Normally punching is something we all take for granted. We all think we know how to punch. When we put a set of rubber cords behind you and ask you to punch as in this video, you will see that the direction of the punch and the alignment of all the body parts involved are not that easy to control. When not done correctly, you can see that you punch yourself off balance, instead of punching the person in front of you. You will realize that punching correctly does not make you look like you are punching.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This taiji punch reminds me of a spear. In a spear, you don’t grab the spearhead and hit with it. In other words, we should not pull our first out to punch. Also as explained in Master Chen’s fist video, the taiji punch showed here is not a “strike”. If we use the spear analogy again, you don’t grab the spearhead and “pull” it along with the staff to stab someone; you “push” the staff out to “thrust”.
However, because the staff it quite long; it has a tendency to bend. To prevent the staff from bending and to add penetrating power, we rotate the staff. In the case of the arm, it is to prevent the arm folding at the joints. And as we all now, this rotational power penetrates using the screw motion just like arrows and bullets.
Definitely an excellent training tool…..you can really feel how things like pinning the shoulder down onto the torso and opening the lower back help to facilitate the stabilization of power transfer from foot to hip to hand… a really nice compliment to the inward elbow pulling exercises in some of the other videos as well,,,ive also noticed if i pay attention to the feeling of pulling on the opposite side while extending the thrusting hand it helps to keep the rotation tighter…..