The Significance in height of of the upper thighs of Zhan Zhuang

[ChiDragon]

Deviation in height of Zhan Zhuang

 

1. At high Zhuang: for health purposes:

2. At low Zhuang: for martial artists.

 

The lowest one can go down by bending the knees at 90 degrees has the stronger legs. The knees will take all the stressful punishment without even having them pass the toes.

 

If one can anchor the feet to the ground with the bending angles at 90 degree of ankles and knees, then one can be classified as a Shaolin warrior monk.

 

 

 

PS....

My delusion of authority has been certified by Steve...........

Edited November 28, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Aetherous]

The knees will take all the stressful punishment

 

You've got that right.

[ChiDragon]

Standing pole

 

站: standing

樁: a pole was used for a foundation to build a house.

 

站樁:standing on a pole.

 

Learn Zhan Zhuang from a bird. The original Shaolin method of Zhan Zhuang was having the practitioner standing on two poles. That was where the term of Zhan Zhuang came from.

 

The student was force to stand on two poles with the feet. It is very hard to be in balance on the poles without bending the knees. After the student had fell a few times, one will learn to stand with the knees bent in order to stay in balance.

[steve]

 

My delusion of authority has been certified by Steve...........

You've got that right, too.

[mYTHmAKER]

Deviation in height of Zhan Zhuang

 

1. At height Zhuang: for health purposes:

2. At low Xhuang: for martial artists.

 

The lowest one can go down by bending the knees at 90 degrees has the stronger legs. The knees will take all the stressful punishment without even having them pass the toes.

 

If one can anchor the feet to the ground with the bending angles at 90 degree of ankles and knees, then one can be classified as a Shaolin warrior monk.

 

 

 

PS....

My delusion of authority has been certified by Steve...........

 

Since you are an expert could you post pictures of you standing at both levels.

Thanks

[Bubbles]

1. At high Zhuang: for health purposes:

2. At low Zhuang: for martial artists.

 

This is another gross misconception.

Zhan Zhuang is primarily a foundation for martial arts training no matter how high or low is your stance.

One may train in low stances to become more athletic but being more athletic doesn't built your internal power.

 

Taijiquan practionners were first concerned by self-defense not health.

One of the absolute requirement for energy releasing (Fajing) is to never use stiff strength at all. Highest level in fajing is when the opponent body surface is unblemsihed but everything inside the body is damaged. Thus the concept of " iron wrapped in cotton" when it comes to taijiquan fighting skills.

 

Zhan Zhuang is not meant to develop leg muscles strength or tone. Otherwise, sand bags punching and kicking would be sufficient to do the trick and there would be no difference between Western boxing and Chinese internal martial arts.

Edited November 28, 2012 by bubbles

[joeblast]

What's missing here If you go the low route, you really need to be reverse breathing...heck, it is almost primarily an exercise to develop the lower basin. lumbosacral junction perpendicular to the ground, psoas engaged - think of how I relate the psoas inside the concept of breathwork mechanics, then extrapolate that to the low horse stance. Congruence

[ChiDragon]

This is another gross misconception.

Zhan Zhuang is primarily a foundation for martial arts training no matter how high or low is your stance.

One may train in low stances to become more athletic but being more athletic doesn't built your internal power.

 

Somewhat agreed to the above. This is all your gross misconceptions.

 

Taijiquan practionners were first concerned by self-defense not health.

One of the absolute requirement for energy releasing (Fajing) is to never use stiff strength at all. Highest level in fajing is when the opponent body surface is unblemsihed but everything inside the body is damaged. Thus the concept of " iron wrapped in cotton" when it comes to taijiquan fighting skills.

 

Zhan Zhuang is not meant to develop leg muscles strength or tone. Otherwise, sand bags punching and kicking would be sufficient to do the trick and there would be no difference between Western boxing and Chinese internal martial arts.

 

A big fallacy for all the above.

Edited November 28, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Bubbles]

This is another gross misconception.

Zhan Zhuang is primarily a foundation for martial arts training no matter how high or low is your stance.

One may train in low stances to become more athletic but being more athletic doesn't built your internal power.

 

Somewhat agreed to the above. This is all your gross misconceptions.

 

Taijiquan practionners were first concerned by self-defense not health.

One of the absolute requirement for energy releasing (Fajing) is to never use stiff strength at all. Highest level in fajing is when the opponent body surface is unblemsihed but everything inside the body is damaged. Thus the concept of " iron wrapped in cotton" when it comes to taijiquan fighting skills.

 

Zhan Zhuang is not meant to develop leg muscles strength or tone. Otherwise, sand bags punching and kicking would be sufficient to do the trick and there would be no difference between Western boxing and Chinese internal martial arts.

 

A big fallacy for all the above.

 

Well this was a test.

 

I put together some quotes lightly rephrased to put tehm together, extracted from a book by Chen Zhenglei ( 19th generation of the Chen Family, 11th generation direct line successor of Chen Taijiquan, 8th Duan Wei of Chinese Wushu grading system) , an interview of Liming Yue ( disciple of Chen Zhenglei, 7th Duan) published in another book by Chen Zhenglei and, an interview by Stephen Berwick (disciple of Ren Guangyi who is himself disciple of Chen Xiaowang).

 

If you say that all above are gross misconception, then you put yourself above all these men. Gosh!

 

I have nothing else to say and everyone can now see where you are coming from.

Edited November 28, 2012 by bubbles

[Brian]

LMAO<sputter>

[ChiDragon]

bubbles....

Thanks for trying.

 

Well, my man. I don't believe everything I read fanatically unless it makes a lot of sense. I do have a literal filter you know.

 

Some of the masters have limited knowledge of modern science. They are still explain their ideas in the traditional way of thinking. However, I do respect them but may not agree with them.

 

I don't think we should continuous with these who says what and what not, unless you have something to express in your own words. Citing somebody's words may not be one's own understanding. Regarding to the mentioning of the legs muscle, it gives me an indication that you have no idea what you were talking about. It seems you were just repeating somebody else words without any intensive understanding.

[Bubbles]

You are the best illustration EVER of what happens when a man thinks he can self-learn an internal art like Taijiquan.

[ChiDragon]

I believe practice is the key to acquire the effect of internal art. A teacher can tell one a lot but how much can one absorb and digest. Even no matter how much one can understand them without practicing the art will not get the effect. Understanding the effect can only be done by self intuition. One can feel the physical change in the body and the increase in body strength from a long period of practice by intuition.

[Bubbles]

If you don't have hands-on correction by your teacher, you will never know if what you are feeling is right. "Self-intuition" is self-delusion here.

 

To learn ANY ART ( this goes from playing the violin to baguazhang ), one needs a teacher .

 

Why on earth Taijiquan would be an exception?

Why on earth would you be an exception and be able to self-learn it?

 

If you are so good- a kind of Taijiquan genius- then please do show us a youtube video so that we can see for ourselves and bow before your amazing skills.

 

Me, I prefer listening to teachers, receiving correction from them, humbleness and hardwork.

Edited November 28, 2012 by bubbles

[ChiDragon]

It is not a matter of displaying how good one. It is how much health benefit and understanding one got from the practice. If I am all into the cosmetics to show how good I am, then I would be here shooting the breeze. Perhaps, some of you may be thinking that I am...........

 

 

PS.....

I believe this is a Taoist environment. I think things should be conducted in a friendly manner without any verbal abuse. I think things are improving right now....!!!

[Bubbles]

Problem is you can enjoy some health benefits from an incorrect martial practice. That is why Taijiquan is so popular.

[ChiDragon]

What is incorrect or correct...??? It is a matter of preference. Perhaps some people prefer health benefits over martial practice. Anyway, any motion produced by the gesture of the body are considered to be isotonic exercise. However, Tai Ji is different, it require slow movements, then the breathing improves by itself in the later stage. Even martial artists need to improve their health to keep a well fit physical body.

[joeblast]

correct, incorrect, just a matter of preference???

 

[ChiDragon]

Well, I had seen some Tai Ji practitioners stand on one leg with the leg bent and some are straight. Which method do you prefer....???

[Bubbles]

What is incorrect or correct...??? It is a matter of preference.

No, it is not a matter of preference, it is a technical question.

 

What I am saying is: even if your Taijiquan is technically incorrect from a martial standpoint, you may nevertheless enjoy health benefits and just be misleaded believing that your taijiquan practice is right. Taijiquan is a martial art.

 

Perhaps some people prefer health benefits over martial practice. Anyway, any motion produced by the gesture of the body are considered to be isotonic exercise. However, Tai Ji is different, it require slow movements, then the breathing improves by itself in the later stage. Even martial artists need to improve their health to keep a well fit physical body.

 

That's exactly what I am saying. You will enjoy health benefits because even a technically incorrect Taijiquan practice exercises your body and allows your breath to improve. But if you choose to reduce Taijiquan to this, then you are not practicing an internal martial art. It is named "ChiDragon-personal-and-preferred-exercise-about-which-he-likes-to-theorize-and- post-at-TTB-pretending-it-is-still-Taijiquan"

Edited November 28, 2012 by bubbles

[gatito]

You've got that right.

You've got that right, too.

Since you are an expert could you post pictures of you standing at both levels.

Thanks

LMAO<sputter>

You are the best illustration EVER of what happens when a man thinks he can self-learn an internal art like Taijiquan.

 

RAOFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This thread is insane!!!

[ChiDragon]

It takes all kinds........ :D

Edited November 28, 2012 by ChiDragon

[gatito]

[gatito]

correct, incorrect, just a matter of preference???

 

 

And that gets my vote

[ChiDragon]

Well, I had seen some Tai Ji practitioners stand on one leg with the leg bent and some are straight. Which method do you prefer....???

Let's look at it this way...

 

Do you know why there are so many family styles of Tai Ji Chuan...??? It was because each family preferred to have it the way they like it to fit their own preference. If one had noticed, the original Chen style always have an extra twist in their movements as oppose to others do not.

Edited November 28, 2012 by ChiDragon