DIRECTIONS - CLOCK FACE, COMPAS POINTS OR ANGLES
3. SWIVEL ON THE BALL OF THE FOOT
5. TAI CHI WALKING (MEDITATION WALK)
There are three options to approaching the problem of which direction to face (either the torso or feet). It is a matter of preference which you use. For this course I use angles.
When you start the exercises always assume you are facing "south" - whether or not you are actually facing south.
This is traditional in Tai Chi. "South" is considered the starting point. If you face your front right corner it will be south-west; if you face your left corner it will be south-east.
Imagine that there is an enormous clock face in front of you. "South" can be interpreted on a clock face as "twelve o'clock." If you face the front right corner this is 2pm. If you face the front left corner it is 10pm.
South is O degrees. If you face the front right corner you are 45 degrees (from the front) and if you face the front left corner you will also be 45 degrees (from the front).
Stand with feet shoulder-width, parallel, toes facing directly forward. Now turn the left foot so that the toes are facing the left corner about 45° from the front. Take one pace directly forward with the right foot, heel landing first, placing the rest of the foot on the ground with the toes facing directly forward. The right heel should be roughly in line with the left toes. The weight is 50/50 on both feet.
From this basic position, transfer more weight slowly to the right foot, lifting the left heel from the ground a little. You place about 70%-80% of your weight on the front foot. Keep the legs straight (but not locked). Now transfer 70%-80% weight to the rear (left) foot. As you do so lift the right toes a little.
Do this several times, rocking backwards and forwards - weight transferring from left to right foot. The front leg must remain straight when you transfer the 70%-80% weight on it.
Stand with feet shoulder-width, parallel, toes facing directly forward. Now turn the right foot so that the toes are facing the right corner about 45° from the front. Take one pace directly forward with the left foot, heel landing first, placing the rest of the foot on the ground with the toes facing directly forward. The left heel should be roughly in line with the right toes. The weight is 50/50 on both feet.
From this basic position transfer more weight slowly to the left foot, lifting the right heel from the ground a little. You place about 70%-80% of your weight on the front foot. Keep the legs straight (but not locked). Now transfer weight to the rear (right) foot. As you do so lift the left toes a little.
Do this several times, rocking backward and forward - weight transferring from right to left foot. The front leg must remain straight when you transfer the 70%-80% weight on it.
Eventually you can raise the rear heel and the front toes a little further as you transfer more weight on to the front and rear foot. Be careful not to lean forwards or backwards.
Practice this footwork until you are comfortable with it.
This is a very beneficial exercise but it has to be done carefully - especially if people have stiff hips - as it requires quite flexible hip joints. Practising this exercise can also increase the flexibility of hip joints.
Stand with feet at shoulder width, parallel, both feet facing forward, the legs straight, knees only slightly bent. Now push both hips back a little, sticking the bottom out, trying to keep the back straight. The most important thing is to keep the knees still - do NOT move them forward. Sink a little with your trunk - just a fraction. Keep as upright as you can. Again, do not move the knees forward! Your weight is on the centre/rear of the feet, directly under the legs.
Perform this short squat three or four times, practicing it once or twice a day. Be careful not to sink too far. Imagine you are sitting on a high stool. Eventually, with regular practice you should be able to sink the upper body a little further without moving your knees forward. Your lower legs (beneath the knees) must remain perpendicular to the ground.
This is a difficult exercise and takes a long time to master. Those with hip problems do not attempt to go too far. A healthy person can expect to lower the upper body so that the bottom is in line with the knees or even further. Even a mature person who has started late in life can expect to make good progress with regular practice.
This is a common type of turning procedure in Tai Chi. Here is a useful practice drill. Stand with feet at shoulder width and parallel, 50% weight on both feet. Lift the right heel off the ground then turn the right foot, swivelling on the ball, to the right and to the left a few times. The movement must come from the right hip and takes the whole leg and foot with it. The right knee, ankle, foot and toes are all moving together in alignment. So when we turn the right leg we also turn the right foot and the knee and the toes and the hip or together. Now try the same exercise with the left leg.
This is a common type of turning procedure in Tai Chi. Here is a useful practice drill. Stand with feet at shoulder width and parallel, 50% weight on both feet. Lift the right toes off the ground then turn the right foot, swivelling on the heel, to the right and to the left a few times. The movement must come from the right hip and takes the whole leg and foot with it. The right knee, ankle, foot and toes are all moving together in alignment. So when we turn the right leg we also turn the right foot and the knee and the toes and the hip or together. Now try the same exercise with the left leg.
This moving stage uses the Tai Chi meditation walk and consists of stepping forward and stepping backward. The backward step is similar to the "Repulse Monkey" posture in the Tai Chi form. Lets practice this footwork.
Stand with feet parallel about 4-6 inches apart. Place your weight on the right foot and lift the left foot off the ground, heel first, to place the heel (heel must also land first) on the ground in line with the right toes. Then lower the rest of the left foot flat on the ground, transferring about 50% weight to it.
You now stand with the left foot in front of the right, the left heel approximately in line with the right toes. Weight is 50-50 on both feet. Place your weight on the left foot and lift the right foot off the ground to place the heel (heel must land first) on the ground in line with the left toes. Then lower the rest of the right foot flat on the ground, transferring about 50% weight to it.
Then walk forward with the left foot, and so on.
Stand with feet parallel about 4-6 inches apart. Place your weight on the right foot and lift the left heel off the ground and slide the toes backward (toes remaining in contact with the ground). When the toes are approximately in line with the right heel lower the left heel and place the left foot flat on the ground and transfer about 50% weight to it.
Transfer all weight to left foot and lift the right heel off the ground. Slide the toes backward (toes remaining in contact with the ground). When the toes are approximately in line with the left heel lower the right heel and place the right foot flat on the ground and transfer about 50% weight to it.
Then walk backward with the left foot, and so on.
Stand with feet parallel about 6 - 8 inches apart. Transfer weight to the right foot, raise the left heel and move the left foot about 6 - 8 inches to the left, landing on the ball of the foot first then lowering the rest of the foot. Now the weight is 50-50 on both feet. Transfer weight to the left foot and lift the right heel and move the right foot a close to the left, toes still facing forward. Transfer weight 50-50 on both feet. Repeat this left step (and step up with the right foot) once.
From the last position (feet parallel about a few inches apart) transfer weight to the left foot, raise the right heel and move the right foot about 6 - 8 inches to the right, landing on the ball of the foot first then lowering the rest of the foot. Now the weight is 50-50 on both feet. Transfer weight to the right foot and lift the left heel and move the left foot close to the right, toes still facing forward. Transfer weight 50-50 on both feet. Repeat this right step (and step up with the left foot) once.
This results in two steps to the left and two steps to the right.
The feet remain parallel throughout, toes pointing directly forward.
This footstep is very similar to the "rocking" step. Stand with feet shoulder-width, parallel, feet facing directly forward. Now turn the left foot so that the toes face 45° from the front. Take one pace directly forward with the right foot, heel landing first, placing the rest of the foot on the ground with the toes facing directly forward. The right heel should be roughly in line with the left toes. The weight is 50/50 on both feet. Then place weight on the left foot and bring the right foot back under the body so that the toes face the right corner - about 45° from the front.
You now stand with pigeon toes, heels close and both feet facing their respective corners.
Transfer weight to the right foot and take one pace directly forward with the left foot, heel landing first, placing the rest of the foot on the ground with the toes facing directly forward. The left heel should be roughly in line with the right toes. The weight is 50/50 on both feet. Then place weight on the right foot and bring the left foot back under the body so that the toes face the left corner about 45° from the front.
You are now back standing with pigeon toes, heels close and both feet facing their respective corners.
Practice this footwork until you are comfortable with it.
Imagine you're standing on the edge of a frozen lake. You are about to step onto it with your right foot. Before doing so, turn the left toes 45° to the left corner. Now place the weight on the left foot, lift the right foot off the ground by raising the heel first, and move it directly forwards about 12 inches, landing with the heel. When the heel touches the ground your leg should be straight. Now lower your whole foot onto the ground, bending the knee slightly as you transfer about 50% of weight onto the right leg. But caution - the frozen lake may not hold your weight! So as you transfer weight the right foot be careful not to put more than 50%. Pause for a moment, feeling the 50% of weight on both legs. Move the hips back and straighten the left leg so that it holds your entire body weight as the right foot is lifted up and brought back under the body directly under the right hip, toes facing the right corner (approximately 45° to the right).
Now you stand with heels close together, toes pointing to the right and left corner respectively.
Again see yourself standing on the edge of a frozen lake. You are about to step onto it with your left foot this time. Now place the weight on the right foot, lift the left foot off the ground by raising the heel first, and move it directly forwards about 12 inches, landing with the heel. When the heel touches the ground your leg should be straight. Now lower your whole foot on the ground, bending the knee slightly as you transfer about 50% of weight onto the left leg. But caution - do not to put more than 50% of your weight onto it. Pause for a moment, feeling the 50% of weight on both legs. Move the hips back and straighten the right leg so that it holds your entire body weight as the left foot is lifted up and brought back under the body directly under the left hip, toes facing the left corner (approximately 45° to the left).
We are now back in the strange pigeon-toe position of heels together and respective toes pointing at the corners.
This footstep has been slightly modified from the traditional "bow posture." In classical Tai Chi, when you step forward into the posture the front leg stays in front of the body and you move all your body weight onto the front leg. However, this "loads" the front knee so I adapted the movement to the "lunging" bow posture which requires the front foot (and, therefore, the Knee) to come back under the body before we step forward with the opposite leg. This is much easier for most people and does not detract from the benefits of this exercise.
This posture uses the rear balance step. Lets practice the footwork by itself before we add the upper body movements.
Stand with feet shoulder width and parallel, facing directly forward. Transfer weight to your left foot and lift the right foot off the ground, placing it down (on the ball / toes) a little way behind the left heel. The weight should be 50-50 on both feet. After a few moments, move the right foot back to the beginning position, with feet shoulder width apart and parallel, facing directly forward.
Transfer weight to your right foot and lift the left foot off the ground, placing it down (on the ball / toes) a little way behind the right heel. The weight should be 50-50 on both feet. After a few moments, move the left foot back to the beginning position, with feet shoulder width apart and parallel, facing directly forward.
From the right forward "rocking" position, transfer weight to the rear left foot and simultaneously turned the Trunk to the left and lift the right toes and move the right foot and leg together with the trunk. Stop when the right toes face 90 degrees from the front or directly to the east. If you look down at your feet you look rather pigeon-toed (the right and left toes face each other). It is imkportant that your left foot, leg and hip do not move and remain aligned.
Transfer weight back to the right foot and simultaneously continue your leftward journey with the torso while lifting the left heel and swivelling on the ball of the left foot so that you turn your left leg so that your toes face 130 degrees from the front (the north-east).
Continue moving left with your torso and as you turn your trunk to face the opposite direction (north) you lift the left foot off the ground and move it across your body to the left - it moves with your torso - and lands heel first directly underneath your left and left shoulder which are now facing the opposite direction (180 degrees).
With your torso and your left leg and toes facing directly north push back with your right heel so that your right foot adjusts; the toes pointing 45 degrees or the north-east corner.
You are now in the mirror position of the start, with thke left foot straight, in front, and the right foot at the rear.
Now reverse the procedure and turn (to the right) using the same 4 steps but mirroring the feet and direction.
Move the weight to the right foot and lift the left foot off the ground, placing it just in front of the right toes. Maintain 50% weight on both feet. Then transfer weight to the right foot and move the left foot back to the beginning position.
Move the weight to the left foot and lift the right foot off the ground, placing it just in front of the left toes. Maintain 50% weight on both feet. Then transfer weight to the left foot and move the right foot back to the beginning position.
Stand in a wide stance, toes pointing outward at about 45 degrees to either side (the corners). As you raise the wand rise up onto your toes. As you lower the wand come down from your toes and bend your knees a little, keep your back straight and go into a high semi-seated position. Keep the toes pointing outward