My training session with Master Chong yesterday was fun, though humbling!
The main lessons I’ve brought away:
- Sink my weight – always lower than I think I can.
- Stand upright – which for me means apparently leaning backwards a little! I have a tendency to stand leaning slightly forward; probably a legacy of years humping heavy backpacks through Welsh mountains every weekend…
- soften the Kua – ie the hip and groin joints
- positioning is vital – in terms of foot and hand positioning, there’s very little room for error; either the position is just so and correct, or it’s not.
- don’t let the knees collapse inwards – another fault of mine. If the knee isn’t opened outward, I can’t get power behind the pushing movements.
I need to work hard on my strength training too! As I’ve mentioned before, the way I’ve been trained in taiji before now really hasn’t focussed on the oh-so-vital small details – which means that my practice causes Master Chong a lot of amusement. Yesterday, we were practising some kicking techniques. I’m flexible enough to do roundhouse kicks, but I really need to practise against resistance: I find it hard to use force when I’m kicking against air, for some reason. Master Chong picked up a cushion from his sofa so that I could kick against that; unfortunately, the case was quite loose and saggy, and with my first front-kick, I got my foot tangled up in a fold and was hopping around trying to disengage it. Master Chong laughed so hard he had to lie down for a moment…
So, lots of room for improvement, let’s put it that way. Still, my past training is still beneficial: Master Chong thinks he can train me up to a reasonable level of ability, ie understanding Taiji as an effective martial art, in about two years, compared to five years for a complete beginner. After that, I might be able to become an assistant instructor, which will help my own development to progress further.
Recent Comments