long as you rely on someone else's advise, it will be external, by definition. To see/feel oneself's insides is internal. To explain or understand it, is not. |