Sunday, November 06, 2005

Sung: Relaxed, Loose, Open

"First, last, and always the student must relax. Various calisthenics aid him in achieving this. All rigidity and strength must be emptied from the upper torso andmust sink to the very soles of the feet, one of which is always firmly rooted to theground. Without proper relaxation the student can never hope to achieve thetrueness of the T'ai-chi postures. The student relaxes completely and breathes as a child - naturally through the nose, the diaphragm being aided by the abdominalrather than the intercostal muscles. Man's intrinsic energy, the ch'i, should bestored just below the navel. The mind directs this energy throughout the bodyaccording to need. But the ch'i cannot circulated in an unrelaxed body."

- Robert W. Smith, Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods, 1974, p. 26.

Sung: Relaxed, Loose, Open, Soft, Fluid Links, bibliography, quotes, notes.

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