Redirection of force/energy

[Jotaro Joestar]

I have recently discussed the redirection of force from a hit with some Tai Chi students and they had very little knowledge of the subject. They knew that it was possible and that that was the "idea" behind some of the moves, but never trained in it in their classes. I was wondering how many people actually train to be able to redirect the force that comes at them down to the ground and how effective that they are at doing it? I do not study Tai Chi, but I have been trying to train myself to do this. I guess it is more of a question of actually applying Tai Chi defensive techniques.

 

[Jotaro Joestar]

Sorry for the double post, but to make myself more clear, I am not talking about redirecting into a throw or an attack. I am more interested into redirecting a punch, push, kick into a direction that will only further help a defensive nature. Such as redirecting the force down to the ground to help keep the current stance.

Thanks in advance.

Jotaro Joestar

 

[RobP]

To learn how to re-direct the force of a hit, you have to be hit. Or you can start with pushes first if you like. Have a partner push you on different areas of the body. Feel how you can move or rotate that part of the body to neutralise the push. You don't have to always take it down into the ground - in fact if you do you will find your mobility suffers.
This is one of the basic drills we work in Systema.

 

[Larry]

First off, I agree with Rob. You don't always have to redirect the force into the ground. Doing so is usually done in practice just so people get the feel for rooting, but in actual application you don't usually do that.

To get the feel for redirecting into the ground, get into a bow stance and have a partner take your back knee and push with his bodyweight into your back heel while you stand there relaxed and concentrating on your bubbling well point just in front of your ankle.

This is called "feeding the root." Your partner is not trying to break your root, he's trying to help you get a feel for it.

From the knee, have your partner progress to your hips, still pushing towards your back heel. From the hips progress to the stomach.

After the stomach, extend your opposite hand making sure you open your shoulder joint (you probably will have to twist your hips slightly for alignment here) and have your partner push your wrist opposite your back leg, pushing the force into your back heel. Again, stay relaxed and focus on your bubbling well. Also be aware of the path the energy makes as it travels down your structure into your back heel.

This is your basic rooting exercise. After you get the hang of that one, stand however you will and have your partner lightly push you in various parts of your body. Feel a path from wherever your partner pushes you to whichever back heel feels the most appropriate to send the energy into. Take your time with this one.

The next step is to take your partner's energy into your root and then bounce it back into him at an upward angle. Play with it as you will.

And then lastly, as Rob said, take your partner's push energy and simply redirect it to the side, redirect it up or down or wherever depending on wherever that energy wants to go. The main way you do that is to move your body when you first feel your partner's push that you "create a hole" for your partner's energy to fall into.

This is actually what liu-peng or "rollback" is actually all about. The outward move called "liu" in the form is just a "training wheels" example of the actual energy involved.

Use your own experimentation with a partner to experience all the ramifications of the energy and how you might use it in an actual application.

 

[Larry]

I should also add that in the rooting exercise, a push from the back may be rooted to the ground via the bubbling well point rather than the heel. It's kind of obvious when you're actually doing it, but I thought I should mention it.

 

[Ken JP Stuczynski]

Originally posted by Jotaro Joestar
Sorry for the double post, but to make myself more clear, I am not talking about redirecting into a throw or an attack. I am more interested into redirecting a punch, push, kick into a direction that will only further help a defensive nature. Such as redirecting the force down to the ground to help keep the current stance.

Why is keeping the current stance of any importance? There should be movement internally (with guided breath / chi) and usually externally as well. Your feet may be in the same place, but the "stance" will shift with your torso and bending of knees.

Then the harder they hit or push you, the farther they get sucked downward off balance and/or thrown backward.

The timing of the breath is vital -- apart from avoiding unnatural positions and movements, it is everything. If you begin the inhale before force is exerted, when you "roll it around" to an exhale, the push outward or downward is explosive.


HOWEVER ...

If you do re-teach yout body to root, and root well, you will naturally pull someone's energy downward to the bubbling well cavities, and I've even heard of people "bouncing off of" people rooting who weren't even trying. The better the root, the less external body motion (physical force = muscle exertion / speed X weight) is needed, if at all. When this is completely natural, the lung-breath activity is superceded by the breath flowing through your body, connected to the root, so the timing of pulminary inahle or exhale is irrelevant.