Continuing with my Zhang Zhuang training, Sifu Wu recently added a new stance into the mix - the empty stance (aka the back stance).
To get into an empty stance, you start from an open stance (i.e. feet about shoulder width apart, feet pointing forward), turn one foot out by about 45 degrees, shift the weight onto that leg, lift the other leg (like in the leg lift exercise), and then put the foot down so that it is forward of the weighted foot - the heel should be on the ground, the foot flexed, and the knee (very) slightly bent. The hips should still be straight and the lateral distance between the feet still about shoulder width.
In the empty stance, all of your weight is on the back leg and your upper body should be straight upright over that leg. As with the other stances, the supporting leg should be solid and rooted while the upper body should be loose and relaxed.
This stance gets uncomfortable quickly and, eventually, your leg begins to shake at which point you sink down the toes of the front foot and then shift the weight from the back leg into a bow stance, which is a more comfortable posture that allows the back leg to rest a bit.
Once the back leg has rested, you bend the back leg to shift your weight onto it, returning to the empty stance. After doing this for a while, you switch to the other leg so that it too can share in the pain and misery (and the benefits).
When I first start training this stance, Sifu Wu had me practice with my back to a wall which forced me to 1. shift all the way onto the back leg, 2. keep my hips straight, and 3. keep my upper body upright and relaxed.
Initially it was difficult to do it for more than a couple of minutes and a lot of the time was spent in the bow stance. I now do 5 minutes on each side and, while I still shift into the bow stance (particularly towards the end), I spend most of the time in the empty stance.
As with the other stance training, spending time in this stance has allowed me analyze my structure and notice when things aren't right. For example, when all of the weight is over the back leg, it is important to feel the weight in the center of the foot. I have a tendency to feel my weight in my heel and, with Sifu Wu's help, I have found that this is caused by collapsing the knee slightly - expanding the hip and knee shifts the weight to the center of the foot and takes care of the problem. It also makes the stance harder.
Again, as with other stance training, this training has helped improve my form. There are a number of postures where you need to shift fully onto the back leg (e.g. circle foot and carry the hammer forward) and I now realize that I wasn't shifting nearly far enough back, which left me off balance and created a lot of tension in my upper body - the form is now harder for my legs but easier on my upper body.
PS. At work the other day, I noticed that my pants were getting a bit tight in the legs and I subsequently realized that many of my pants/shorts are now tight in the legs. I haven't had this problem since I was a weightlifter in my 20's - sometimes it's reassuring to have a physical manifestation that training is actually having an effect.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Lifting the Hip Considered Harmful
In my last few posts, I've been describing the Zhan Zhuang training that I've incorporated into my training regime with the help of Sifu Wu. She has continued to help me refine my training and I am now incorporating some additional movements and different postures.
One new wrinkle Sifu Wu recently gave me with the leg lifts (described in my last post) was, after lifting the unweighted leg, to extend the weighted leg until it's almost straight - still keeping the hips even. Once you've held this position for a while, you bend the weighted leg to get back to it's original position and then (and only then), you lower the unweighted leg. I do this twice on one leg then shift to the other.
Doing this variation clearly showed another problem with my leg lifts. As I lift the leg, the associated hip has a tendency to come up too, which makes the hips uneven - this is bad. In order to stay balanced, you need to keep that hip down. The issue becomes particularly evident when extending the weighted leg - the other hip really wants to come up (even though it's not helping at all).
I discussed my problem with Sifu Wu and she had a couple of helpful insights.
Once again, as I was doing the Slow form, I started noticing places where my unweighted hip was popping up (all the usual suspects, particularly any stepping or kicking). As my leg lifts have improved, I've worked these changes into the form, which has improved the form while simultaneously making it even more challenging.
One new wrinkle Sifu Wu recently gave me with the leg lifts (described in my last post) was, after lifting the unweighted leg, to extend the weighted leg until it's almost straight - still keeping the hips even. Once you've held this position for a while, you bend the weighted leg to get back to it's original position and then (and only then), you lower the unweighted leg. I do this twice on one leg then shift to the other.
Doing this variation clearly showed another problem with my leg lifts. As I lift the leg, the associated hip has a tendency to come up too, which makes the hips uneven - this is bad. In order to stay balanced, you need to keep that hip down. The issue becomes particularly evident when extending the weighted leg - the other hip really wants to come up (even though it's not helping at all).
I discussed my problem with Sifu Wu and she had a couple of helpful insights.
- You need to feel that the leg is being lifted by the lower portion of the thigh, towards the knee.
- As the knee goes up, you need to actively push the hip down.
- To make this all work, the supporting leg needs to keep its structure as well i.e. the foot and knee have to retain their structure - there is a tendency to collapse the knee which lets the outer edge of the foot come away from the ground.
- As your leg strength improves, that will help improve the form (i.e. keep practicing).
Once again, as I was doing the Slow form, I started noticing places where my unweighted hip was popping up (all the usual suspects, particularly any stepping or kicking). As my leg lifts have improved, I've worked these changes into the form, which has improved the form while simultaneously making it even more challenging.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Yet More Tension
In my previous post, I described starting Zhan Zhuang training after a session with Sifu Amin Wu and mentioned that one part of the training included doing leg lifts.
In that post, I didn't describe the leg lifts but they aren't complicated. You start the movement in an open stance, slowly shift the weight to one leg, then raise the other (empty) leg up to about hip level, making sure to keep the knee aligned with toes on the supporting (full) leg and to keep the hips level. You hold the leg up for about 20 seconds before slowly putting the foot down and doing the same movement on the other side.
Lifting the leg is basically the same move as 'Golden cock stands on one leg' and holding the leg up for 20 seconds trains the thigh muscle - as your strength, balance, and flexibility improve you can lift the leg higher and hold it for longer (eventually turning it into a kick but that's beyond what I'm training at this point).
After watching me go through the movements a few times, Sifu Wu mentioned that I was holding a lot of tension in my knee and lower leg and said that I should just relax the knee and let the lower leg hang. Once she pointed it out, I noticed as I lifted my leg that 1. the angle of the knee barely changed, causing tension in the knee and 2. I was forcibly pointing my toes downward, causing tension in the lower leg.
Looking back, I recall that when I was first learning the Slow Form, I started forcibly pointing my foot down in 'Golden cock stands on one leg' because I saw that the advanced people had their toes pointed down and, while it felt tight for me, I figured that once I gained enough flexibility that everything would become loose.
Training the leg lifts while concentrating on keeping the knee and foot relaxed pointed out how much tension I was actually carrying in the knee/lower leg. Bringing this refinement back into the Slow Form, I found that the tension not only occurred in 'Golden cock stands on one leg' but in any move where I had to lift a leg, including any stepping (whether it be a side step as in 'Circle hands like clouds', a forward step as in 'Brush thighs and press forth palms', or a backwards step as in 'Step back and repulse monkey') so this refinement has applied to (and improved) practically everything in the Slow Form.
So, mind the tension.
In that post, I didn't describe the leg lifts but they aren't complicated. You start the movement in an open stance, slowly shift the weight to one leg, then raise the other (empty) leg up to about hip level, making sure to keep the knee aligned with toes on the supporting (full) leg and to keep the hips level. You hold the leg up for about 20 seconds before slowly putting the foot down and doing the same movement on the other side.
Lifting the leg is basically the same move as 'Golden cock stands on one leg' and holding the leg up for 20 seconds trains the thigh muscle - as your strength, balance, and flexibility improve you can lift the leg higher and hold it for longer (eventually turning it into a kick but that's beyond what I'm training at this point).
After watching me go through the movements a few times, Sifu Wu mentioned that I was holding a lot of tension in my knee and lower leg and said that I should just relax the knee and let the lower leg hang. Once she pointed it out, I noticed as I lifted my leg that 1. the angle of the knee barely changed, causing tension in the knee and 2. I was forcibly pointing my toes downward, causing tension in the lower leg.
Looking back, I recall that when I was first learning the Slow Form, I started forcibly pointing my foot down in 'Golden cock stands on one leg' because I saw that the advanced people had their toes pointed down and, while it felt tight for me, I figured that once I gained enough flexibility that everything would become loose.
Training the leg lifts while concentrating on keeping the knee and foot relaxed pointed out how much tension I was actually carrying in the knee/lower leg. Bringing this refinement back into the Slow Form, I found that the tension not only occurred in 'Golden cock stands on one leg' but in any move where I had to lift a leg, including any stepping (whether it be a side step as in 'Circle hands like clouds', a forward step as in 'Brush thighs and press forth palms', or a backwards step as in 'Step back and repulse monkey') so this refinement has applied to (and improved) practically everything in the Slow Form.
So, mind the tension.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Zhan Zhuang
For a bit of background for this post, I should mention that in the fall of 2013, I took a class on the Yang-style 24 Form from Sifu Amin Wu. I'd been interested in learning the 24 Form and had also been interested in taking a class from Sifu Wu once I learned she was teaching in the area.
It was a great class and I really enjoyed learning from Sifu Wu. Ever since the class finished, I've continued to drop in on Sifu Wu from time-to-time and have always wanted to spend more time training with her, when her class schedule and my ILC training coincided.
This year for my birthday I decided to do a private session with Sifu Wu in order to get her thoughts on my training and what I could do to improve things. She made a number of useful suggestions but her main point was that, if I really wanted to improve my Taiji, I should consider practicing Zhan Zhuang in order to strengthen my legs.
Zhan Zhuang is stance training - basically you get into an uncomfortable position and hold it for an absurd period of time. Sifu Wu recommended first working on open stance (i.e. feet parallel, shoulder width apart) holding a squat with the thighs roughly at 45 degrees and, for variation, mix in bow stance. She also showed me how to eventually add some movement into the stance training that would work up to taking a Taiji step.
The day after the session, I decided to give it a try so I stood squatting in open stance as a warm up before my usual training - 10 minutes later, my legs were shaking so badly that I could barely do any further training that morning. This was a surprise - I've trained the slow form for quite a while and my leg strength and endurance are generally pretty good - and it convinced me that it was worth giving the training a try for a while.
So, for the last few weeks, I've been training Zhan Zhuang. The first week it was 10 minutes on alternating days but I've slowly increased things. Last week I did 10 minutes of standing followed by 5 minutes of leg lifts (held for 15-20 seconds) each day. This morning I did 20 minutes standing (10 minutes open stance and 5 minutes bow stance on each side) and 5 minutes of leg lifts - my legs are toast at the moment.
The results have been noticeable. I'm better balanced doing my Taiji form already and my 2-person work is more stable overall. I'm not sure if it's increased strength or improved posture (standing for that long gives you a lot of time to work on your alignment) but I plan to continue with the training for the next few months to see where it leads.
It was a great class and I really enjoyed learning from Sifu Wu. Ever since the class finished, I've continued to drop in on Sifu Wu from time-to-time and have always wanted to spend more time training with her, when her class schedule and my ILC training coincided.
This year for my birthday I decided to do a private session with Sifu Wu in order to get her thoughts on my training and what I could do to improve things. She made a number of useful suggestions but her main point was that, if I really wanted to improve my Taiji, I should consider practicing Zhan Zhuang in order to strengthen my legs.
Zhan Zhuang is stance training - basically you get into an uncomfortable position and hold it for an absurd period of time. Sifu Wu recommended first working on open stance (i.e. feet parallel, shoulder width apart) holding a squat with the thighs roughly at 45 degrees and, for variation, mix in bow stance. She also showed me how to eventually add some movement into the stance training that would work up to taking a Taiji step.
The day after the session, I decided to give it a try so I stood squatting in open stance as a warm up before my usual training - 10 minutes later, my legs were shaking so badly that I could barely do any further training that morning. This was a surprise - I've trained the slow form for quite a while and my leg strength and endurance are generally pretty good - and it convinced me that it was worth giving the training a try for a while.
So, for the last few weeks, I've been training Zhan Zhuang. The first week it was 10 minutes on alternating days but I've slowly increased things. Last week I did 10 minutes of standing followed by 5 minutes of leg lifts (held for 15-20 seconds) each day. This morning I did 20 minutes standing (10 minutes open stance and 5 minutes bow stance on each side) and 5 minutes of leg lifts - my legs are toast at the moment.
The results have been noticeable. I'm better balanced doing my Taiji form already and my 2-person work is more stable overall. I'm not sure if it's increased strength or improved posture (standing for that long gives you a lot of time to work on your alignment) but I plan to continue with the training for the next few months to see where it leads.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Taiji: Unsynchronizing the Arms
A few months back, while refining my Taiji form at TToPA, I noticed a
difference between what I was doing and what the instructor was doing
during the transition from 'Serpent Slides Back' to 'Crossing Wrists'
(at the end of each section of the Slow Form). In my case, the
transition was somewhat symmetric, with the left hand and the right hand
forming the same arc at the same time and concluding in the posture at
the same time. By contrast, my instructor's left hand followed a much
shorter (more natural) arc that was at a slower speed than the right
hand, with both hands converging in the posture at the same time.
In TToPA, we are taught from the beginning that the arms often move at different rates even in seemingly symmetric movements (e.g. 'Conquer Tiger') but this was the first time I noticed it in a movement where it had not been shown to me explicitly.
Since then, I've worked on fixing the timing and movement of 'Crossing Wrists' and have become a lot more proficient at moving my hands unsynchronized while still keeping the movement connected. This has not only helped in those postures where I already knew that the hands needed to move at different speeds but has also allowed me to see other places in the form where the arms/hands move unsynchronized in much more subtle ways (e.g. 'Circle Foot and Carry the Hammer Forward').
I still have to concentrate when doing these movements otherwise I fall back to my synchronized ways but, when I get it right, it makes the transitions more smooth an comfortable.
In TToPA, we are taught from the beginning that the arms often move at different rates even in seemingly symmetric movements (e.g. 'Conquer Tiger') but this was the first time I noticed it in a movement where it had not been shown to me explicitly.
Since then, I've worked on fixing the timing and movement of 'Crossing Wrists' and have become a lot more proficient at moving my hands unsynchronized while still keeping the movement connected. This has not only helped in those postures where I already knew that the hands needed to move at different speeds but has also allowed me to see other places in the form where the arms/hands move unsynchronized in much more subtle ways (e.g. 'Circle Foot and Carry the Hammer Forward').
I still have to concentrate when doing these movements otherwise I fall back to my synchronized ways but, when I get it right, it makes the transitions more smooth an comfortable.
ILC: Training Status Update
Following up from my previous post, since the end of June I've been focusing
on Student Level 4 training rather than continuing Instructor Level 1
training - it just made more sense with my current schedule and
interests. I plan to revisit IL1 training at a time when it makes sense to do
so.
In the meantime, I'm looking for a workshop focusing on the Butterfly Form - keep me posted if you hear of one.
Happy New Year Everyone!
In the meantime, I'm looking for a workshop focusing on the Butterfly Form - keep me posted if you hear of one.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Instructor Level 1 Training and 21 Form Applications
I've been rather lax at writing updates here over the last several months but for good reason - I've been really busy with training, which I'll explain now ...
Last fall there was an ILC workshop with Sam Chin the weekend of December 14th. In the run up to the workshop, I worked on learning the 21 Form to prepare to grade for Student Level 3, which I (along with 2 other of my schoolmates) successfully did.
At that point, I had to decided whether I wanted to start training for Student Level 4 (SL4) or if I wanted to instead train for Instructor Level 1 (IL1). While I don't particularly want to be an instructor, I ultimately decided to train IL1 because it meant studying the applications of the 21 Form and I felt I needed a deeper understanding of the form before moving on; it also helped that my training partner (Rod) was interested in training IL1 for similar reasons. We decided to prepare for the next workshop with Sam Chin, which was scheduled for the weekend of June 21st.
Training IL1 was more challenging then I'd expected. We needed to work on the applications, which involved spending lots of time looking at the 21 Form DVD and trying to figure out what was going on and how to recreate it.
So, in addition to my normal training, Rod and I started getting together several times a week to train, including a couple of hours on Saturday morning. We also went to a 21 Form workshop given by Ashe Higgs in April, a mini-workshop on 21 Form Applications given by Dima Grinberg in May, and I visited Joshua Craig's class in NYC at the end of June (where I also attended a mini-workshop by Dasha Sergeeva).
In February, Rod went to the ILC winter intensive and found out that we needed to lead class for 3 months before grading so, starting in March, we also started to lead our ILC class. Luckily, we had plenty of material from a workshop given by Alex Skalozub in February (and various other workshops we've attended) but it took time to prepare for the classes.
Training applications is difficult, particularly if you don't have previous experience doing so. It means taking all these things you've been training on your own and making them work on a partner - it's a big transition and we didn't go easy on each other. Still, as we worked through the applications, I came to understand the 21 Form a lot better and that has had a big effect on how I do the form.
Master Chin arrived a few days early for the June workshop and in 3 separate sessions (Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday morning) he gave an impromptu 21 Form Applications workshop before the actual workshop. It was a great experience - after all that time working on the form and the applications, getting refinements directly from Sigong was eye-opening and I had the necessary context to understand and absorb what he was teaching.
But, in the end, it wasn't enough. On Sunday morning, Master Chin told me he didn't think I was ready to grade and that I should wait until he returned in December. I'll just say it was a let-down and leave it at that (on the up side Rod did grade successfully and I got to participate in that).
So I'm back where I started in January trying to decide whether to continue the IL1 training or go on to the SL4 training. On the one side, I've accomplished my goal of improving my understanding of the 21 Form so starting SL4 training seems like the way to go. On the other side, after the impromptu applications workshop, Rod and I feel we have a lot more to train now and it's seems a shame to walk away from IL1 after all I've put into it.
In any case, for personal and professional reasons, I've dialed back training to my normal (non-trivial yet sustainable) level. I hope to be ready to grade in December but gaining the skill has always been the goal so I'll just have to evaluate where I'm at when the time comes.
I also have to say that my instructors and fellow students have been incredibly supportive all the way through - its really a privileged to be part of that kind of community.
As a final note, I should mention that applications training has not only improved my 21 Form but has had a profound effect on my Taiji Forms and spinning hands, which I'm only now starting to appreciate.
Last fall there was an ILC workshop with Sam Chin the weekend of December 14th. In the run up to the workshop, I worked on learning the 21 Form to prepare to grade for Student Level 3, which I (along with 2 other of my schoolmates) successfully did.
At that point, I had to decided whether I wanted to start training for Student Level 4 (SL4) or if I wanted to instead train for Instructor Level 1 (IL1). While I don't particularly want to be an instructor, I ultimately decided to train IL1 because it meant studying the applications of the 21 Form and I felt I needed a deeper understanding of the form before moving on; it also helped that my training partner (Rod) was interested in training IL1 for similar reasons. We decided to prepare for the next workshop with Sam Chin, which was scheduled for the weekend of June 21st.
Training IL1 was more challenging then I'd expected. We needed to work on the applications, which involved spending lots of time looking at the 21 Form DVD and trying to figure out what was going on and how to recreate it.
So, in addition to my normal training, Rod and I started getting together several times a week to train, including a couple of hours on Saturday morning. We also went to a 21 Form workshop given by Ashe Higgs in April, a mini-workshop on 21 Form Applications given by Dima Grinberg in May, and I visited Joshua Craig's class in NYC at the end of June (where I also attended a mini-workshop by Dasha Sergeeva).
In February, Rod went to the ILC winter intensive and found out that we needed to lead class for 3 months before grading so, starting in March, we also started to lead our ILC class. Luckily, we had plenty of material from a workshop given by Alex Skalozub in February (and various other workshops we've attended) but it took time to prepare for the classes.
Training applications is difficult, particularly if you don't have previous experience doing so. It means taking all these things you've been training on your own and making them work on a partner - it's a big transition and we didn't go easy on each other. Still, as we worked through the applications, I came to understand the 21 Form a lot better and that has had a big effect on how I do the form.
Master Chin arrived a few days early for the June workshop and in 3 separate sessions (Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday morning) he gave an impromptu 21 Form Applications workshop before the actual workshop. It was a great experience - after all that time working on the form and the applications, getting refinements directly from Sigong was eye-opening and I had the necessary context to understand and absorb what he was teaching.
But, in the end, it wasn't enough. On Sunday morning, Master Chin told me he didn't think I was ready to grade and that I should wait until he returned in December. I'll just say it was a let-down and leave it at that (on the up side Rod did grade successfully and I got to participate in that).
So I'm back where I started in January trying to decide whether to continue the IL1 training or go on to the SL4 training. On the one side, I've accomplished my goal of improving my understanding of the 21 Form so starting SL4 training seems like the way to go. On the other side, after the impromptu applications workshop, Rod and I feel we have a lot more to train now and it's seems a shame to walk away from IL1 after all I've put into it.
In any case, for personal and professional reasons, I've dialed back training to my normal (non-trivial yet sustainable) level. I hope to be ready to grade in December but gaining the skill has always been the goal so I'll just have to evaluate where I'm at when the time comes.
I also have to say that my instructors and fellow students have been incredibly supportive all the way through - its really a privileged to be part of that kind of community.
As a final note, I should mention that applications training has not only improved my 21 Form but has had a profound effect on my Taiji Forms and spinning hands, which I'm only now starting to appreciate.
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