For a while now, Sifu Brinker has been saying that we should be standing ‘in’ our legs, not ‘on‘ our legs. And Sifu Dennis has been telling us to sit in our high chairs, as if we are sitting on the edge with our knees slightly bent.
I have been looking at them as two separate things, but a week ago I suddenly started to see them as a very similar thing. I spoke with Sifu Hayes about it to see if I was on the right track and he totally made sense of it for me. As did Sifu Brinker yesterday when I asked him about it.
If you stand rigidly, either in your stance or just standing around, chances are your knees are pretty much locked and you will not be stable. Alternatively, if you bend your knees slightly and allow your feet to root into the ground you will be a force to be reckoned with. Your shoulders will sit slightly forward from your hips and your butt will not be sticking way out. You should feel centred and strong.
This was eye opening for me and has made a big difference in how I am looking at and practicing both my Kung Fu and Tai Chi. This is truly a lifelong journey, and there is so much to learn!
