Practicing standing static postures for meditation or strength?

thoughts?

Waste of time or of value?

- Joe

http://www.thestudywithin.com
http://thestudywithin.blogspot.com

IMO, I think its for both, though I can't say for sure. If it was just meditation, there would no need to assume the postures. If it was just for strength alone, there are more effective methods to build strength. Though one might ask, what kind of strength are we building and for what type of function. The strength of a gymnast and that of a powerlifter are different examples of strength.

One of my kung fu instructors told me that he thought it was for the younger students; to learn to push themselves and their limits. I thought that was only part of the answer.

In one of Adam Hsu's articles, he wrote that it was to prepare a student to learn chan si jing. While training, the postures, he says that the student must "imagine" penetrating & rooting deep into the ground and not simply stand there.

If this is true, then static postures only has value if you have an instructor that can and is willing to train you in the use of chan si jing.

Here's a link to one of the articles on his views on chan si jing. Other articles can be found in his English books (there's two that I know of).

http://adamhsu.com/articles/taiwanblog_FaJing1.html

great for the legs!

I have found that my standing practice has helped me with my postural alignment among other things... When I'm training Judo I've found that I can utilize my alignment better during practice when I've kept up my standing and can produce better power and throws - this is just my experience, and I'm in no way saying it's a better to stand then not for everyone.

It is great endurance training.