Hi Tim,

You mention in your Sun style Taiji DVD that the way to generate power is to have the power rebound up through the front leg, and that it's the basis for how all the techniques are powered. I'm sorry if I've misinterpreted that, but I'm talking about the demonstration where you are pushing into Jake, and generate power off the front leg to move him.

My question is; is this specific to Sun Taiji, or is this the way you generate power for all the internal martial arts you teach including Xingyi and Sun/Gao bagua?

If so, do none of the other internal martial arts you teach contain methods where you're driving off of the back foot?

Thanks,
Craig

This method seems most prevalent with the Sun styles. When I studied yang tai ji there was pushing off the back leg.

Just bumbling the topic just incase Tim misses it.

Tim, noooo!

What, Timber?

NOOOOOOOOoooo!!

There are different ways to generate force, but all Chinese IMA emphasize Whole Body Power.

We can talk about a simplistic breakdown of force into three basic categories (illustrated here by the force of a punch):

1. Arm Punching. Using the the force of the arm only without the supporting forces of the rest of the body. This is the weakest method of generating force.

2. Load and Launch Punching. Sinking the weight into the back leg (loading) then pushing off the back leg to launch the punch through the arm. This method is taught is some martial arts, and although much more powerful than an arm punch, it still doesn't generate Whole Body Power as the force is generated primarily by the push off the rear leg and the subsequent folding at the hips to transfer the force through the striking arm. The mass and potential force of the entire body isn't utilized.

3. Whole Body Punching. Force is generated through the entire body by the manipulation of momentum and gravity (mass) in compression and this force is then channeled upward through the body with the release of the compression into the striking arm. This method generates then harnesses the force of the entire body and focuses it through the point of contact at the moment of impact.

If you are moving forward when you punch, the force is "blocked" by the stillness of the lead leg and is therefore forced to flow upward and outward. The force is not "from" the front leg per se, it's from the whole body.

Tim,

Thanks for explaining these differences. The distinctions make sense, however there is an aspect that I'm a little confused by, and was wonder if you could help with.

In the example of generating force for the punch with whole body power, would it be accurate to assume that to produce the initial momentum and to harness gravity, you need to first drive off the back leg? I'm trying to understand the distinction between the second example, "load and launch punching", where one pushes off the back leg, and the third example where momentum and gravity is used (which I assume also needs a push off the back leg). Is the different not so much the initial push off the back leg, but the manipulation of gravity and momentum?

Also, I played with the idea of having the force "blocked" by the front leg and have it flow upward and outward, and I believe I feel what you're explaining. I can see how stopping the front leg as momentum and mass is loaded into it forces the "force" to be expressed up and out, as it can't go forward and down anymore. My question is, there are techniques that want to project downward, like a downward push (like in the case of knock down techniques)… would this body method of stopping the movement of the front leg to get the upward and outward force still apply in this situation? Or would it be more of a situation where you drive off the back leg and allow gravity and momentum to produce the power without expressing the force through the front leg?

Please excuse the lengthly questions, I'm trying to get a handle on this.

Thanks.

Actually, in the Arts that I studied, driving off the back leg was considered a mistake (as it results in the "load and launch" type of partial body power).

That doesn't mean you never shift your weight from back to front.

Taking Taijiquan body dynamics as an example, it might help if you think about "sinking" your weight from the rear to the front leg instead of "pushing off" your back leg. If you can get the feeling, sinking is much different than pushing.

Once you generate Whole Body Power, you can guide it in any direction you want. The direction is guided primarily by the position of the waist and hips and the angle of the arms (or legs if kicking or raising he leg to throw).

Thanks Tim, I think the weight shifting idea is clearer for me with the Taijiquan, where you put the front foot down and then shift the weight, so would that mean Baguazhang circle walking is also a variation of this shifting weight method? I only as because it seems with Bagua, the footwork is more dynamic. So would it be correct to assume that the legs are just there as a support structure, and purely the fall ("sinking") of the body produces the momentum and movement?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndY4jMB9w6U

Would this example of Sun Zhi Jun be a good example of what you mean? He's walking very dynamically, but it's hard for me to tell if he's exerting force off the back leg, or if his stride is purely made from sinking into it.

Thanks for entertaining my questions.

I've been studying ba gua for awhile. First I starts with Gao style and now Sun. There is no push of the back leg. The emerging stays centered over your hips and you actually end up transferring the weight to the front leg and pushing off the front leg.

Anything Sun Zhijun does is a good example of Baguazhang.

Thanks.