“Walk like a Cat (Tai chi walk exercise) When a cat walks, it places it paw softly on the ground and does not commit weight to it at first. If necessary, the cat can lift that same paw up without losing balance, because no weight has been committed to it yet. Only when it feels the ground firmly under its paw, does it gradually shift weight onto the paw. Tai Chi trains one to step in the same way, softly with sensitivity, feeling the ground beneath your feet. If a cat is pushed when it does not want to move, it does not push back or lift its weight up higher into its body, but instead sinks its weight and energy down lower into its body and paws, sinking, rooting. When pushed, and therefore stressed, we humans tend to lift our tension and stress up into our upper bodies, and resist and push back against the force, all of which makes us more susceptible to losing our balance and toppling over. However, Tai Chi teaches us the cat-like skill of sinking our weight into our legs, being firmly rooted, and redirecting or absorbing an incoming force either by shifting our center, or by absorbing the force down into the ground, into our root. The Yang system I was taught relies heavily on squaring the body to the direction you are facing. I adhere to the cardinal rule from the Classics, I use a Carpenters Framing Square in class as a reference to help with foot positioning during the 7 step Tai chi walk exercise. Start in a left Lunge Position facing north. Feet shoulder width apart, 70% weight on left leg 30% on the right. Knees slightly bent, back straight. Pay attention to your centerline. 1. Shift weight back. Right leg 90%, left leg 10%. Back straight. 2. Relax left leg, turn waist so the body is now facing to the NW corner. Right leg 90%, left leg 10%. Back straight. 3. Step up with right leg to the NW corner, placing right foot lightly next to left. Keep back straight. 4. Empty L Step out with your right foot landing on the heel first but do not transfer your weight forward. Roll into the ball of your front foot and feel the entire foot as it connects to the ground. At this point you should only have about 10% of your weight on the right leg, so much of your weight stays back in the left leg. Should still be facing to the NW corner keeping the back straight. 5. Shift weight forward to right leg 6. Turn body to face N as you simultaneously turn the rear foot 45 deg. Sinking into a Lunge position left foot forward 70/30. This basic footwork is also used in many other Tai chi moves such as; Ward off, Brush Knee Twist step, Parry Punch, Single Whip, Grasp the Sparrows Tail, etc. 太極羅尼 Tai chi by Ronny
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:01:28 +0000
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