Mark Hanley

Notes for Toronto Workshop Sep 7-10, 2019 – By Mark Hanley i

by Mark Hanley on 2019/09/30

  1. Gears on either side of spine move in opposite direction

The gears twist on either side of the spine and your intention along with where you are looking can send power in any direction you want. You can also add better control by also changing the percentage of each lever. with straight spine hold with front left qua use right hand across. them Opening qua to right

Power comes from restrictions, stretch to point of rotation, Movement is muscle., no movement is a lever

Every two ends have a fixed point rotate of two ends can cause the fixed point not to move

Drill – front stance right with bend arm in front of you at shoulder level. rotate left shoulder around and back while rotating front shoulder out and around to   squeeze energy through front arm into opponent. Be sure there is a restriction in your chest with a curvature that does not extend even though you stretch from your front shoulder to other shoulder as you perform procedure

When looking and observing understand and look at the 3 dimensions

Your volume is made up of your width, height and depth which is a 100%, through use of proper levers you add a small percentage for example adding lever in your shoulder of 3 percentage adds to your volume and you become 103% restrictions do the same like keeping the same shoulder height in a  move  where say you move forward. Another example of dimension is when moving forward only legs move not the body belly, the body is like a car the legs are the wheels

Your center cannot come out of the structure      In order to go forward with an arm you must either stretch up or down. Don’t lean

In front stance  Drop shoulder while rotating out and around also pop qua up in order to have energy more focused

Improve your form try first 13 doing this

For the first part of every move in the form, there is an internal power part with principles governing the 3 dimensions. the internal power that is required is like turning the handle on a door, once done opening the door is easier to continue.

2.       The yin and yang in practical method using a table saw and piece of wood as example.

The center of the saw is yin the blade is yang energy. The piece of wood close to saw is yang and the further piece is yin. It must move slowly to cut or it becomes a fight. if the blade is loosed it cannot cut straight.

Like a saw you need to move slowly. If you ae not locked with opponent it is like a loose saw. When done right the opponent feels different called a happy death. This happy death must be experienced many times to learn

 

 

Drills

  1. Opening qua to rotate

Step through opponent with front leg in front stance. Wrap arms around back onto shoulders. stay erect as you drop hip open and rotate either front or back kua without moving shoulders up or down. Do not stick ass out on way down

 

  1. Resolving opponent’s power by moving
    1. Use a window ledge and move back and forward dropping and rising without your hands leaving the ledge
    2. Hand’s are stationary on opponent you must resolve force by moving anything other than hands

 

  1. Front stance placing front hands on forearms both lock with power lock both sides of waist and move them

 

  1. Find opponent’s back and; locked point and then tap back
    1. opponent holds bent arm in front of them with other hand supporting structure roll back and lock either high back middle or lower back.
    2. First just hit opponents’ hand with your open hand. Notice power is in the front hand
    3. Now use your arm extension stretch to first get to the back. You will notice you have to stretch quite a way to get to the back
    4. Now try to notice if the upper back is locked (does not move) if upper moves include your chest in stretch to check middle lower. once found
    5. Execute tap to back by lightening extension on hand rotate left shoulder around and back while rotating front shoulder out and around to squeeze energy tap through front arm to their back

If the opponent is in a front horse stance you must tap the back on a 90 degree angle , so if their front foot is right then your arm tap is a left. You must also have a straight line to their not moving dot.
5.    Moving backward against wall

Stand about 2 inches from the wall your arms are in front of you elbows bent down hands point forward

  1. Move your back (lower shoulder blade area) back against the wall. Do this a few times
  2. Now once your back hits cause your fingers to go out, before moving forward arms are locked, if someone in front of you fingers extend to upper chest just below thyroid

 

6 stretching hands and fingers through to Achilles heel

Structural restrictions

-        Left foot forward straight leg from foot to knee. Arms in front of you elbows down, wrist and hands forward. Back right leg bent and you are on the ball of the foot. Back is straight

Action

-        Stretch from wrist to fingers down chest from inside of back hip through to Achilles heel. All stretches are at same time. Notice you separate at waist if done right

With opponent

Use opponent’s bent arm to align hands the separation at the bottom of you causes them to react. If nothing happens lower shoulders without moving

Related drills

  1. Walk doing above by stepping front, drop hip half step up     and release
  2. Use opponent in front of you

 

7 stretching around opponent

Both you and opponent hold biceps now drop back hip and fill it

Twist front hip toward them as your arm rotate the other direction around them

Or from twist simply cut them by moving elbow in opposite direction as hip

 

 

8 stretching around opponent using one hand

  1. Step in behind opponent front leg
  2. Catch opponent with front elbow, elbow to hand is raised
  3. Extend arm straight the way it is pointed
  4. Rotate shoulder back at fingers back around your back

 

9 rotate  the shoulder

Drill 1A  twisting towel

Start in stance use the heel , knee going back and hip coming forward to move arm. When meeting resistance roll shoulder around from blade which causes you to go under

 

Drill 1 B  locked arm

Opponent pushes your forearm and elbow to lock it against your body. Roll your shoulder  to get under them

March 2 to 5th Workshop Notes i

by Mark Hanley on 2019/03/10

The following are highlights of my workshop notes workshop March 2 to 5th. I have tried to organize them into categories so I could better relate them.  I did not capture everything

 Workshop notes:

All Questions Should be asked in order to bring clarity: Hear It , See it, Feel It – the 3 questions you want answered

Principle – Yin and Yang separation          life – I want to be good

Concept – all moves are indirect                               education

Action – convert into action                                      use
Read more

Deer In The Headlights 1

by Mark Hanley on 2019/01/14

MarkHanleyAndKelvinHo

In Kelvin Ho’s article “Opponents stop moving when I move” written Dec 24 2018; I was one of the opponent’s who was not moving when he came in. I agree with his statement ‘there was no feedback/trigger’. I felt like a deer in the headlights when he came in. The definition says:

“Someone caught in a state of paralyzing surprise, fear, or bewilderment. Likened to the tendency of deer to freeze in place in front of an oncoming vehicle”.
Read more

Health and Physical Benefits of Practical Method i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/11/23

MarkHanley

I have fascia problems that limit and sometimes interfere with certain movements originating from a car accident and then being pushed on my tailbone 15 years ago. In October, my physio-therapist told me that my hips are opening and to continue with whatever exercises I was doing. I simply said that I am doing a Tai chi form that emphasizes stretching. She indicated that the stretching was breaking up the fascia. Read more

2017-04-01 Richmond Hill Class – Fetch Water 1

by Mark Hanley on 2017/04/01

fetching water,
– you must be in front bow stance with weight on front
– back hand open on belly
– front arm down open hand to thigh
– move front KWA out as the only movement – when front arm moves bring elbow to body

Kelvin ho had us doing this foundation exercise today. Issues I had around the move that I experienced

1. Moving shoulders ( I needed to press down first, move the kwa and capture the internal movement to go across my belly rather than up to my back shoulder)

Kelvin indicated that once stretched I should hold it for a minute or two to help loosen the kwa.

2. Moving front hands and arms independently ( the kwa works like a lever attached to the rope and pail gathering well water; when the rope moves back and forth so does the pail) the hands and arm cannot move independently

3. stance too high , I needed to perform the above in a lower stance

2017-03-26 Richmond Hill Class – negative circle i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/03/27

Review of negative circle
– elbow in hand on outside
– drop hand strait down
– hand out once at elbow torqueing forearm keeping elbow down

starting in front bow stance after bringing in my elbow hand on outside, I found that bringing the hand down helped keep my elbow aligned when the hand went out kelvin Ho reminded me to keep my elbow down. We also performed cross hands draping over the body. Kelvin showed me how the end position had stability by aligning the elbow with the back foot with the fist out like a punch. Kelvin’s hand wrapped my punch and pushed.

2017-03-26 Richmond Hill class – positive circle i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/03/27

Review of Positive circle
-elbow in do not move hand or wrist
– twist waist without moving hips
– hand out do not move elbow
– do not move off the finger line to the exact spot on the opponent

starting in front bow stance after bringing in my elbow, I found that when I twisted my waist my weight moved off the front foot. Kelvin Ho corrected this by calling out when my weight incorrectly changed from my front foot. The twisting of the waist helps bring the elbow to the centerline. It requires a lot of focus to keep the fingers leading when going out torqueing the arm while not letting the elbow get away and keeping it down.

2017-03-05 – Richmond Hill – review of turning flower out at bottom of the sea i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/03/06

Last week Kelvin Ho review turning flower out at bottom of sea. he posted a video and the following points
1) Maintain a non-moving vertical rod from head to left heel throughout the action.
2) Hold the right forearm in front of the chest with a fist, while the left fist is on the side of the body.
3) Throw the right fist down to the right side as hard as possible with a raising right knee to create a scissoring effect, while throwing the left fist up to the left ear.
4) There should be no tossing or turning of the body, but there is a spiral stretch along the vertical rod Read more

2017-01-21 – Richmond Hill Class – Twisting towel i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/01/30

Hand starts and 45 degrees and ends at 45 degrees, s the elbow comes to centerline. The energy must come from the foot to the hand. This Is much more difficult then it seems. The tendency for me was to bend the wrist independent from the arm and to move the arm out with no regard for the line. I found it very helpful to stand on a tiled floor which allowed me to better concentrate on the line. By doing this I found that the line allowed me to better keep arm on the line and my wrist better alignment with the rest of the arm.

2017-01-21 – Richmond Hill Class – Six sealing four closing i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/01/30

start in front bow stance , back arm bent palm up front arm bent also palm up, this creates a line, bring hip and shoulder to hand line, be sure hip is up and out, shoulder is down and out, front elbow twists in as action performed. Back also straitens and ass is not out. Do not move wrist independently. I found that I could better concentrate and get more consistent results by starting with the front elbow touching my side. Taking pictures of yourself is also good idea because you see what you do wrong I have started to practise in the mirror so I can see and correct things like raising my back shouldersix ceiling four closing

2017-01-21 – Richmond Hill – fetch water i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/01/30

IN fetching water, you must be in front bow stance. back arm bent palm up front arm down front kwa hand open, First internally connect front hip to back shoulder around and down to back hip somewhat like suspenders. This little effort to start really helps. Then open front hip moving it to the line. As that happens notice front shoulder goes down twist in the front elbow.

2017/01/14 – Richmond Hill – First 7 moves of Yilu with feedback from instructor i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/01/14

Kelvin Ho gave us feedback on the first 7 moves of Yilu today. some examples to remember

Buddha’s warrior attendant pounds the mortar – in first move both arms move from the elbow. The right arm is a negative circle. Elbow is down and palm faces floor when you stretch out after grind out. To lift foot twist right elbow even more to connect and lift foot.

Block touching coat. – in step out adjust weight to front foot before arm moves and positive circle starts

Single whip – hands start at 45 degrees and end at 45 degrees as the elbow comes to centerline and fingers and forearm follow the same strait line rubbing against an imaginary vertical finger. The end of single whip the left hand out is a positive circle.  

Brush knee -    the left open hand drops down crossing knee. The end of brush knee when both arms are extended squeeze in on chest and down back as to not cause a rise in the chest. I found this very significant feedback because this is true in so many of the moves. It also seemed to have an impact on my next move to keep my back steady in initial closing.

 Today I realized how significant independent practice is in this practical method. Your body needs time to adjust to perform proper alignment and stretches. If your elbow has limited mobility or you cannot convert the squeeze in the chest to the back and downward, you need practise before you can move forward with more constructive feedback.

2017/01/07 – Richmond Hill – Review of 13 moves of Yilu Jan 7 2017 i

by Mark Hanley on 2017/01/07

Instructor Kelvin Ho worked through a  number of items in today’s class today with me and Bruce Robinson.

All Movement – keep elbows pointed to the ground, open hand position and stretch through to fingers

Buddha’s warrior attendant pounds  the mortar -  start with right hand against chest as you turn hand releases from chest, front hand does not retreat. after ground out completes keep elbow pointing down as you stretch to fingers at end of stretch right elbow in.

Block touching coat – left hand is negative circle , right is positive circle. adjust lower body outward before starting positive circle.

White crane spread it’s wings – As part of stepping back adjust your back so that it is solid before moving the left leg back and raising and stretching the arms from the back outward to the finger tips. Easier said than done the idea of fixing the back against an imagery wall so that it does not move is very difficult. However by working with Kelvin  today I can see what I am working toward.

2016/12/15 – Richmond Hill – Beginner – positive circle i

by Mark Hanley on 2016/12/15

The instruction is very simple elbow in turn the waist out with hand

 

I found that I had bent my wrist in Block touching coat and that I repeated this wrist turn in the positive circle. Kelvin helped me understand what I had done, after correction suggested I use a mirror at home to reinforce the elbow rotation without moving my wrist independently. I took this advice and found that It really helped.

So now I bring my elbow in, it rotates more easily by turning the waist and then the straighter arm always the hand to extend better

2016/12/15 – Richmond Hill – Beginner – Block touching coat i

by Mark Hanley on 2016/12/15

The instruction is very simple sink kwa rotate elbow and open without using force. I found that I could sink the kwa easily but then turned to force to open the grip.

Kelvin helped me first by holding my arms but then changed the grip to using a single finger against my arm instead of holding the arm. He indicated that I should warp around the finger. This helped, I found that after I sank by stretching my fingers and wrist open it allowed me to get a better movement in my elbow which in turn allowed me to better wrap around the finger.