This is the second of the two figure of eight arm movements. In a previous post we covered the heaven figure 8 movement. This one goes the opposite way round. Both movements have the following benefits They open, relax and exercise your shoulders They teach you to move your body as one connected unit They help develop the twisting, wavelike power that is the hallmark of all good Chinese movement […]
There are two figure of eight arm movements – heaven and earth. They have many uses: They open, relax and exercise your shoulders They teach you to move your body as one connected unit They help develop the twisting, wavelike power that is the hallmark of all good Chinese movement arts From a martial perspective they contain a wide range of attack and defensive skills Today we are going to […]
One of the main aims of tai chi and kung fu is for you to be able to hold and move your body in the most effortless and efficient way. This doesn’t come naturally as our habitual way of holding our body is from above by tensing up. This takes the weight off our weak legs but means we are constantly standing and moving as if we are always under […]
The back kick and the front kick are the 2 main kicks taught to new students in the Jade Dragon School. The back kick is an important one to learn and practice as it can protect you against attacks from behind, it is very versatile in its use and is the strongest kick in our arsenal. Probably the strongest kick there is as it uses the biggest muscles in the […]
The martial arts are perhaps best known for the fancy high kicks that are so often seen in the films and in the ring. However, although these look great many of them are of limited use in real life. New students to the Jade Dragon school learn just two kicks – the front kick and the back kick. These are the most useful kicks in the armoury and even if […]
Please read this post. Because almost nothing else I can teach you (apart from good breathing) is more important. The strength of your legs directly relates to almost every element of your physical and mental health and wellbeing. Your legs are the foundation of your structure. They are your connection to the earth which is the only thing in your life that will always be there to support you. Without […]
The scissor stance (also known as the crossover stance) is one of the most useful stances in kung fu. It is often not the fastest or strongest fighter that wins the day but the one with the best footwork. Good footwork gets you quickly out of danger and puts you in a position where you can move from a position of strength into one where your opponent is weak. The […]
The tiger stance is another great stance to develop leg strength. Most of the weight is on the back leg so it enables you to move forward with power. It is also great practice to move from a tiger stance forward into a dragon stance and back to tiger. The tiger stance is one of the most challenging although it looks easy. It stretches some muscles while holding others in […]
Back strength is a crucial component of tai chi and kung fu as it is of life. Most people have weak backs as we don’t use them for most of the day as we are resting them on the back of chairs. Even while standing the back muscles are only weakly engaged and cannot compete with the gradual shortening of the front of the body. The flying crane exercise strengthens […]
Whoever you are don’t neglect horse stance training. The horse stance is the most important skill new beginners should focus on. In some traditional schools in China new beginners would do nothing else but the horse stance for months on end until they could stand in a deep stance for half an hour without moving! We don’t need to go that far but never forget your horse stance is the […]
The crane stance is common in tai chi and kung fu so is important to master. It the easiest stance to understand but, perhaps the most demanding to perform. It simply requires you to stand on one leg with your raised foot pointing to the ground. Note: when we talk about a stance we are talking about the position of the entire body from head to feet but not including […]
This is a my favourite exercise for dropping tension out of your shoulders and neck. It’s simple to do. Just remember to do it slowly and smoothly and let gravity do the work. Side to Sides Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart with legs straight and raise your arms out to the sides. Moving from the centre slowly lean over to the left sticking your right hip […]