rooting with both feet

[simpson101]

In kung-fu as well as other martial arts styles, you root yourself to the ground on both feet and twist your hips and punch. Say if I'm in a 50/50 stance (50% of weight on one leg and 50% of the other) I can't feel the root on my legs and feet. I feel that the root is more right down between my legs and feet (like a pole running down the middle to the ground). Same thing applies to the bow stance and horse stance. In the horse stance, I can feel the strain on the thigh muscles, but don't feel any weight below the knees.

In contrast, in boxing, where you root on one leg only and pivot the other, you can feel the connection to the ground on that one leg.

But in kung-fu with two legs trying to root, you can't feel the root. I believe I got the upper body mechanics right and I'm tucking in my butt, but I can't feel the weight on the bottom of my feet like I'm supposed to.

 

[Mei Hua]

All depends, how long have you been practicing? With different stance work you sometimes have to adjust your weight/muscle and root slightly different.

Something to remember as well, you can root while in motion, rooting is more than securing that stable foundation statically, it should be achieved while in full motion so that while in transition you still have a solid foundation and way to generate power.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Rooting or standing in ma bu (horse stance) is 50/50

Rooting in other stances is not

Rooting in Santi can be between 60/40 to 100/0 weighed on the back foot.
http://www.geocities.com/ycgf/images/styles/xingyi1.jpg

Taiji has a lot of stance training that is 60/40; some stances weighted on the back foot some on the front foot. You can also do a standing training in Taiji that is 100/0 but the 0 is held off the floor (golden rooster stands on one leg)

The idea in application is not to stay immovably rooted but to be able to move and stay rooted. Basically shift your center (dantian) and stay rooted.

But if you are training rooting, or stance training, you are standing there for quite some time, how long do you stand and for how long have you been training standing?

If you are looking for rooting training that I think is very good Dr Yang discusses one way in his White Crane book. He first starts standing on the floor and then move to standing on brinks on the floor and changes how those bricks are positioned as he advances.

 

[Flying Crane]

Xue Sheng has made some good points.

In addition, a big part of rooting is in being relaxed, and this is probably the most difficult aspect to grasp. It's amazing how difficult it is for people to relax, and just settle into a stance. Once you figure that out, you can hold a deep stance for much longer than you can if you are bridging yourself up using your leg muscles.

When you relax, you can settle down into a stance and let your point of gravity and your energy "sink". Not sure how better to explain it, and it's something that we can't really draw a roadmap to. You gotta just keep doing it and eventually you will figure it out.

it's different from a boxing stance and a boxing root. don't try to simply translate the one into the other. You gotta learn the root on its own merits.

 

[kidswarrior]

Xue Sheng has made some good points.

In addition, a big part of rooting is in being relaxed, and this is probably the most difficult aspect to grasp. It's amazing how difficult it is for people to relax, and just settle into a stance. Once you figure that out, you can hold a deep stance for much longer than you can if you are bridging yourself up using your leg muscles.

When you relax, you can settle down into a stance and let your point of gravity and your energy "sink". Not sure how better to explain it, and it's something that we can't really draw a roadmap to. You gotta just keep doing it and eventually you will figure it out.

it's different from a boxing stance and a boxing root. don't try to simply translate the one into the other. You gotta learn the root on its own merits.

Good explanation. This exact OP was also asked in the Beginner's Corner, so I answered it there before getting this far. Knew you all would do a much better job, as you have. :ultracool

 

[7starmantis]

Just to add to what has been said allready....
There are some great points made, just remember that it takes time. Its not something you can be shown how to do and just go out hit to proper form and "get it" it takes experience and time and time, did I say it takes time yet? Well, it takes time. Relaxing is a huge part of it as was said and this is precisely why we sit in long extended horse stances to learn to feel your center and balance, to build the supporting nad balance muscles to a point where you can "root". Again though its not just a static thing, you must root while moving, attacking, retreating, even hopping or jumping! Its kind of mind boggling because its physical, you must gain the experience to really understand it. But of course that takes .... time.

Just my couple of cents,
7sm

 

[marlon]

how much do you feel tan tien focus has to do with rootingÉ

marlon

 

[pete]

everyone thinks about rooting as a downward presence, and many times struggle to just adhere to the surface of the ground. the root must go deep, below the surface of the floor...but, in order to get there, one must think counter-intuitively and go outward and upward!

even in comparison to a tree's roots, they do not just go straight down, but go down and spread outward. notice how a tree's roots will spread outward in proportion to its limbs and branches spreading outward.

notice also how the tree's roots go deep in proportion to the height of the tree. ever think that our rootedness is made effective not only by how deep we can go with our downward physical presence, but also by matching that with upward energy from the feet, up through the spine and lifting up through the crown of the head.