Tai chi chuan - the palm strike


When you feel comfortable with the walk move on to this one. The palm strike illustrates most of the essential principles of tai chi and is also relevant for guitar players. The aim of the technique is to transfer the force generated by pushing into the floor with your leg through the rest of your body to the palm of your hand. Learning this exercise will develop:

  • A relaxed and fluidly mobile pelvic region.
  • The ability to transfer movement through a relaxed chest and shoulder.
  • Proprioceptive and motor connections from the shoulder to the hand.

In order for this exercise too feel right and work well you need to be relaxed in the upper body and strong and stable in the lower body. This exercise will help develop these traits. The upper body relaxation facilitates a smooth flow of movement from the pelvis to the hand. It will take some practice but is well worth the effort.

  • Take a variation of the horse stance that has your left foot pointing out 45˚ counterclockwise and your right foot about a foot’s length in front of you.
  • Turn slightly to the right before you push your right hip forward and turn to the left.
  • Try it again but this time push your left leg into the floor, as your waist turns to the left.
  • Do it again and push with your right hand as your leg pushes into the floor and your waist turns.
  • According to Newton’s Third Law, if you push on the floor either the planet moves or you do. Let’s assume it’s you. Imagine as you push into the floor that the floor pushes back, up from your feet, through your waist all the way into the tips of the fingers of your right hand.
  • With practice you’ll be able to relax your whole body so that the movement will flow, like a wave through water, from your legs, via the fling at the hips, to the tips of your fingers.

Traditionally in tai chi we talk about moving energy, or qi, smoothly through the body. In order to do this it is necessary to combine a series of complicated messages to and from the nervous system to a musculoskeletal system that is operating efficiently to create a movement that seems to flow like water. That is also what we are trying to do as musicians

‹ Tai chi chuan - wave hands like cloudsupSitting ›