The last move we worked on in today’s lesson was the second move in Jin Gang Dao Zhui (Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar), when the dantien turns right, left elbow comes in on a positive circle and the right hand goes out in a negative circle. The arm (hand) is out of control and the dantien is in control. This means the hand is expressed yet is passively powered by the dantien.
The analogy Master Chen Zhonghua used was like a hook and fishing reel. The hook is the hand. It is the catch…only to attach to the opponent. The reel is the reel is the dantien. The rotation of the dantien is to reel in the hook through rotation. The line from the hook hand to the reel is sequential…stretch from hand to elbow, to shoulder and then to kua…it can go all the way to the rear foot…for the purpose of this lesson we will stop at the dantien. Again, the “expression is in front and the power comes from behind”.
Back to Jin Gang Dao Zhui (Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar), in the second move, it is lead and powered by the dantien. It reels in the left elbow and provides the power for right negative circle. Errors participant made include using the arms to move, using the chest to move and so on. Master Chen taught us drill to activate our dantien:
1. Stand in a medium horse stance with knees and legs in fixed positions.
2. Place both hands on dantien (the connects the mind’s intent to the dantien and takes away the arms that maybe a distraction to the process).
3. Rotate the dantien back and forth with initiating and only moving the dantien (the shoulders sit above the kuas and are passive passengers).
