|
|
||
| Cutting the circle | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
.JPG)
Inertia
Accelerate and then stop suddenly: inertia will carry you
forward. This is a consequence of momentum.
In
the old/classical Yang style tai chi we must understand inertia and
use it to fuel our strikes.
We never tense our hands and wrists in tai chi
because we don't need to.
Inertia closes the fist.
When you make an arc of movement then stop spontaneously, this causes
inertia and is called 'cutting the circle'.
Circle
Consider the vertical centre as an axis...
When your arms spin out from the centre, this is 'centrifugal force'. When
your arms spin back towards the centre, this is 'centripetal force'.
Power is generated by spinning the arms outward, then reversing direction
abruptly.
This is part of cutting the circle.
Centre
Which is quicker:
A twitch of the centre?
Cocking the shoulder?
Moving the arm independent of the torso?
In
tai chi, it was found to be the centre.
A centre movement takes a fraction of the time to perform and cannot be seen
as easily by the opponent.
For this to work, you need to unite upper & lower.
Angles
If you turn the hips through 90°
this is quite a commitment. We aim to turn only slightly, then stop.
Inertia will carry the delivery forward.
Rippling the spine
Use your entire body to project an energy wave up through the spine and
forward.
The moment of impact causes inertia, carrying the energy wave into the
opponent.
In ancient times skilful
warriors first made themselves invincible
and then watched for vulnerability in their opponents.
(Sun Tzu)
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
▲