Page 45 - Beyond Basics_Neat

BEYOND BASICS

Tai Chi solidified my concept of how
to apply hip rotation effectively.
While most people probably
already use these rotation points,
they may not be fully aware that
they are. The common concept is
that the hip rotates around your
center. Take for example a right-
hand Reverse Punch from a forward
stance. Rotating the hip from the
center causes the right hip to rotate
forward which is desired. But at the
same time, the left hip rotates rearward, which is not desired as
its moving in the opposite direction of the punch lessening the
effectiveness of the punch. It's the one step forward, two steps
back type of philosophy.

…providing better structure for all of
your strikes and blocks, and is
coordinated with your breathing.

There are three points of rotation for applying hip rotation
effectively.

● Left Hip Joint
● Center of the Hip
● Right Hip Joint

The Tai Chi concept is a feeling of pouring water into the hip joint
to get it to settle and sink into the rotation. Relax the hip joint and
feel the weight sink into the stance. If you have seen the toy
animals that when you press on the bottom, the animal collapses?

34