#MartialMonday 4
Well prepared is half done!?
In the Tai Chi form, one key requirement of the movements is fluidity. However, there should be changes as well. To establish a rhythm, it makes sense to divide the movements into preparation (set up) and execution (action). Every posture thus carries with it a negative, a preparation move, which mirrors the end result. Ideally, one should always be prepared for everything and the changes should hardly be visible for the untrained eye. But what do we do until then?
One good way to work on these aspects is form application. Here, you can test with a partner if the movements of hands and feet are connected. You can feel whether your preparation is structured and stable, but at the same time flexible and fluid enough. The goal is to execute the desired move while still being able to adapt to the situation. In a second step, we may transfer our insights back into the form and eliminate any unnecessary or empty movements.
The video shows the movement “bend the bow to shoot the tiger” as an example
This week‘s #martialmonday is on tour. Nils has been teaching in Deventer, NL, at The Studio School of T’ai Chi Chuan. We’ve had a lot of filming going on… so prepare for some special English* episodes now and then. *By the way: Sssorry for ssse “th” – Ssse pronounciation doth not come naturally to uth.
