by Gianluca Meassi » Wed Mar 26, 2003 1:20 pm
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Audi:
<B>Hi Gianluca and Jerry:
Gianluca, I have to say that I am not familiar with the type of movement you describe for the striking arm. Although I think there are some subtle circles involved with the movement of the right hand, I would describe the overall thrust of the movement in the way Fu Zhongwen apparently described it.
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Yes as I do. But i've seen him, on a VHS of a italian stage, doing it like the 24 form. With a big circle from the lou xi ao bu posture, going from the heigh of the shoulder to the height of the hip, and then again to the height of the shoulder. Looking from the left side is a ccw movement.In the book translated by Louis the hand go in a straight way. I do it in that way.
I don't want to focus the discussion on the movement itself, but in why FuZhongWen change it. Yes, it is nearly impossible to know it but trying to understand why this changes occurs (like all the changes made by Yang Cheng Fu to the traditional form) is important for me. Sometimes this happen for natural reason (memory, postures, age, illness, ecc.) sometimes for a rational process. Obv. i'm interested in the second case.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"><B>I stressed this particular issue in connection with Needle at Sea Bottom, because I have seen many people do this posture with a mind set that seems to see “yielding to gravity” and sinking as the sole requirement of the posture. In some cases, the practitioners sink with a spine that is ramrod straight. In others, they seem to perform what looks almost like a bow from the waist. When I last saw Yang Jun do this posture, the curve of his head, back, and back leg reminded me of a satellite dish focused diagonally forward, while his line of sight, his striking arm, and his front leg resembled struts or structural elements that linked him to his point of focus.
Take care,
Audi</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes Audi. Back follow the principles. I think that in this posture the cervical and lumbar zones seems bending as effect of the extension (as the YCF principles states) in that posture. Dropping the body, or as you say yielding to gravity, as the only requirement for this posture is a mistake. In another post there was s "song"/"peng jing" discussion. where one say that these are like the 2 faces of a coin (don't know the idiomatic phrase). Yes we have to relax, but this is only the beginning. In each posture we need to mantain the right posture and follow the principles. So like the back, the hitting hand, the legs, the left arm must have "peng jing".
Hope i've understanded what you have said, as you see my english is very poor.
Regards
Gianluca