Hi,
I was wanting to write a quick article and ask a question on a concept that has been eluding me for some time. One of the last times I was on the mountain (DQS Feb 2015), Master Chen briefly talked about and covered a way of thinking about our body directions that has had me in deep thinking, and I cannot seem to fully understand yet.
In a morning session with about 12 of us, he was teaching a concept of ‘Lock the front, move the rear’. For example: Lock front hand – move elbow in line. In this case the lead hand is the ‘front’, the same arm elbow is the ‘rear’. While I think I understood what he was saying for this in terms of upper body, apparently, it is not the same for lower body.
He went on to share that the lower body is reversed, saying quote “Front foot is the rear, back foot is the front’. While at the time it did not digest and I thought I would figure it out later, all these months have past and I am still at a loss. I have heard the upper and lower body expressed this way before in other classes, but still cannot grasp the lesson behind it. Does anyone have an further insight to share as to why this is the way it is?
Thanks in advance! Rick Pietila
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
To be consistent with Master Chen’s teaching 外定内动 （outside fix inside move, lock the front move the rear). The rear foot is further “away” from the center. It is on the “front line” to the ground. It has to be fixed.
In one of my yilu corrections, master Chen noticed my rear foot slid out, he immediately pointed out that I should make sure the rear foot not move.
When Master Chen demonstrates push hand, in multiple occasions, he will lift up his front foot to make the point.
Ok, Thanks Pingwei! I appreciate the help!