Balance test in Zhan Zhuang (站樁)

[Nungali]

Hey everyone ... watch me do this in a video and  tell me what your think .

 

But I dont want you just to watch what I physically DO in the video ... thats just the 'outer form' , I want you to use penetrative insight to see beyond that and look inside me and tell me how good I really am .... eve though the outside looks bad .

 

And if you cant see that good inside ... well  poo-poo on your 'enlightenment' , as it just measn you cannot see below the surface .

 

There !   Now I feel better about myself  !

 

 

 

Ooooo !   Forgot to post my video

 

 

 

[ReturnDragon]

On 2/10/2020 at 6:34 PM, Nungali said:

Well, I watched it ... the first thing you did was LOOSE your balance and not even get up on the board  !

 

2nd attempt was better   

I was lucky that the master only caught me missed it once. I am so embarrass.

[Nintendao]

On 2/11/2020 at 2:08 PM, ReturnDragon said:

Talking about balance, so far, I haven't fallen onto the ground yet.

 

Personally, I'm rather adept at the Kramer style.

 

 

[Earl Grey]

In all seriousness, I really wonder if ChiDragon is actually humble enough to discard what he does, as it is not Zhan Zhuang, and actually learn real Zhan Zhuang. 

[Nintendao]

There’s still certain merits to the “safe and healthy exercise” versions of really any martial arts and yoga consumed these days. I’m sure given an opportunity for direct transmission, certain points could be driven home. Other than that I’d rather see people enjoying jumping on boards and waving color guard swords, than messing around and blowing up in qi deviation.

Edited February 15, 2020 by Nintendao

[Earl Grey]

1 minute ago, Nintendao said:

There’s still certain merits to the “safe and healthy exercise” versions of really any martial arts and yoga consumed these days. I’m sure given an opportunity for direct transmission, certain points could be driven home. Other than that I’d rather see people enjoying jumping on boards and waving color guard swords, than messing around and blowing up in qi deviation.

While it’s fine if he does it himself , it’s the bragging that he knows and is an authority to others who may not know that is the concern.

[Nungali]

On 14/02/2020 at 10:48 AM, ReturnDragon said:

I was lucky that the master only caught me missed it once. I am so embarrass.

 

Even more so with the grade school grammar    

 

Did you try my balance exercise I offered ?    

 

Stand up straight with your arms out to the side straight and horizontal.   Lift one foot of the ground  and rotate your head around in a circle .

 

let me know how you got on afterwards .

 

Anyone else  up for it  ?

[Nungali]

7 hours ago, Nintendao said:

 

Personally, I'm rather adept at the Kramer style.

 

 

 

 

His best one ,  I believe :

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Nungali

[Nintendao]

8 minutes ago, Nungali said:

Stand up straight with your arms out to the side straight and horizontal.   Lift one foot of the ground  and rotate your head around in a circle .

I'd do it but I just ate a salami and peanut butter on rye. Do you rotate mostly around z axis, to where the eyes mostly stay pointing forward, or all the way around the y axis / neck, so that you're looking up part of the time?

[Nungali]

Y  axis / neck ,  make big circles with the top of your head .

 

Dont worry about the sandwich , that will just make your weight more in the lower parts   .    

[Nungali]

Come on Earl ... give it a go .

[Nintendao]

Nice one! Is it just me or is it easier with the eyes closed? This is reminding me of trying not to get pulled off balance in Chi Gerk. Have to build strength with some different variations on Golden Rooster Stance. After a few tries I got a little better at expecting which way I'm even falling, and try to stick more of the opposite direction with the ground foot.

 

Spoiler

"First put down the beer" 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Nintendao

[Earl Grey]

54 minutes ago, Nungali said:

Come on Earl ... give it a go .

I will this weekend!

[Nungali]

What ,  'all tied up' at present   ?

 

 

 

[moment]

On 2/13/2020 at 1:27 PM, Nungali said:

Hey everyone ... watch me do this in a video and  tell me what your think .

 

But I dont want you just to watch what I physically DO in the video ... thats just the 'outer form' , I want you to use penetrative insight to see beyond that and look inside me and tell me how good I really am .... eve though the outside looks bad .

 

And if you cant see that good inside ... well  poo-poo on your 'enlightenment' , as it just measn you cannot see below the surface .

 

There !   Now I feel better about myself  !

 

 

 

Ooooo !   Forgot to post my video

 

 

 

 

Geeez effin christos,  give me a break!

[Earl Grey]

49 minutes ago, Nungali said:

What ,  'all tied up' at present   ?

 

 

 

 

I just did it. Wow, it really tests your balance. Tried it on both legs--left leg had surgery for a torn ACL ten years ago so it is not as strong, and the right leg was the same result. 

 

Had to hop up after the second head rotation, and did it anti-clockwise and clockwise to test. 

[ReturnDragon]

So. I had been making a fool out of myself. Now, may I ask you masters and experts out there and please tell me. Does ZZ make my legs stronger than before I start the practice?

Thank you in advance.

Edited February 15, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[Earl Grey]

5 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

So. I had been making a fool out of myself. Now, may I ask you masters and experts out there and tell me. Does ZZ make my legs stronger than before I start the practice?

Thank you in advance.

 

Proper Zhan Zhuang will strengthen the ENTIRE body. 

[ReturnDragon]

What else do I do besides standing at the ZZ position?

[Earl Grey]

2 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

What else do I do besides standing at the ZZ position?

 

You weren't even standing in the ZZ position.

 

If you really want to learn decent ZZ from a book, go find Lam Kam Chuen's Way of Energy and Way of Power. 

 

Otherwise, find an in-person teacher and pay him or her to teach you properly, but if you don't have any good teachers nearby you, those who are willing to train you via Skype or Zoom charge varying prices for learning, and it is not a one-off deal since they will need to adjust you constantly and regularly. 

[ReturnDragon]

He can do that too!

[Nungali]

That team needs some stunt man lessons     

 

 

that way their  falling and rolling and jumping back might look a little more realistic  .

 

 

I prefer the chi master that can woman   do line dancing     ( NO  not lion dancing ... line dancing )

 

 

[Nungali]

 

[rideforever]

On 10/02/2020 at 6:27 PM, ReturnDragon said:

grounding

 

I think it's better that you put the board flat and also that it is 3 times the length.  That way you can put your feet flat and can do Zhan Zhuang rooting and moving from the root.   With the board that short you end up with the board inside the arch of the foot and the front third and rear third of the foot are not on the wood ... that is not good as those areas have major energy centres that need to transfer energy into the ground.

What you are doing is more like mountain climbers do and snowboarders, it's about being on edge and clinging on stressing the muscles.

The platform is also too high, it is dangerous.  It looks like some athletic equipment but it is only supported on one side.  This means you can easily flip backwards and land on your spine.  If you press down with the toes you will push the front supports into the ground which might spring up slightly tipping you back where there are no supports and off you fly.  
 I suggest you have it 4" off the ground so that if you fall you'll be fine. Better still do it somewhere flat on the ground.  You can later  add difficulty by doing left right weighting, or lifting one leg according to the traditional training.

What do you do in ZZ apart from standing ?  A lot, but perhaps it is difficult to understand.  You are meant to gradually relax and unwind all the soft tissues in the entire body, progressively over time.  Being very relaxed and standing in the correct posture your body feels all the small and large tensions pains in the body and the mind starts playing up due to the lack of activity.  You confront yourself but remain relaxed.  That's the point.  But that might mean nothing to you without being taught.  It's not about being tough holding on defeating the clock or getting strong or developing muscles.
Anyway, move from your belly, the form is very complicated and probably took you a long time to learn, and you can move around well ... but if I were you I would personally do it 3 times slower without the sword paying close attention to being fully rooted at all time paying attention to the shape and resting of the belly kwa legs and earth.  And moving from down there.  Checking you are rooted then making one move slowly, then rechecking you are in root and continuing like that.  Doing the form from the base of the mountain.  In each posture entering Zhan Zhuan again before the following movement.  Very challenging.

Edited February 18, 2020 by rideforever

[ReturnDragon]

4 hours ago, rideforever said:

..... Better still do it somewhere flat on the ground.  You can later  add difficulty by doing left right weighting, or lifting one leg according to the traditional training.

Hi, rideforever
Thank you for your safely concern. Yes, you are very correct. It is better to do ZZ on flat ground. Why does one need an apparatus anyway?

If you read the title of the OP, it says "balance test" rather than a practice. Since it is a test, don't you think a special apparatus should be used for an ultimate test with a higher degree of difficulty. Don't you think this practitioner had any training or confidence to perform the balance test. Do you think any average person can just hop on the narrow platform and stood there for a 6 minute video demo?