Hi Tim,

Since you have many years experience with various Chinese Internal arts teachers, I was wondering what your view is on sunken and raised shoulders. More specifically, do you feel that the shoulders can get too slack where proper connection to the torso is lost, in the same manner that raised shoulders do? Does what is right or wrong depend on the technique that is being performed?

CIMA, as I've learned, always states to sink the shoulders... I've see some people who spent hours a day doing solo forms and Zhan Zhuang, and they have very sunken shoulders, to the point where it looks slightly abnormal and distorted, but maybe that's just my misperception, or the persons body type. Then I think sometime like a shoulder throw is really hard to do if your shoulders are really sunk.

Thanks,
Craig

Hi Craig,

"Sinking" the shoulders implies letting the scapulae "slide" down the back toward the the hips, while they simultaneously move slightly toward each other. This is primarily achieved by the correct alignment of the spine and works in harmony with "han xiung," opening the chest into the neutral position.

While usually found in the neutral position described above, as with most other parts of the body, the shoulders need to be free to move as the situation demands. Sometimes the shoulders need to be raised (to protect the chin from a punch for example), or rotated forward or backward, depending on the circumstances.

The most important point of "sinking" the shoulders is to be sure not to misinterpret this sinking the scapulae down the back and opening the chest as rounding the shoulders forward and collapsing the chest (which is actually the opposite of "sinking" the shoulders).

Thanks, Tim. Very informative as usual, and the explanation is clear as day. Thanks for making the distinction between sinking the shoulders and rounding them forward.

Craig

Whats a scalpel?