When Shifu and I were in an audio-visual store in Edmonton they had an old-timey camera tripod set up. The legs of the tripod came to a sharp point so that the contact points with the ground were very small. He said these older tripods were more stable than the new ones with larger rubber feet that have more contact with the ground. Shifu said this is how we should stand in Taiji. The foot should not be flat on the ground, but must balance on only one point (eg. the outside of the heel, the big toe, etc.). When a round ball is sitting on the floor there is only one point that contacts the floor. If able to do this it will allow one to move from place to place with much more agility and grace. It will also allow the knee more freedom to move with the adustment of the foot.

Also, I have in the past thought that in order to be stable one's feet must be solidly planted on the floor so that you can "root" through the ground. For a while I thought this was the key to "rooting". I am now, however, beginning to understand the importance of suspending the head and the role it plays in remaining stabilized. The head can act as an imperceptible anchor.

Todd Elihu

Tags: on training
Current Mood: thoughtful