The basic stance is a way of standing that keeps your body aligned with gravity, improves your posture and promotes relaxation. For most people, the way they stand is unbalanced. Tension in the muscles pulls their body in different directions 24 hours a day. Relearning how to stand has so many benefits considering what a simple change it can be. This is the stance we take before we begin any […]
There are only two main movements you can make that involve the entire body. These movements are the only ones that generate any real power. So every move in tai chi and kung fu that requires power uses one of these. The first is transferring your weight from one leg to the other. The second is turning at the waist and hips. This post covers the twisting movement. In a […]
and here are a few more. Remember the success of any move depends on maintaining the right principles. Don’t panic or tense upStay ‘on your legs’Don’t hold your breath If the person comes back to attack you again you’ll have to resort to joint locks or, if they fail, strikes. Sorry but to view this post you will need a subscription to the relevant part of the site. Click here […]
In the Jade Dragon tradition we separate yin training and yang training. Yin training teaches you to develop power inside the body through stillness or very slow movements combined with a focused mind and breath. Yang training teaches you to express that power in the most efficient way. Wave power is one of the most important methods of yang training. Wave training is all about learning how to move in […]
Raising and lowering your arms Every day we raise and lower our arms hundreds of times. Whether we’re picking thingsup, drinking a cup of tea, using a computer or driving a lot of our activities involve ourarms. Changing the way we raise and lower our arms can save us a lot of energy andmake the movements far easier and more powerful. Raising and lowering your arms are really two different […]
The effectiveness of pressure points in the martial arts is a hotly contested topic. Many books and films show very unrealistic scenarios where the master touches a few points on his opponent who is then paralysed or dies soon thereafter. At the other end of the scale are the martial arts who say this is pure bunkum and that pressure points don’t work at all. As is usually the case […]
Visit almost any park in China at dawn and you will find people doing a variety of traditional exercises. These exercises will look nothing like Western exercise. Some of them will be moving in the intricate patterns of tai chi. Others will be standing completely still yet utterly relaxed in a variety of postures. Stranger still some of them will be walking round and round in a circle then doing […]
The Chinese have been developing their martial arts skills for at least two thousand years. There is a huge variety of different styles and systems. Some estimate there to be at least a thousand distinct styles that have been developed over the centuries. In the West we lump them all together under the name kung fu. Some of the most famous kung fu styles have been based on the movements […]