All Wheel Drive
Last week I shared the idea of a gas engine in my kua area. The explosion of gas and air and spark in the hip pushes the rear leg down which forces the body forward. And the same thing happens in the front leg when the weight moves onto it and it is compressed. The car then turns around, and the rear wheel pushes the body forward (backward actually). This can be compared to rear wheel drive. The car is pushed forward from the rear wheel.
I was playing with this image this morning in the Park and had an insight into another image that was equally interesting to play with. That is front wheel drive – being pulled instead of pushed. Let’s look at Bow and Sit stance to see how it works.
Moving from right foot sit stance to left foot bow stance. In rear wheel drive, the energy released thrusts downward into the right foot and leg, and since the earth is much larger and denser, the result is the body moves forward onto the left leg. The left leg/kua acts as a brake, as well as a gather place for the return trip.
In front wheel drive, the left hip/kua pulls the body forward while the right leg relaxes and allows this to happen. The feeling is much more relaxed and soft in front wheel drive. I would say it is yin as opposed to the rear wheel drive which I would call yang. If I wanted to push (Peng or An) a heavy weight I would prefer a rear wheel drive. For rolling back (Lu), pressing (Ji), front wheel drive works well.
Of course, as we all know, the official drive train of the Tai Chi vehicle is All Wheel Drive. Both are always working, either pushing with one leg while pulling with the other, or pushing with one while the other works like a brake, or in rare cases, both push or pull at the same time.
I just love that Tai Chi form allows for so much creative thought during practice. It is the blending of mind and body where the benefits far outweigh most traditional exercise. Most new information comes from play, so get out there and have a good time.
Schedule Update
After talking it over with the current class members, I have decided not to expand our current schedule, so no Tuesday and Thursday morning class. Summer is a difficult time to add more regular