Coordination (2) | ||
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Standing qigong
The first step towards improved coordination is
'standing qigong'.
This training method involves no actual movement at all.
Rather than move, the student practices
alignment and
relaxation. Relaxation is
essential for comfortable movement because it releases muscular
tension and enables the
joints to move freely.
Moving qigong
Natural, comfortable movements are explored next. These teach basic patterns of
coordinated action without actually stepping.
Mild stretches and gently challenging moves encourage greater coordination,
suppleness and strength.
Form
The Long Yang form requires the student to perform simple, natural movements
without over-stretching.
By staying within a comfortable range, the student becomes adept at maintaining
balance at all times. Easy movements increase coordination.
The hands remain directly in front of the body most of the time.
Beyond the sequence
As the student becomes more adept with form they must focus on individual
training concerns when doing the form.
These technical skills enable the individual to radically improve coordination,
power, strength and agility.
Depth
In our syllabus there are over many additional
form considerations beyond simply learning the actual sequence of movements.
These vary from the straightforward to the vastly complex.
By incorporating extra nuances and a higher-level of physical dexterity, the
student makes the form increasingly subtle and powerful in application.
The more skilled you become, the more detailed the form gets because the more
you are capable of seeing and comprehending.
Partner work
Partner work improves coordination in new and unexpected ways. Not only must you
increase your awareness significantly, you must also coordinate your actions
relative to the actions of somebody else.
This requires greater physical sensitivity, observation, rhythm and timing.
Weapons
Weapons practice improves mobility in the joints and builds strength.
Coordinating your body with a heavy weapon in your hand is not easy.
The weapons training starts simple and builds in complexity; weapons forms,
partnered sets and applications ultimately offer a bewildering range of
challenges.
Ambidexterity
One of the advantages of tai chi training is the use of both sides of the body.
You cannot favour one side or one hand. This is particularly useful.
Imagine that you are right handed and you injure your right hand... If you are
ambidextrous, this is not a major problem.
Balanced muscle use
Alternatively, think of ambidexterity in terms of muscle use. If you give
preference to your right hand, is the muscle use within your body likely to be
balanced?
Are the arm and shoulder muscles of your left hand side going to be weaker?
The legs do more
In tai chi the legs do most of the hard work. The strong muscles of the calves,
thighs and buttocks coordinate with the large muscles of the back and torso in
order to generate power.
Coordinating upper and lower is essential.
Step automatically
People often lean or stretch too far; compromising their balance and skeletal
alignment. Tai chi partner work teaches the student to coordinate stepping with
intention.
Instead of the hands reaching out, the whole torso moves closer. The feet step
automatically within range. At all times the feet are beneath the hands.
Tai chi
Training tai chi as a martial art is a major coordination challenge. The
lower level is quite easy, teaching the student how
to use their body in a basic manner.
Advanced practice is another matter entirely, with internal power (jing)
and whole-body movement (neigong) being the main concerns.
Combat and increasingly difficult forms mean that the
student must become better and better at using their body well.
Combat
Combat in the internal martial arts is quite different from the mainstream
martial arts. Exertion, aggression, blocking, holding and forcing are all
forbidden.
The student is required to be significantly more intelligent in their body use.
A higher level of coordination must be employed.
Breath
Coordinating your breath with the movements is another concern. It is not
complicated but you must avoid having a simplistic understanding.
Mind & body
Mind and body must coordinate. Meditation will help
the mind and body to work together. Your mind drifts and you bring it back...
time and time again. Coordinate mind and body.
Spirit
You must coordinate spirit with movement. In tai chi 'spirit' is seen in two
ways: shen and the physical embodiment of Taoist
insights.
A thorough knowledge of The Tai Chi Classics, Taoism and Zen is
cultivated.
Small movement
The joints of the body are capable of a wide range of movement. We encourage
students to explore this range more completely and thereby gain a better
workout.
If you watch an Asian dancer, the hands perform intricate shapes and minute
movements which look simple but are very hard to replicate.
Tai chi does not use the hands in this way (all hand movement is eventually
caused by the whole-body spiralling) but the degree of dexterity and control is
similar.
Internal movement
Ultimately, the external movements need to begin deeper within the body.
The opening and closing of the joints, the shortening and lengthening of the
muscles, and the flexing of the spine all produce kinetic energy/movement.
Tai chi aims to employ these movements in an exceptionally small way; curves,
spirals, ripples and arcs propelling force from the ground, through the centre,
out to the extremities and then back.
Page created
18 March 1997
Last updated
16 June 2023
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