"I assume when you talk about a Wuji
[*] step you are implying the length of the step you are able to take with an unweighted foot? "
*Wu Ji position or 'Sung' position or universal post or zham jong (pile standing) etc. Hips sunk + all other tai chi "rules" incl: Feet
parallel; shoulder distance apart. Weight 50/50. To find it stand universal post till the burning stops. That is the distance of two
parallel posts.
When four post of this distance are place in a square, a diagonal distance forms that is slightly longer than
parallel distance. Strangely enough (actually geometry is quite precise) this distance is identical to the distance of the feet being placed outside the shoulders circle.
The parallel and the diagonal are like drawing a cross or drawing an X. When enlarged to all 9 posts, we see all 8 directions interacting. They ultimately both co-exist on the same plane, as all geometric isolations do; this one is all 90's and the other is all 45's which cut all the 90's in half.
Again when this X pattern roadmap is applied to the larger playing field (all 9 posts) specific pathways and circuits seem to form. (think footwork mobius strips) I have been a jiu jitsu player for 10 years and this criss cross pattern has formed and reformed in my practice, we are calling them X-Patterns while grappling, there is even an "X-Guard" now that makes use of two tension lines which related to each other by 90 and 45 degrees and require the use of all four hand / arm tools. ref:
http://www.grapplearts.com/X-Guard.htm ) (Ignore what he is doing with his left hand, which is nothing) Some people call it the "velvet guard" because when you get swept by the x-pattern it feels so smooth.
I say that simply to cross apply for my own reference a truth that translates through "style".
"When you step from post to post, do you step unweighted heel first and then transfer weight or do you step toe first and pull the weight forward. "
Both. But let me say one thing here, no matter where I put my foot, I do not start to transfer weight until my foot is in a place I want to go to. It's placement, it's direction, etc. If I can only reach to the place I want to go with my toe, that is going to change the transition process of legs & hips, because naturally the toe is the antenna for the hip which leads to the arms. The circuit seems to works both ways from finger to toe as well.
Now what decides if I step with my heel or my toe? There are so many variables. When I'm turning a corner inside I step with my toe, when I'm turning a corner outside I step with my heel. When I am pulling into a position I step with my toe, when I am pushing into a position it seems to be heel.
What seems more important right now in solo practice is where my foot ends up to act as an antenna for my hips which is the center of gravity I am transitioning.
The smoother and more "seamless" I can make the foot placement and weight transition process the more fluid and dynamic my core is on the plum blossom posts. I have experienced direct performative results in bjj sparring with combining these 8 directions into alternating pendulum like circuits of hip movement.
So back to pushing or pulling into a step, I think heel and toe are a good way to look at this, but also stepping both up and down seems to shed light on the pushing or pulling of step mechanics; seeming to naturally amplify the horizontal step, with this ascending and descending step. It really reminds me of the saying that a step is a kick and a kick is a step, apples or oranges or translated truth?
If the heel is placed first the natural connection of foot to hip to arm changes so the weight transition is different than if it was toe first. I don't think either step is better, they are unified in the human organism.
On the posts when you reach around with one leg, depending on your hips angles (open/closed etc) some posts are within heel range, some posts are within toe range.
Open or Close the hips again and the ranges change to compliment a differnt set of steps.
And when stepping; some posts are withing heel range if you step into an archer stance, but within heel range if you side thrust kick and turn as you step into a horse stance. Some posts are at angles only reachable thru velocity because they are just a little to far to reach comfortably in stillness, but you can 'float' to comfortably when a nice cruising speed is reached with the hips.
"What is the difference in body mechanics between stepping up and stepping down on the posts?"
You can explore this yourself with some stairs. I placed the distance of the posts 9" apart in height. This may or may not be any type of "wu ji" distance or natural body harmonic for ascending or descending steps. Hold your leg up mid shin for a while, that's the step up; squat down on one leg for a while, knee to mid shin, that is the step down. On stairs place your foot without transitioning weight. On stairs you can pretty much do the same thing as this set of posts. It's just a little more dangerous. I been doing the first section of the tai chi form on stairs to learn more about how the 8 directions of movement apply to tai chi footwork.
Ramble mode off.
Dave Copeland
