Extracts of discussions in the e-group at taichichen.com
By Tu-Ky Lam
I realize good stance is very important... In Taijiquan, we talk about "kua" and "dang", and how these need to be correct. Then we see teachers do these great-looking, effective stances. My question is: are there any practical tips or "tricks of the trade" for improving these areas?
Dear all,
Kua in Chinese means hips. In Taijiquan, our waist and hips have to be relaxed and loosened. There is an excellent explanation for this requirement in the June 2003 issue of Tai Chi (page 14), which says "relaxing the kua is to allow the hips to set in their sockets (Note: my understanding of this is "relaxing our hips is to allow our buttocks to set in their sockets") Only then can the qi flow down from the body to the legs and your feet. It helps to give your feet the foundation of your strength. Then your qi will build up throughout your entire body". This is something all Tai chi students have to train to achieve, but easier said than done. You need to train correctly from 700 to 1000 hours (one hour a day for two or three years) to achieve this.
How to relax or loosen up our hips? During standing or form practice, we have to bend our knees, flex (means bend or fold, not tense up) our hip joints, and sit on our legs. Lifting up the top of our head can help our buttocks set in their sockets. Still you need to make up the number - 1000 hours. This is the most important requirement in the torso methods, which I have mentioned in this forum more than twenty times and in my classes more than fifty times. My wife keeps asking me why I have to repeat so many times the same old thing, which nobody listens.
Dang means crotch, the place where our legs fork the body. Our crotch has to be round like an arch, not pointed like a capital A. When our crotch is round, we can shift weight and so move more freely. If we make our knee move very slight closer (1 millimeter is good enough) to each other, our crotch can be made round. Stance is very important. Nowadays, many teachers do not mention stance. Even when they do, students do not take notice. To give strength to your legs, you need to bend your knees, flex your hip joints and sit on your legs. Those who are too lazy to sit (lazy sitting) will not have strong legs and their buttocks will not set into their sockets. In a bow stance, the back leg pushes toward the front legs while the front leg pushes into the ground to stop the movement of the back leg. This action helps to produce more power to our hands. Generally speaking, in all stances, our knees have to move slightly inwards.
I am a bit surprised a beginner can ask such a complicated question. But hope my explanation can help.
Regards,
Tu-Ky
Dear Tu-Ky,
Thank you. As always, you make the complicated simple to grasp.
This beginner is good at reading and analysing, but slow to "learn" from others. I mean really learn and truly remember. Now I have something easy to remember: "1000 hours".
I've also heard it said: "Nine years practice brings first fruits". I'll keep working on the basics. Taichichen website is a great resource for me and many others. Carry on friends! Thanks again.
Regards.