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For me, a Martial Art without rooting, is like a house, without a foundation.
There are many techniques, and meditations for developing grounding, and/or
one's root, some of these involve meditation, and/or Chi Gung.
Some methods that are not widely taught, but have had some good results. This is not an attempt to replace those techniques, and/or styles, only to add to them. So I will stir up another hornet's nest and list some of these. I am not saying anyone has to do these, or that they are the best for everyone, but they have worked well for me, and others that I have taught. Hopefully, those that criticize, will offer alternate ways of developing one's root, or why they feel that rooting is not important.
- Bare handed cliff climbing.
- Running at night.
- Running in the woods.
- Running on railroad tracks.
- Running up stairs.
- Hiking uphill with a pack 50-100% of your body weight.
- Doing the Tai Chi posture Embrace the Moon for an hour.
- Starting a workout of 3 hours+ by doing 100 repetitions of every kick, for a
total of 1,000 kicks each leg, then proceeding to forms etc. ( this was done by
a previous Master that I had Studied under, Kenny Young with top results on the
street and in tournaments).
- Power squats, with few repetitions, so as not to overly wear out the knees.
- Having a classmate stand on your shoulders or waist, while you are in a
stance.
- Doing your forms in sand, till you sink.
- Sea Legs, doing your forms on a boat or raft (from the Old Salt School).
- Marathon running cross country trails.
- Cross-country skiing up hill for long distances.
- Walking Ba Gua style on smooth ice.
- Doing the Tai-Chi position Embrace the Moon, while emphasizing the flow of
the Earth Chi, coming from 6 inhes to 6 feet below your feet, coming up through
the soles, channeled by the lower Dan Tien to the arms and fingers.
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