Master Chen Zhonghua Online Lesson on Oct 26, 2020 – Kelvin Ho

by Kelvin Ho on 2020/10/26

Correction on my form

  • Need to have 3 solids
    • There is a line at the shoulder level between the front hand and rear shoulder (first 2 solids)
    • I need to stretch the kua down to create the 3rd solid.
    • The first 2 solids form the horizontal bar of a T-bar, while the kua stretching down creates the rod of the T-bar.
    • Master Chen Zhonghua demonstrated six sealing four closing with that rod not moving. Without this part, I will not be able to rotate. With it, things start to become 3-dimensional. It was really like that there was an auger in him.
    • This may seem like a contradiction while we need to push the front kua up, we also need to stretch it down to create a solid.
  • Don’t cross at the same spot
    • Need to cross with distance in between.
    • Imagine that there is a rod, put the two hands on either side of the rod, and the two hands are apart from each other along the rod.
    • In Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pound Mortar, in the first count when the hands are raised, the two hands are on either side of the opponent’s arm.
    • When we put one arm in front of opponent’s chest, and put the leg behind of the opponent’s leg, we have placed something on either side of the opponent’s body. However, it also means that the opponent is also on either of ourselves. Whoever that is longer will win.

Learning

We need to do one thing right. The teacher needs to show us the first thing, like where the first step of the staircase is, and put our foot on the first step.  Most of us can never find get on the first step, but we believe that we are walking up the staircase while we are really not going anywhere.

Foundation

Based on Twisting the Towel
  • We want to first create a large size in the out-with-hand action without restriction.
  • Now we put in a restriction at the knee by not allowing it to move.
  • By putting such a restriction in, it is like having a pivot in the lever. When one side of the pivot goes forward, the other side of the pivot will go backward.  If the pivot is closer to the one side being moved, the other area that the other side cover will be bigger than the area covered by the action arm.
  • What we want in this exercise is to create a stretch between the right knee and the left shoulder.
  • Procedure:
    • Put up the hand to start in the Twisting the Towel position. Do not move the hand.
    • Lock the right knee, create a stretch between the right kua and the right knee by stick the right kua out.
    • Extend the stretch from the right kua to dantian, from dantian to left chest, from left chest to the left shoulder.
    • Do not rotate for this. At minimum, we must see that the stretch is bigger (more dominant) than the rotation.
    • Common problem, we rotate in this exercise or the left shoulder moves backwards and gets off the line.
  • There are times that we rotate to create a stretch, and there are times that we stretch to create a rotation. We need to be able to do both at the end.  This exercise is meant to train the stretch, and not focus on the rotation.
  • How to stretch?  Put two restrictions on the ends of a straight line, to stretch is to extend from the middle until you touch the two end restrictions.
Master Chen is the only person who can do this kind of stretches.

About Kelvin Ho

Kelvin Ho, Master Chen Zhonghua's 97th disciple, is the instructor for Practical Method Toronto. He has been teaching and promoting the Practical Method system in Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Canada since 2011. He has received numerous medals in various Taiji competitions. He is also a vice-president of MartialArts Association Canada. Like his teacher, he feels an obligation to pass this great art onto others. Contact: kelvin.ho@practicalmethod.ca

Leave a Comment
Leave a comment on the content only. For admin issues, please click the "contact" button on the top left.

Previous post:

Next post: