Dynamic Tension

[Tame The Tiger]

Some styles utilize dynamic tension in their Chi Kung sets. Some just imagine tensing, some use varying degrees of tension, and some are quite forceful.

A quick question for those who practice it. To what degree do you tense? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each method?

Personally, I was taught to stop just at the point the hands begin to tremble.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Originally Posted by Tame The Tiger

Some styles utilize dynamic tension in their Chi Kung sets. Some just imagine tensing, some use varying degrees of tension, and some are quite forceful.

A quick question for those who practice it. To what degree do you tense? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each method?

Personally, I was taught to stop just at the point the hands begin to tremble.

Here is the issue with dynamic tension ( or isometric tension to a degree) and that is that there is no way to KNOW what percentage of tension you are using.
Either you do full tension ( whatever that may be to you) or you don't.
There is no way to quanitfy the % of tension you are using.
In isometric tension (where you hold and tense the muscle in place) you can use a weight to set the % of tension, but quite honestly that kind of negates the advantages of isometric training which should, IMO, be all out (100%).

With iso-kinetic tension ( Tension of the muscles through a range of motion) you don't have that option unless you use a very expensive machine.
What most do is just tense their muscles while doing a move.
The issue is, like I stated before, unless you tense 100% ( or as close to it as possible) all you are doing is tensing LESS than 100% but there is no way to knwo HOW much less.

[Empty_Cup]

Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin

Here is the issue with dynamic tension ( or isometric tension to a degree) and that is that there is no way to KNOW what percentage of tension you are using.
Either you do full tension ( whatever that may be to you) or you don't.
There is no way to quanitfy the % of tension you are using.

...

Don't disagree that there is no easy way to quantify how much tension you are using. However, the implication here is that unless you quantify how much tension there is, it has no effect. I disagree with this premise. Using a relative scale, it's easy to use "more" or "less" tension even if not easy to quantify. Aren't you able to say that running "faster" is more difficult than running "slower" over a given distance, even if you don't know exactly how many mph you're running?

Originally Posted by Tame The Tiger

Some styles utilize dynamic tension in their Chi Kung sets. Some just imagine tensing, some use varying degrees of tension, and some are quite forceful.

A quick question for those who practice it. To what degree do you tense? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each method?

Personally, I was taught to stop just at the point the hands begin to tremble.

Depending upon the method I tend to think of tension in different ways. When practicing the I Chin Ching there are some exercises where I build up tension on each successive exhale. There are others where I cramp or tense the muscle group as hard as I can on each exhale.

For an iron body exercise like San Njie (San Chin) I tense to the max throughout the entire form until the release at the end. This is extremely difficult. My understanding is that this exercise not only involves muscle exhaustion but also forces chi away from the external muscles while tensed. Then, during the release, the chi quickly flows back to the extremities.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Don't disagree that there is no easy way to quantify how much tension you are using. However, the implication here is that unless you quantify how much tension there is, it has no effect. I disagree with this premise. Using a relative scale, it's easy to use "more" or "less" tension even if not easy to quantify. Aren't you able to say that running "faster" is more difficult than running "slower" over a given distance, even if you don't know exactly how many mph you're running?

Yes, of course and as with all things, it depends on what you are trying to develop.

Studies done have shown that one only gets strength results from dynamic tension when using MAX tension.
Of course one may not be doing dynamic tension to build strength, but if one is NOT doing that, why are you doing it?
By strength I mean the VAIROUS types of strength of course, which includes muscular endurance and so forth.
In other words, to use your running analogy:
One does NOT develop speed by going slow and one does not develop endurance but NOT going further.

[Scott R. Brown]

Dynamic Tension is not necessarily used for strength development. It is also very good for learning muscle control, enervation of the muscles.

The more you do, the greater the tension you will eventually be able to manifest.

When starting it is best not to tense your muscles too much or you will cramp them. As with any other form of exercise, start easy and work up to greater tension as your muscle control and conditioning improves.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Originally Posted by Scott R. Brown

Dynamic Tension is not necessarily used for strength development. It is also very good for learning muscle control, enervation of the muscles.

The more you do, the greater the tension you will eventually be able to manifest.

When starting it is best not to tense your muscles too much or you will cramp them. As with any other form of exercise, start easy and work up to greater tension as your muscle control and conditioning improves.

If you start going all "common sense" and "good advice" on Us, your reputation will be shot !

[Scott R. Brown]

Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin

If you start going all "common sense" and "good advice" on Us, your reputation will be shot !

Hey! Everyone is entitled to an off day from time to time!

I am tired...the sun got in my eyes......I am loopy from pain medication......someone slipped something narcotic-like into my drink.....I was drunk.......I fell and hit my head and I think I have a concussion......someone else hacked into my account......I just caught 1,000 monkeys typing randomly on my keyboard..........I was on steroids during my women's Olympic swimming finals in my younger days and suffered a hormonal imbalance that caused brain damage...........

[Syn7]

Originally Posted by Tame The Tiger

Some styles utilize dynamic tension in their Chi Kung sets. Some just imagine tensing, some use varying degrees of tension, and some are quite forceful.

A quick question for those who practice it. To what degree do you tense? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each method?

Personally, I was taught to stop just at the point the hands begin to tremble.

Dynamic Tension is the name I gave to my first B-Boy(that's breakdance for you commercial victims) crew. At the time I thought the name was brilliant, and I still like it. You can still find DTC pieces and tags all throughout 4 major American and Canadian cities.



As for DT as a strengthening concept, I know for a fact it works.