PM Power Hour Classes(3 classes per week)

by Kelvin Ho on 2020/08/01

PMPowerHour
Instructor: Kelvin Ho
Date and Time: Monday and Wednesday at 9 pm ET, Saturday at 8 am ET for the month of August 2020.
Location: Online at http://voov.practicalmethod.ca. Please see the pre-first class setup instructions below.
Program: 45 minutes of power-move training plus 3 yilus at the end of each class

 
You are welcome to join one or more of these classes. Please register with Kelvin Ho at kelvin.ho@practicalmethod.ca, Facebook Messenger or Wechat. Suggestion for time that works better for your timezone is welcome.

The Power Hour classes focus on the power moves as instructed by Master Chen Zhonghua in the Yilu First 13 Moves Power Points 20200717 video.

Pre-first Class Setup Instructions

  1. Click on http://voov.practicalmethod.ca, and follow any instructions to install Voov Meeting app for your phone or computer.
  2. Sign up for a new account for the Voov meeting, and it will then prompt for mobile phone to send you a verification code.
  3. Make sure that you are logged in. Edit your profile in Voov Meeting by clicking on the user icon, and put in your full name. Optionally, you can put in your profile photo. Please make sure that the name is your full name (This software will automatically remove any space in your full name after the changes are saved).
  4. At the beginning of the class, just click on http://voov.practicalmethod.ca to join.

About Kelvin Ho

Kelvin Ho, Master Chen Zhonghua's 97th disciple, is the instructor for Practical Method Toronto. He has been teaching and promoting the Practical Method system in Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Canada since 2011. He has received numerous medals in various Taiji competitions. He is also a vice-president of MartialArts Association Canada. Like his teacher, he feels an obligation to pass this great art onto others. Contact: kelvin.ho@practicalmethod.ca

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

Edward Liaw August 1, 2020 at 9:58 pm

Thank you for teaching this class Kelvin. Some things you pointed out that I need to work on:

Lock the center and move the two ends / block touching coat: my center always tosses. Especially my shoulder. When the bottom is small, the top can’t be too big.

In single whip: my shoulder needs to stay on the line.

Reply

Edward Liaw August 3, 2020 at 11:34 pm

My notes from today:

Six sealing four closing
* Use the left hand to define the track that the right hand must stay on.
* Don’t let the right shoulder move left.
* Right shoulder, right kua, right foot are on the axis.

Single Whip
* First part, hands as though they are in a tube.
* Hands like peeling the surface off the other forearm.
* Second move (hook hand), don’t let right shoulder move left, don’t let elbow rise.
* Right hand shoots forward, don’t swing it.
* Third move (left hand hand out), split with right foot.

White Crane Spreads Wings
* Need to contain the structure to hold the potential energy.
* Head must be a lid, cannot go up.
* Elbows must stay in, release through the hands.
* This is true for both moves in this posture.

Reply

Kelvin Ho August 3, 2020 at 11:43 pm

* Right shoulder, right kua, right foot are on the axis.

Right shoulder and right kua form the axis, the right heel supports that by having another rod between the right kua and the right heel.

Thanks for posting the notes.

Reply

Edward Liaw August 5, 2020 at 9:59 pm

Notes from today:

Brush Knee
* Third move: Left shoulder and kua come together.
* Don’t let the head go down.
* Right hand don’t toss left. In with elbow.
* Fourth move: When right hand goes out, don’t toss the shoulder right.

Initial Closing
* First move: bring elbows into line.
* Second move: Elbow comes in, opposition to front kua which goes out.
* Back doesn’t move forward or back.
* Elbow hits the dantian and bounces back on the line through the fist.

Walk Obliquely in Twist Step
* First move: kick with the underside of the thigh, not the front of the knee.
* Knee and elbow in opposition.
* Second move: Left forearm on the line.
* Attach elbow to torso and rotate torso.
* Axis is the center of the body.
* Make sure to rotate fully until elbow goes over the line.

Reply

Kelvin Ho August 6, 2020 at 12:29 am

* First move: kick with the underside of the thigh, not the front of the knee.

Kick with the heel and stretch the underside of the knee is stretched and straight.

* knee and elbow in opposition

Elbow comes in, while the kua goes out in opposite direction.

* Attach elbow to torso and rotate torso.

Attach elbow to torso, rotate from the bottom, make sure the top does not move at all.

* Make sure to rotate fully until elbow goes over the line.

Make sure to rotate fully until right elbow folds into the line as marked by the left forearm.

Reply

Liu Yuxin August 9, 2020 at 4:32 am

Thank you for the notes!!

Reply

Edward Liaw August 10, 2020 at 8:33 pm

Started class with the fajin exercise posted yesterday.
* Lock front hand on line of the rear forearm.
* Don’t move the hands.
* Use the front kua
* Moving step version:
* Tie the front foot to the hand.

Walk obliquely in twist step
* Fourth move (Double Negative Circle):
* Don’t move the hands.
* Lock a point on both arms that cannot be raised or lowered. As though there is a hula hoop around your arms that should not be moved.
* Sinking the kuas and shoulders squeezes out the hands.
* Don’t turn torso.
* Move is like opening an umbrella.
* Fifth move (Fetch Water):
* Don’t move hands, front hand stays on the line of front hand to rear elbow.
* Link elbows to the body.
* Maintain line from front foot to the rear shoulder.
* Front heel is free to rotate.
* Use the front kua.

Reply

Edward Liaw August 12, 2020 at 10:16 pm

Started class with 180°, such as the fifth move of Walk obliquely in twist step
* This move is used in other parts of the yilu and in the erlu.
* Axis is right shoulder to right kua.
* Don’t turn the torso.
* In with right elbow.
* Open right kua so that leg turns >90° to the right.
* Don’t drop the right kua.
* Open through the left side of the body so that it rotates around the axis.

Second closing
* First move:
* Both hands hold a stick that aims 45° down. As though holding onto a shovel. Don’t move the hands.
* Left knee does not move forward or backward. On top of the heel.
* As though left arm passes through a hole that is next to the left knee. As though using a shovel.
* Don’t drop the left kua / don’t protrude the butt behind the left kua / maintain the rod to the heel.
* Left shoulder cannot reverse and come forward. It turns over the joint from the end of fetching water.

Reply

Jeff Calcagni August 13, 2020 at 1:51 pm

Thank you for providing this class opportunity Kelvin. I enjoy deepening my understanding of the initial 13 moves in this fashion. Your instruction, when combined with the video segments you indicated we should look at, really clarifies some of the potential applications and proper body structure. You have a great teaching style as well — appreciate your taking the time to make individual corrections (very hard to do in this format) and asking students for their questions during the class.

Reply

Edward Liaw August 17, 2020 at 11:03 pm

Mistakes I’m making
* Intent on the hand: the hand is anticipating the movement and moving on its own.
* It has to be dead but solid not loose.
* Especially when doing it with speed, the hand’s gear must be locked into the kua and not pop off on its own.
* Shoulder tensing / locking, preventing the arm from staying on the line.
* Makes the hand follow the kua.
* Shoulder needs to match / adjust to kua to make the upper arc.
* Ratio needs to favor the bottom arc.
* Kua starts out with not enough room / too open already.
* Sit back and give the kua space to open, otherwise the movement will be too small – everything else has to be relative to that movement.

Kua drills:
* Twisting towel
* Buddha’s Warrior Pounds Mortar
* When powering up, I tense up my upper arm and move my hand. All the movement has to be on the kua.
* Single Whip
* In the second move, I didn’t have the connection to my elbow. I had to bring the elbow back to the position in twisting towel and give more room to my kua.

Reply

sooyeon August 20, 2020 at 11:59 am

August 19th
Twist Towel
1. Lock elbow, movement come from kua
2. Internet was not smooth only part of it I heard… had to do with hand but not sure
3. When I issue power my shoulder forward… make sure shoulder down

Power training from single whip
1. My chest moved with elbow which is double heavy
2. Elbow come in with line like negative circle
3. When elbow come in front kua up
4. Back elbow point back foot

Reply

Edward Liaw August 25, 2020 at 9:18 am

Fist Draping Over Body
* Hand-elbow-shoulder triangle does not change, only it’s angle changes.
* Hand stays out, elbow stays in.
* Rotate kua, rotate don’t turn torso. Shoulder maintains a fixed point.

Fist Covering Hand
* Set the hands facing 45 left.
* Kua opens upward and shoulder opens downward to drive fist out. Much like the twisting towel kua exercise.
* Hand stays on the line.
* Don’t turn elbow out. Must stay pointing down.
* Left kua must maintain axis. Don’t let it sag and fall back.

Reply

Edward Liaw August 27, 2020 at 12:55 am

Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar
1. In with elbow.
2. Out with hand and rotate to face forward.
3. Close left foot in to face forward.
4. Shift to stand on left foot. Don’t move hands.
5. In with elbow and right foot forward.
6. Lift knee and squeeze hand up.

Mistakes I’m making
* On point 5, the head should not move.
* Practice standing on left foot and doing this move in front of mirror.
* Then practice transition 4-5.

Reply

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