ChiDragon

Walker.... "纸上谈兵 and 纸上谈玄" 真金不怕紅爐火。

"The knees are at ~ 90 degrees because his butt is lowered (low stance). As sung increases, the stance will automatically become lower. That doesn't mean one has to fight through pain and physical damage to do that." It was understood that one can do 90 degree stance, one had went through all the pain and torture from the practice in the earlier stage. His muscles are well adapt to the stressfulness. You have too much emphasis on the sung. That was for the amateurs. The 90 degree cannot be done with the state of sung. Have you ever tried the 90 degree stance....???

The 90 degree(low Zhuang, 低樁) is the ultimate stance only can be done by Shaolin monks. 90 degree stanceby Shaolin a monk while he is eating rather than meditating: http://www.snowyy.co...rse-stance.html

I can only do the 45 degree stance for a long period of time without any pain. 45 degree stance

Yes, my bad. I had thought of that in my mind when I write that. I knew I'll get in trouble for that.

Why did you take it negatively....??? As soon I had spoted the extra twist in the body movements, I knew it was the Chen Style.

Let's look at it this way... Do you know why there are so many family styles of Tai Ji Chuan...??? It was because each family preferred to have it the way they like it to fit their own preference. If one had noticed, the original Chen style always have an extra twist in their movements as oppose to others do not.

It takes all kinds........ :D

Well, I had seen some Tai Ji practitioners stand on one leg with the leg bent and some are straight. Which method do you prefer....???

What is incorrect or correct...??? It is a matter of preference. Perhaps some people prefer health benefits over martial practice. Anyway, any motion produced by the gesture of the body are considered to be isotonic exercise. However, Tai Ji is different, it require slow movements, then the breathing improves by itself in the later stage. Even martial artists need to improve their health to keep a well fit physical body.

It is not a matter of displaying how good one. It is how much health benefit and understanding one got from the practice. If I am all into the cosmetics to show how good I am, then I would be here shooting the breeze. Perhaps, some of you may be thinking that I am........... PS..... I believe this is a Taoist environment. I think things should be conducted in a friendly manner without any verbal abuse. I think things are improving right now....!!!

I believe practice is the key to acquire the effect of internal art. A teacher can tell one a lot but how much can one absorb and digest. Even no matter how much one can understand them without practicing the art will not get the effect. Understanding the effect can only be done by self intuition. One can feel the physical change in the body and the increase in body strength from a long period of practice by intuition.

I was going to say this elsewhere, but let me say it here. Zhan Zhuang is standing on a pole. Later, people stop standing on the poles for this practice because it is very dangerous from falling off the poles and get hurt. By the basic definition of ZZ, the legs must be bent at some degree depends on the ability of each individual practitioner. How do people ended up calling it as "standing meditation" that I don't know. There was also a term called "walking meditation". These all seems to me was only use in the west. The word "meditation" basically implies to be sitting down in a quiet place to go into a deep concentration of some kind. If somebody says "standing on a pole", then the practice will be standing on a pole without meditating. However, if somebody says "standing meditation", then the practice will be standing and meditate. BTW To me it would be difficult to meditate while standing or walking.

bubbles.... Thanks for trying. Well, my man. I don't believe everything I read fanatically unless it makes a lot of sense. I do have a literal filter you know. Some of the masters have limited knowledge of modern science. They are still explain their ideas in the traditional way of thinking. However, I do respect them but may not agree with them. I don't think we should continuous with these who says what and what not, unless you have something to express in your own words. Citing somebody's words may not be one's own understanding. Regarding to the mentioning of the legs muscle, it gives me an indication that you have no idea what you were talking about. It seems you were just repeating somebody else words without any intensive understanding.

The jacket of the book may look very awesome and attractive; but why should the contents be ignored due to ignorance......???

Standing pole 站: standing 樁: a pole was used for a foundation to build a house. 站樁:standing on a pole. Learn Zhan Zhuang from a bird. The original Shaolin method of Zhan Zhuang was having the practitioner standing on two poles. That was where the term of Zhan Zhuang came from. The student was force to stand on two poles with the feet. It is very hard to be in balance on the poles without bending the knees. After the student had fell a few times, one will learn to stand with the knees bent in order to stay in balance.

One is completely lost when one thinks one was enlightened.

Li Jiong, I am a Li(李) too. It is nice to see a real Taoist Master here in the forum. Ｗhere have you been 修道 at in the last 20 years...??? I would like to hear some of your cultivated experiences. I would like to know how did you start going about being a Taoist practitioner...??? Did you learn your English in the Taoist shrine(道觀) too....???

Chenpalyer.... Your sifu is doing the Chen Style Tai Ji alright. May I ask you where did you get the term "standing pole". BTW It is the proper translation for Zhan Zhuang(站樁). I will wait for your response before say anything else....

Yes, you are a fine practitioner. I was hoping someone with some fundamental knowledge to come forward to make the correction. " Do you think Kung Fu is not an isometric exercise to get the body in shape....???" It should be corrected to read as follows: " Do you think Kung Fu is not an isotonic exercise to get the body in shape....???" However, we must give Zhan Zhuang a little credence to the idea that standing is a part of an "internal" art. It is because ZZ is the only "internal art" which was required for Kung Fu as the prerequisite. Thus all Kung Fu practitioner starts with ZZ before taken other training. You are right about the low stances. BTW Yu Gua Shun is actually performing the second level of Tai Ji Chuan with Fa Jin. At his level, he is way passed from getting his knees hurt or damage.

WOW, the last picture shown is real Zhan Zhuang.

ALL OF THE ABOVE except the last statement.......!!!!! "Many taiji players have bad knees for this very reason." It seems to me they need more practice.

Please read MY WORDS very carefully. The emphasis is on the words "until you can". You see you people already make up your mind about something without paying much ATTENTION to minor details. READ MY WORDS.... AT THE BEGINNING, ONE DO NOT PASS THE KNEES BEYOND THE TOES. HOWEVER, AFTER YOU HAVE PRACTICED LONG ENOUGH AND HAVE YOUR MUSCLES WORKED UP AND THE PAIN OR SORENESS IN THE MUSCLES OR THE KNEES IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE. DO YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND...??? THE PURPOSE FOR ZHAN ZHUANG IS TO GET RID OF THE SORENESS IN THE MUSCLES. SO EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE THE KNEES PASS THE TOES, THEY WILL NOT HURT.

Thank you for not given a direct answer. We cannot go too far with this kind of response, can we....???