Yhis has been helping my knees

[Xue Sheng]

I have been trying to use this in my Xingyiquan, Qigong and even walking and I do feel it is strengthening my knees more than focusing on the Bubbling Well (Yongquan) point which I have always been told to focus on for rooting.

The Mechanics of Three Nails by William CC Chen

Rooting is everything. It is both a base and a foundation. It is one of the most important things in life. A good building must have a strong and firm base. A successful company needs a good foundation. A healthy plant requires a healthy root. The excellent flow of Tai Chi Chuan movements must have a steady, firm root. Without a strong root, the whole body will not be able to relax.

The three active nails, or the points on the foot, form a plane that produces stability under all conditions, and with all physical activities. Whether one is walking, dancing, golfing, or playing tennis, the three active nails create the necessary stability rooting required for the specific activity. Without the ability to firmly root the three active nails, these physical activities could not be performed.

 

[ballen0351]

We preach that in our Goju classes. Three points of contact. Two points when moving.

 

[donald1]

I learned that in kobudo class not the hard way but accidently knocking someone down, I had 6 ft bo and the guy I knocked down had tonfa and I went for a thrust he x blocked then I used the other side with a reverse strike and accidently knocked him down because his feet were to close and not in a good stance

He learned it the hard way and I learned it the easy way

 

[colemcm]

I usually teach my students to focus on feeling pressure spread evenly across their foot, rather than teaching to focus on points of contact. I then guide them through different body positions (leaning too far forward or back, left or right). Then I have them position their pelvis in different ways to show how that plays into it. This usually gives the a good idea of how to go about analyzing their postures and addressing any strain they feel. . . If they're willing to put that work in.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In the throwing art, most of your balance is on your toes and ball. The heel plays a very non-important part of your balance. A single leg jumping with the "heel up" is a very important part of the training for all throwing skill. It's called "dynamic rooting".

 

[colemcm]

"All" is an over-generalization. Most might be a more appropriate claim. Tai Chi is definitely an art that uses throws, but this mechanic is avoided.

 

[mograph]

I wonder if this would be useful?

https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/h...2/getting-to-the-bottom-of-barefoot-training/

 

[pete]

By understanding the Physical Body and Energetic Body as different bodies albeit connected, the physical points of Heel, Ball, and Toe-pad of the Big Toe... along with the energetic point of the "bubbling well" should work together to maintain a balanced root. Don't abandon one for the other, but use together to leverage strength and stability. Try this:

Rock the weight of your body forward and back, maintaining spinal alignment (do not bend and keep your head from tilting.) As you move your weight forward to the Toe, move your mind to your Heel to keep it from coming up. As you move back to the Heel, move your mind/attention to your Toe to keep it down. As you transition in each direction over the Ball of the foot, feel the energy through the sole of your foot (bubblin' well) moving upward through legs, the spine, and up to the crown of the head. And as you physical weight is moved to the two extremes (toe & heel), feel feel the energetic flow downward through the sole. Challenge the physical balance between the two extremes, while challenging the energetic balance lifting above your head and sinking below the ground.

Peace & Tao,
Pete