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#76
11-09-2009, 06:19 AM
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trees
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You sure do know how to get right to the heart of the matter..... That's alright tho, you're gonna be in your 60's too one day... Yes, on those extremely rare occasions when I have to go behind a tree anyway... my wife goes nuts worried that someone is gonna come down the trail..... Most of the east Texas woods - well, all of it in private ownership - has a good bit of underbrush here and there, so you can't see very far at all. But the CCC logged this park site in the 30's to help pay for the construction work, not a timber mill. So they left a lot of the big old trees uncut, which are now even bigger with the underbrush of that time grown up into pretty large trees too. So there's more shade here year-round, and the park also has the Forest Service control-burn every few years to help it along. You can see from ridge-top to ridge-top under the forest canopy, just like in the old days. Of course, that thick canopy keeps the breeze out, which makes it hot and still from April to October.
__________________
.... Skip 
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#77
11-10-2009, 02:48 PM
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Skip,
You are welcome. I too have a constant feeling of "worked out" in my core, hips and legs from my stair walking and bike riding. I do sword and saber forms with heavy practice swords for upper body work outs. I do like to keep in shape. I do! Really! PEAR is a shape!  I never hesitate to step behind a tree if other facilities are not available. However, I always carry a pack of tissues. Those leaves are a tad rough on the more delicate areas... Bob
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#78
11-10-2009, 03:55 PM
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trees and more trees...
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It's gonna be awhile before I can hold my hands out when stair walking your way. Possibly forever before I do cloud hands on the stairs... I can only imagine how good a shape you're in. When the bad guys come in the middle of the night, I want you on my side.... I have no trouble stepping behind a tree, after a life of camping and working on the job outside. I can get downright creative wading in the marsh with no tree in sight for miles... On the other hand, my wife does not share in any of those life experiences... she would hate to wonder what those other ladies mite think seeing me come out from behind a tree. And truth be told, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a little bit of underbrush here and there. I've never needed any tissues tho.... I make sure I'm squared away before I leave the house in the morning..
__________________
.... Skip
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#79
11-13-2009, 02:56 PM
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Skip,
I am really a pear shape. I was kidding but only by making light of it not by the reality. I have what my wife refers to as "love handles". I've had them all my life regardless of my waist size or body mass index reading. They simply will not go away. When I was 23 and had a 28 inch waist, I still had love handles. Now that I'm 47 with a 32 inch waist, I still have love handles. I'm of average height and am well within what my doctor calls "healthy" weight range, I exercise for at least an hour every day, including aerobics and Tai Chi Chuan training, but I still have love handles. When I turn sideways I have a nice flat belly, when I turn to face you or walk away from you it becomes clear that I still eat more than I practice. I've finally come to terms with the fact that if I live to be a hundred years old and eat nothing but celery I will still have love handles. C'est la vie! As for those intruders in the night... I train in the kung fu of Tai Chi Chuan, but I keep a loaded .45 in my bed side table. An expression I believe in: It's all well and good to know a form of Kung Fu... But it's better to load your gun, fool!
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#80
11-13-2009, 04:32 PM
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32" waist
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Hey Bob; I'm 61 with a less-than 34" waist, but I am coming down from nearly 36" and 15 pounds I've lost slowly, all in the waist. My wife would never buy me more than a 34" waist pants, so it got uncomfortable the last decade or so... I don't even see that "pear" stuff on the side: if I ever get back to 32" I'll be a happy camper. I hate to sound like a broken record... but that business of not starting taiji until I was 56 has really held me back. I'm just now getting up to speed...... But as you say, coming to terms with my shape has been a major part of getting on down the road. I'm not a gun kinda guy, but have no problems with those that do. My younger son kept guns here a long time until he finally sold'em. Mainly, we've always lived in suburbs where it is unlikely to happen; but it does happen here sometimes. Every now and then I think about what I mite do, but then forget about it. Looks like we will be going out to Old Town Spring tomorrow for some early shopping. But we will be down by the duck pond before sunup to get our regular Saturday 6 miles in first. Of course, they don't unlock the bathroom until 7am, what a bummer.... More stairwalking.... in stairwalking in taiji posture, it is easier to go up the stairs because you can see them well; but going down is scary without looking down. What happens is that you tend to feel for the stair with your foot as you come down on it. But.... with your taiji sink'n float added to the step; it's way easier to go down than up. As you say, the hip rides BACK, then down, then forward, then "places itself" on the floor. So it's easier to do that going downstairs than on level ground, and much easier than going up. Not what I expected at all. I still can only do it once a day, but there will come a day when I can go twice. And when that day comes, the second trip will be down.
__________________
.... Skip
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#81
11-17-2009, 10:32 AM
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Skip,
Going up or down is about the same for me. But I've been about it for quite a long time now so for me it's second nature either way. You are discovering your hips. They're part of your body and quite important to use in Tai Chi Chuan movement. In fact, Grand Master Wu Kwong "Eddie" Wu (a former teacher of mine), just for one example, says they are absolutely critical. I spend a good deal of time working on my fellow students, trying to get them to use their hips at all, then once they do find them I have to show them how to use them correctly. This stair walking has always been the best way to do it. Everyone gets it, eventually, if they keep up this exercise. Once you get the correct movement I don't know that it's necessary to keep up the stair walking. I still do, but most of my cohorts don't and they seem to be able to continue using their hips correctly after they stop. I tell everyone to picture circles moving around where their hip sockets are. Make the circles go backwards. This movement sinks you into your root and expands your muscles correctly. You will probably feel what I mean now that you are starting to feel the hips. My teacher has a great saying, I'm not sure if he came up with it or if he got it from someone else, but it goes: "The language of Tai Chi Chuan is feeling". By that he means, at least partly, that until you feel it you're not getting it. You're starting to feel this part of your body. That's wonderful. But just as there are numerous body parts, there are numerous places that you need to begin to "feel". The hips are just the first place I shoot for with my fellow students. After you get that working, then start thinking of your waist. Your waist sits on top of you hips (kua) but is distinctly seperate. You use them together but in entirely different ways. You know, I could type all day and you still may not understand. Here is a link to a Youtube clip of a speech that Eddie makes on body parts and how to use them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O2kC...eature=related Seeing is believing. Bob
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#82
11-17-2009, 11:49 AM
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hips'n waist
Excellent clip Bob; thanks!
Actually, our Master teaches body mechanics very similar to that when he gives us workshops; and our instructor always passes on to us what she learned. I guess I am far enough along that I should take body mechanics myself now, instead of taking just the form workshop, which is usually given on different days. Yes. the difference between the hip action and the waist action was shown very well....... the movement of each is as we are taught, but just a whole lot more distance of movement to each one, and sometimes in different directions. So while similar, they are more powerful and complicated than our "beginning" movement, which certainly makes sense. I believe that a person would "feel" that all the way down to their toes.... On a completely different subject, we are instructed to hollow the chest and round the back on certain movements; but that is the first time I have ever seen an application of it. Very interesting indeed! And yes, we did go walking before dawn Saturday in order to get that in before we went to Old Town Spring. Fortunately for me, they had the bathrooms unlocked at 7am; I was worried about that. It's going to be awhile before a sink'n float before stepping up is as easy as stepping down for me. When that day comes, I'll begin doing more than one flight a day...
__________________
.... Skip
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