There were significant key discoveries and take aways from this weeks black belt classes. During Tuesday’s class, we were working on a section in Lao Gar 1 with the focus on chi. After running through that section a number of times and not really feeling much in the way of chi, there was a spot where I realized I needed to adjust my breathing. As soon as I changed my breathing pattern to two inhales with one exhale at the end, everything fell into place. I was able to feel the flow of chi at the end of the sequence and it was pointed out to me that my technique corrected itself as well.
Breathing differently during the technique brought that section of the form more in line with the Tai Chi I've been focused on this year. My pace slowed down with the extra breath and focus, allowing me time to experience and feel the energy more. Tempo, flow, energy input/output and technique all changed and improved with a simple adjustment to breath.
A question I ask myself with regards to specific and mindful breathing, is how much of this is a tool to facilitate a particular outcome during a technique or sequence? And at what point is that tool no longer needed? I feel my goal needs to be on the desired outcome becoming natural, and eventually being able to eliminate or shorten some of the pauses or steps. The tool doesn't disappear completely, it just smooths out and becomes more natural with less thought required.
The internal and external styles share many fundamentals principles and Tai Chi has certainly improved and added depth to my Kung Fu. When I practise Tai Chi, I feel I am more aware of chi in each sequence and as I move through the form. There has been a lot of crossover from Tai Chi to my Kung Fu training and I've also been able to apply concepts from the more external forms of Kung Fu to help with my Tai Chi training.
This is definitely something to continue working on and exploring.
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