Bit of this, bit of that

          It’s amazing how much the feeling of a technique can change when you bring the focus somewhere else.  In the third part of Tai Chi there is a lot of kicks, and I have been focusing on the kick and just letting my arms/hands do what they want. Then after overhearing a conversation about the hands, I decided to focus more on them.  I could really feel my energy/Qi better when doing this.  I find it harder to feel my Qi in my legs/feet, compared to my hands/upper body.  Although it didn’t change too much how I moved or did the technique, it really changed how I felt/experienced it.

        Another thing I tried was doing the form with my eyes closed.  Anytime I had to balance in one leg, which was often, I felt myself having difficulty balancing, wanting to fall over.  If my feet were connected to the ground it was easier.  I did end up where I normally do though, so I’m taking that as a good sign.  What I was focusing on was where my centre was throughout the form, and especially the feeling of what parts of my feet were interacting with the ground.  Also crazy how much of our “balance” is linked to our eyes.  Which I understood before. If I’m balancing on one leg I tend to pick a spot in the floor somewhere ahead of me and it helps me solidify.  Still, when both eyes are closed standing on one leg all of a sudden becomes much harder as my body struggles to figure out where it is spacially.  I would like to explore this more in my training.

        Something I’ve been tasked with in level one class is leading through exercises for red stripe foundations.  Mostly been working on stances and some kicks.  I’m really focused on the bow stance right now, specifically keep the centre over the lead leg.  What I’ve been noticing with some of the newer students is when they have to go back in a bow stance they want to shift their weight back to the back leg instead of keeping it planted overtop of their back.  You lose your lumbar and potential of any strike or block when you do that.  I’m trying to come up with strategies to get them to do this.  The three step sparring last night seemed to help.  I could see them plant into that bow stance with the high rising block, so I know they can do it.  An area that I see consistently where they move their weight back, is the first couple of moves of stick one, where you step back into a bow with a strike.

         Lastly, some forward motion with my knee.  I saw a sports specialist on Tuesday with my new MRI results.  The knee itself is solid which is good, but what they suspect is there is a fragment of bone that probably got chipped off either when the patella dislocated or came back.  It is floating in there and running up against tissues which is why it is still swelling and inflamed.  I’m good to start strengthening the knee again, but they are going to consult with a orthopedic surgeon to see if they want to arthroscopic surgery to remove the fragment.