In Adjust the Middle Online video, Master Zhonghua Chen teaches how to strengthen one’s own structure and how to break your opponent’s structure and take their power away.
Early on in the video Master Chen utilizes a rubber cord to demonstrate how the 2 ends are connected by pulling in the middle. He emphasizes that the outside of the 2 ends are the outside and what is between the 2 outside points is considered inside. In the video he demonstrated this on the rubber cord and then on a student.
Click on the gif above. Master Chen has the student touch his hip and ankle, which represents the 2 ends. He connects the 2 ends by bending his knee.
On the gif above, Master Chen has the student pull him behind the neck, the first time doing so incorrectly to demonstrate the differences. Then Master Chen adjusts his waist, the middle between his neck and rear foot, which then makes it impossible for the student to move him. He then makes a “modification” shifting the middle that causes the student to move. See gif below.
I just explained how adjustments of the middle strengthen one’s own structure. I will now shift my focus to how manipulating your opponent’s middle destroys their structure and dissolves any power they may have.
In the gif above, Master Chen takes his right hand and slightly rotates to manipulate the student’s elbow, which is the middle of the student’s hand and shoulder. This nullifies the student’s power by breaking the structure. With out disturbing that set of interactions (separation), Master Chen slightly drops and aims his right kua at the student’s middle (waist) and TOTALLY destroys the student’s structure and power, sending him several feet back to the floor.
Just by locking up an opponent’s middle, they are prevented from making adjustments. See the gif below. Master Chen locks the student’s knee. When Master Chen rotates, the student can not adjust and thus his structure collapsed.
The middles include, but not limited to, the waist (largest), elbow, shoulder, kua, and the knee.
Please leave comments and questions at http://practicalmethod.com/2014/10/adjust-the-middle-online-video-trailer/.
