The air this morning was just a touch brisk, but that ceased to be a concern for me just a little into the warm-up. We were down to two today, but the flow of the form seemed very comfortable and pleasantly slow. We started about a minute late, chatted briefly about Snake Creeps Down and ended at about 7:25.
As for Snake Creeps Down, Charlie's question was about the flow from Snake Creeps Down into the following position. After studying Yang Jun carefully, I can see there is a difference between what he does and what I often show. The difference is how much weight is transferred out of the front leg after coming up from the Snake Creeps Down. I have often showed a distinct movement reducing the amount of weight in the front leg to perhaps 30%. Based on what I can see, Yang Jun is only reducing the weight to 49%. There is a shift of weight, but it is very subtle. Still, the front (left) foot does not turn outward to become the supporting leg in the initial Golden Cock Stands on One Leg until after that weight shift, at least in the slow practice of the form. It is difficult to say what actually transpires when the position is used in combat, though it appears that the lead foot turns on the heel as weight is being transferred into it for the following position, be it Golden Cock, Step Forward to Seven Stars, or Shoulder Stroke.* In a slow application, this would probably not be acceptable as it would grind the lead foot into the ground, but when done "at speed" it would be acceptable because the weight of the body is actually traveling upward as well as forward thus reducing the felt-weight on the front foot.
*Shoulder Stroke isn't used as an individual position in the Yang Style Long Form.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment