Wu Chien Chuan's Six Essential Points: Point III on Tucking or Drooping the Buttocks

                                           Grandmasters Wu Chien Chuan and Young Wabu


Someone has left a new comment on your post "Anterior vs. Posterior tuck in Classical Tai Chi":
"The spine is designed to be 'S' shaped. Tucking in the 'tailbone' reduces the flexed shape of the lower spine, creates greater rigidity and is likely to lead to serious injury. This tucking posture is one of the great myths of the martial arts - often propounded by people looking to find a unique property to separate their (supposedly) true to the classics version of an art from everyone else. Not recommended, and generally not supported by original texts. That this is encouraged in the US - also known as the Land of the 3 Minute Masters - is not really surprising. Disappointing though, yes."

• The spine is designed to be S shaped
• Tucking in the tailbone reduces the flexed shape of the lower spine, creates greater rigidity and is likely to lead to serious injury. 
• This tucking posture is one of the great myths of the martial arts often propounded by people looking to find a unique property to separate their (supposedly) true to the classics version of an art from everyone else.
• Not recommended, and generally not supported by original texts. 
• That is encouraged in the US - also known as the Land of the 3 Minute Masters - is not really surprising.

Here is a response to your commentary, thank you for your thoughts on the article.


Point III. "The Loosening of the Waist and the Drooping of the Buttocks": p. 73, Tai Chi Ch'uan: The Technique of Power by Tem Horwitz, Susan Kimmelman. 


Point III. "The Loosening of the Waist and the Drooping of the Buttocks", Wu Chia T'ai Chi Ch'uan (吳家太極拳, Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan) also known as The Gold Book: by Wu Kung-tsao, the second son of Wu Chien-ch'uan, 


I quote Wu Chien Chuan: "The idea of loosening the waist is to make the waist light and relaxed.  In Tai Chi Ch'uan all the turnings and shiftings of the body weight are controlled by the waist.  In the Song of the Thirteen Postures it is written:  " The source of command for all movements lies in the waist". If one's waist is at ease and relaxed, not only can one's intrinsic energy easily sink into the "tan-tien" and flow freely and actively, but the lower part of the body can be strengthened and one avoids having the mistake of having the upper part heavy and the lower part light.  To droop the buttocks is to allow the buttocks to sink vertically so that they do not protrude.  Particularly when one squats one should pay special attention not to violate these rules.  The failure of drooping the buttocks is a hindrance to the loosening of one's waist".