Internal Discipline is a necessary condition for Compact Form

Internal Discipline is Necessary

D.F.'s opinion: "It's the same for all martial arts; Jujutsu, karate, aikido... Start with big moves and gradually make them smaller."

J.R. replied: Thanks for the opinion, please note 1:40  of the link "Internal Discipline is Necessary" and similar reference to the abdomen, back, core in the video.  Master Stephen Hwa is referring to the presence or absence of "internal discipline in Classical Tai Chi as a necessary and sufficient condition for "compact frame". Big moves of the arms and legs can indeed and sometimes of necessity be made smaller in Karate, Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu.   BTW Master Stephen Hwa taught Classical Tai Chi for years at a Karate studio, Faust's USA Karate, in Rochester, NY and one of my students owns an Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu Dojo and learned the Wu's Style Large Frame from me. I taught the Wu's Style Large Frame (learned from Wu Kwong Yu, Eddie) to the owner of a local Karate Studio, Universal Martial Arts who first saw me doing the Wu's Style Sword Form. Eddie Wu never once mentioned "make them smaller" to me about the movements and I was a disciple. The Karate teacher was featured in Black Belt Magazine for the sheer number of martial arts that he practiced, but I don't recall him mentioning "gradually making his martial art movements smaller". Master Hwa's own teacher's daughter has a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and teaches the Classical Tai Chi at the Jiu-Jitsu Dojo in Chito, California. To continue, however, the bigness of limb movement being made into the smallness of limb movement even of necessity is not a sufficient condition when it comes to the presence of "internal discipline" where movement originates in the core In one of the Tai Chi classical writings it says: "First seek to stretch and extend (large frame); later seek to be compact (small frame). Then it will be refined and impenetrable". So extend (large) form is first, then compact (small form) is advanced.

Master Hwa said: There is saying in China 内传小架,外传大架, “small Frame reserved For family insider; large frame for everyone else” Small Frame does not mean just have smaller movements. There is a fundamental difference between the small and large frame. It is the internal discipline in movements (all movements are carried out from the torso, not from the limbs) resulted in a small frame.

Sit back but do not bend elbow

Thanks, Tom for your understanding of the critique offered by Master Hwa in this video who said: "...when you go back the arm does not bend so much...". This could also result in being hit in the face by the opponent's elbow. This video is indicative of how push hands "illustrates" the Tai Chi Form. We spoke in yesterday's post about results of incorrect timing and the subsequent lack of engagement with the body core that comes with bending the arm this way. DON'T MOVE THE FOREARM AS YOU MOVE THE WHOLE ARM. Moving the forearm as the upper arm moves makes the forearm the weakest link in the movement and drains off the power, there is no engagement with the core to turn the body, and it is what we call an extraneous movement

Liked on YouTube: Tai Chi 108-Round style

Tai Chi 108-Round style

via YouTube https://youtu.be/UzGejKEDKb8

Liked on YouTube: Tai Chi 108-Square style

Tai Chi 108-Square style

via YouTube https://youtu.be/CCPgdxkPyI4

Fall every day (so to speak) so you never fall

Fall every day so you never fall video of "Tai Chi Forward Lean Posture & Movement"

Don't take this picture the wrong way, if you check the video you will learn how to do the "forward lean posture & movement"...we won't ask you to be swept off your feet. The point is you need to put yourself in a position of almost falling on a daily basis...the more you tilt your torso the better. I repeat: "...you need to put yourself in a position of almost falling on a daily basis...the more you tilt your torso the better..." A Youtube comment on this video link, "It seems like over extension.. off balance" is one of the comments. Yet there is a beautiful life-saving irony to "..overextending...off balancing..." oneself on a daily basis. This is in light of the fact that falling down is killing more and more people each year. JAMA: "Mortality From Falls Among US Adults Aged 75 Years or Older, 2000-2016...(has doubled)" According to a June 4, NY Times article by Katie Hafner, the implication is that "... you need to put yourself in a position of almost falling on a daily basis...the more you tilt your torso the better...".  According to the article, this daily training in Tai Chi "trains the body to remain stable when put in an off-kilter position"

“When you fall, your body has not figured out how to stay posturally stable, and Tai Chi helps with that,” said a geriatrician.

How to move by "pulling" not "pushing"

HOW TO MOVE THE BODY  Video

Master Stephen Hwa: "...how do you PULL the body forward, how do you PULL the body backward..."

Jim Roach: Note this next instruction can be done while watching TV, at the computer desk, etc. One other method I use for training to PULL the body backward and forward training is to have students simply sit in a straight back chair with one foot slightly in front of the other. PULL forward with the front foot and notice any sensations in the lower abdomen, PULL backward with the back foot and notice abdominal sensations, repeat, repeat, etc... this means the CORE IS FEELING SENSATIONS OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FEET. I then tell the student to contract (pull in) the muscles of the lower abdomen below the navel while leaning the upper body slightly forward. From the “lean” position, I then tell students to contract (pull in) the lower abdomen below the navel while pulling the body back to a straight and perpendicular sitting position. Notice any sensations in the bottom soles of the feet...this means the feet and legs are feeling sensations of ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORE. This is similar to “holding” onto support, wall, kitchen counter, chair, etc. while one stands. This sitting in a chair method can generate many, many repetitions to train such core contractions and body movement. The student thinks and feels what sensations are happening and to look for such things as engagement with the feet, engagement with the core to coincide with the pulling action. One can also gradually learn to detect engaged muscle groups such as the back, buttocks, etc.