Balance point on foot in Taijiquan and qigong

[Cloud Tiger]

Hi All,

 

I am new. Sorry to relate I have made a raving intro in the Lobby. Feeling pressure from the System and do really hope some of you can help wake up the critical mass required to save our freedom and lives from the NWO. More important than our own few lives is the survival of our species and the diversity of the biosphere.

 

I have an vexing issue re qigong that if anyone wants to answer it here it would be superb. To wit: where is the correct balance point on the foot in taiji and 3 circle standing qigong? John Ding, Yang Family lineage holder in London, actually says foward over K1, bubbling well. Many disagree utterly, saying more towards the heel. I am confused, though I have my own ideas and feelings. Both views cannot be correct I am sure so it begs the question about Mr.Ding's teachings, since he seems outnumbered. Yet he appears to have good jing so I am left wondering...

all input appreciated muchly, thanks very much.

 

Yours Respectfully,

 

Daniel the Aquarian Cloud Tiger

Edited August 14, 2008 by Cloud Tiger

[mouse]

http://www.thetaobums.com/heel-or-k-1-poin...-chi-t6351.html

 

You missed the discussion from a few days back.

[Cloud Tiger]

Hey Mouse,

 

Thanks. I'll take a look. Anyone practice the teachings of either John Ding or Erle Montaigue here?

 

Loving this place double time now.

 

Hey Mouse,

 

Thanks. I'll take a look. Anyone practice the teachings of either John Ding or Erle Montaigue here?

 

Loving this place double time now.

 

Whoa! Sure is an eye opener to find out the goods on Erle Montaigue. Salutory lesson methinks on ignorance being dangerous. A beginning has only their intuition to go on as the real and fake appear similar.

[The Cloudwalking Owl]

Hi All,

 

I am new. Sorry to relate I have made a raving intro in the Lobby. Feeling pressure from the System and do really hope some of you can help wake up the critical mass required to save our freedom and lives from the NWO. More important than our own few lives is the survival of our species and the diversity of the biosphere.

 

I have an vexing issue re qigong that if anyone wants to answer it here it would be superb. To wit: where is the correct balance point on the foot in taiji and 3 circle standing qigong? John Ding, Yang Family lineage holder in London, actually says foward over K1, bubbling well. Many disagree utterly, saying more towards the heel. I am confused, though I have my own ideas and feelings. Both views cannot be correct I am sure so it begs the question about Mr.Ding's teachings, since he seems outnumbered. Yet he appears to have good jing so I am left wondering...

all input appreciated muchly, thanks very much.

 

Yours Respectfully,

 

Daniel the Aquarian Cloud Tiger

 

My experience is that your weight should be spread over the entire foot. This is very difficult for beginners to achieve (it took me 20 years to achieve myself.) There are no specific rules for doing this, IMHO, because everyone's body is different. For example, I have very, very flat feet and for years I tried to do taijiquan in the flat mocassin-style shoes that everyone in China used to wear---bad idea. I switch over to using good athletic shoes with orthodics and it made a big improvement. It also made a huge difference when I started doing walking qi-gong every morning plus a bunch of stretches for my upper body. (Every part of your body has an influence on your feet.)

 

There are only so many things people can suggest over the internet because taijiquan correction is a very, very complex thing to do. But I would still suggest that you aim for the entire foot, as that seems to me to be non-negotiable.

[Taiji-student]

In total agreement with cloudwalker, it's a long way to go, not just a technique to learn and then simply replicate. And while it can be frustrating, that's really the beauty of it isn't it - at least I try to see it that way myself

[steve]

I find it a bit distracting to be too concerned with specific theoretical and verbal descriptions of many aspects of taiji, including weight distribution. The 3 nails, bubbling well, K-1, and so forth. My approach has been to adjust my posture based on the Taiji classics. The specific posture and movement determine where the pressure distribution is at any given moment and it varies. When the toes grip and release, it varies. Moving forward and back or side to side, it varies. In two legged standing, I do feel the entire foot. It does feel that there is a concentration or focusing of awareness toward the center of the foot, a bit behind the ball (call it what you will) and yet I don't make that a goal nor the focus of concentration. I'd recommend that you open yourself to your practice and experience the feeling and reach your own conclusions. Following someone else's opinion of what's right or wrong doesn't teach you as much as your own experience. Theoretical concerns regarding energy flow are all well and good but try to remember that they are just an incomplete method of sharing an experience verbally rather than the experience itself. The experience is real. The theoretical and verbal description are simply verbal approximations...

[salaam123]

I trained in Erle Montaigues three circle standing chi kung and opened my small circle orbit in 2004. Now it is closed though, but thats another story.

 

Erles stuff is ok(although I only learned 1 chi kung from him, and some martial stuff) like (moving forward when attacked, pulling back ears and "smile" to get access to brainstem "reptile brain" etc.

 

 

One exercise in particular was good, it will make you attack forward when someone suddenly scares you in the dark etc and you will hit them.

 

stand in a one leg forward knees slightly bent and arms in a tree hug pose relaxed. Now Imagine a huge weight dropping on top of you and squeezing you flat, like a tube of toothpaste. At the same time hit a double palmstrike forward, open your eyes wide and breathe suddenly out with a shout.

 

after that do the same but hit your palms inward(not touching each other).

 

This is how I remember it and it worked. It probably is on Erles site still.

 

 

 

 

The key to all chi kung ability in my opinion is found in the leg/hip/heel/k-1 connection and how to get earth chi flowing. Are there any books etc. that address this?

[Spectrum]

actually says foward over K1, bubbling well. Many disagree utterly, saying more towards the heel. unsure.gif I am confused, though I have my own ideas and feelings.

 

That's because the well won't bubble if all your weight it on it, it might hiss but you want a slow percolation... The foot is a supportive bridge, you need your arch to lift the kua properly. The heel outside edge and ball are yang surface, the inside edge and arch is the yin surface.

 

There is a triangle between the heel and both sides of the metatarsals. The foot is a support bridge. When you sink your center of gravity align the heel with the shoulder (have a friend hang a pendulum off the tip your shoulder). S center line forms between the softsport to the perenium downward to just behind the center of the foot, but forward of the heel.

 

So yes the heel is used in alignment but all your weight is not on your heel. And yes k-1 is a part of the equation, but all the weight doesn't go on k-1. The weight is "suspended". The wells "bubble".

Edited August 14, 2008 by Spectrum

[mouse]

I trained in Erle Montaigues three circle standing chi kung and opened my small circle orbit in 2004. Now it is closed though, but thats another story.

 

Erles stuff is ok(although I only learned 1 chi kung from him, and some martial stuff) like (moving forward when attacked, pulling back ears and "smile" to get access to brainstem "reptile brain" etc.

One exercise in particular was good, it will make you attack forward when someone suddenly scares you in the dark etc and you will hit them.

 

stand in a one leg forward knees slightly bent and arms in a tree hug pose relaxed. Now Imagine a huge weight dropping on top of you and squeezing you flat, like a tube of toothpaste. At the same time hit a double palmstrike forward, open your eyes wide and breathe suddenly out with a shout.

 

after that do the same but hit your palms inward(not touching each other).

 

This is how I remember it and it worked. It probably is on Erles site still.

The key to all chi kung ability in my opinion is found in the leg/hip/heel/k-1 connection and how to get earth chi flowing. Are there any books etc. that address this?

 

salaam123,

 

Shouldn't all your energetic problems you were seeking help from the internet give you some idea that your practices from Erle are wrong?

 

You seek help but choose to continue your old ways. If they did you good, you'll have had 4 years (you mentioned 2004) to work up to great health.

 

We have a student in the lineage who had a car accident where he had collision on his head with massive injuries to his brain. You can see him on some of the videos on yourtube doing push hands. When they were first approached by his parents to help, he couldn't talk, walk, move properly and was shaking uncontrollably all the time. He had to relearn EVERYTHING as his psychomotor skills were all gone.

 

When I last saw him, he was chatting up a girl on the bus and got her number. haha. Always brings a smile to my face when I think of him.

 

Anyway, I am just writing because you were seeking help for your problems and yet at the same time dispensing advice. Something is wrong here don't you think? I'm sure you mean well but don't let the blind lead the blind.

 

Hope you don't mind me airing my thoughts in such public domain.

 

Enjoy your practice.

 

mouse

[salaam123]

salaam123,

 

Shouldn't all your energetic problems you were seeking help from the internet give you some idea that your practices from Erle are wrong?

 

You seek help but choose to continue your old ways. If they did you good, you'll have had 4 years (you mentioned 2004) to work up to great health.

 

We have a student in the lineage who had a car accident where he had collision on his head with massive injuries to his brain. You can see him on some of the videos on yourtube doing push hands. When they were first approached by his parents to help, he couldn't talk, walk, move properly and was shaking uncontrollably all the time. He had to relearn EVERYTHING as his psychomotor skills were all gone.

 

When I last saw him, he was chatting up a girl on the bus and got her number. haha. Always brings a smile to my face when I think of him.

 

Anyway, I am just writing because you were seeking help for your problems and yet at the same time dispensing advice. Something is wrong here don't you think? I'm sure you mean well but don't let the blind lead the blind.

 

Hope you don't mind me airing my thoughts in such public domain.

 

Enjoy your practice.

 

mouse

 

well in 2005 I stopped training and lost my development in about a year because there was a voice telling me to do stuff wrong. It had nothing to do with erle. Yeah, you may be right, it would be better from me to be silent until I get things right myself.

[Cloud Tiger]

Thank you very much all above. Wise words and interesting indeed.

Yes, experience is the true teacher. I think I will look into walking qi gong as I do like a walk.

 

As for the brain damaged chap, wow! Yes that was very inspiring. Thank you

 

well in 2005 I stopped training and lost my development in about a year because there was a voice telling me to do stuff wrong. It had nothing to do with erle. Yeah, you may be right, it would be better from me to be silent until I get things right myself.

 

Ah, dear Salaam, As-Salaam Alaikum. Your heart is pointing well and now your brain is catching up. Yes, it is best that we beginners merely point to wiser souls or stay silent. I make this mistake often. Having said that, when I see somebody making a gross mistake that is going uncorrected I still tend to offer advice. Not a great fan of deference to authority me but maybe that's because I have issues with my parents and experts in general! So I am a hypocrite but it's still good advice!

[guangping]

Both the kidney1 point and the heel are used. The k1 point is used to dissipate energy into the ground, the heel is used to bring energy back up into the body. If you do this correctly, an energetic circuit is created and we call that rooting. It is essential to create this if you practice I Chuan or macrocosmic meditation.