"unoffical" applications

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Marko Kohv
Rank: Wang Yen-nien
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"unoffical" applications

Post by Marko Kohv » Wed Sep 14, 2005 12:54 pm

Applications bring your form to "life" as I have understood, but your training time with a partner is limited. So it would be beneficial to use your developing taiji skills in everyday life. Also I think that unorthodox ways of doing things may show some previously hidden aspects.

I would like to share my experience with this and hope to get new ideas from others:



Bouncing back closing doors with "peng", especially yummy are big, heavy wooden doors:) Doors can also be opened with shoulder strike. Difficult part for me is not to lean



For those who have small children:



Snake and half-stepping are very effective ways to put a young baby to sleep. Just hold the baby and do the steps. This also helps to get my mind away from the arms.



Timing between deflecting and pushing/striking can be trained with a swing. The deflecting hand moves right before the swing arrives and the striking hand touches the swing when it is in equilibrium. If you're late you can't apply the force and may even loose balance when trying to catch up the swing, but if you push to soon you will collide with the swing.



One can also practice only push with swing, maintaining the balance and moving from the waist etc. according to the principles



Of course almost all activities can be done according to the principles...stirring tea with the waist:)



Any comments, ideas how to use everyday objects/ activities for training along with usual two-person drills?



M.

iglazer
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Re: "unoffical" applications

Post by iglazer » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:04 pm

Marko Kohv wrote:
Bouncing back closing doors with "peng", especially yummy are big, heavy wooden doors:) Doors can also be opened with shoulder strike. Difficult part for me is not to lean


I have always enjoyed a good door peng. I also like trying to use press to close a door... it's a bit harder.


Marko Kohv wrote:Timing between deflecting and pushing/striking can be trained with a swing. The deflecting hand moves right before the swing arrives and the striking hand touches the swing when it is in equilibrium. If you're late you can't apply the force and may even loose balance when trying to catch up the swing, but if you push to soon you will collide with the swing.


Sounds challenging.



Walking in crowded places is a great way to practice yielding. A crowded city street or airport usually contains people who are in a rush or who are completely clueless that there is anyone else around them... both make excellent things to practice distance and yielding.

black matt
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Post by black matt » Fri Sep 16, 2005 7:57 am

Marko, I like how you have integrated parental duties with taiji. The snake stepping while holding a little child must make it challenging to stay relaxed and light in the upper body. The idea with the swing sounds really cool, too. Only problem is that I can imagine my kids running off while I try to get my timing correct.



The idea for yielding in a crowd reminds me of the obvious exercise, rooting while standing in a train or bus. To look like a true taiji geek, you can get into bow posture, too.

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Tashi James
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more unofficial

Post by Tashi James » Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:19 pm

I always find roll back useful for oncoming bins and poles. :lol:
"There is nothing that does not become easier through familiarity" (Santideva).

"We become what we do repeatedly. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit" (Aristotle).

Bede Bidlack
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Unofficial

Post by Bede Bidlack » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:56 am

I like to practice kicks against a chain-link fence.

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