chest or shoulders?

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chest or shoulders?

Postby darth_freak » Sat May 07, 2005 11:42 am

when I practice white crane I usually try to use the chest but I recently noticed that it was more the shoulders that make the move rather than the chest? how could I improve the chest move without getting too much of the shoulders in it
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Postby Folschild » Sat May 07, 2005 2:18 pm

That kind of power is pretty difficult. I'm not even sure if I do it correctly, but here are some thoughts:

I'd try opening and closing your chest repeatedly and slowly just to get the feel of a bow. Then after closing slowly, try to open quickly and let your strike come out naturally. If you get the hang of that, try the opposite and open slowly and close fast. Then if you feel comforable with all that open and close quickly. Focus on your extension and really stretching out your chest and rounding your back.

This probably sounds really simplistic. Someone help me here.
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Postby darth_freak » Sat May 07, 2005 3:35 pm

when you move the chest, do the shoulders move aswell? or their move is quite small? I would have asked my teacher but I've got a knee or two who need rest...and he'll soon be gone to California...so I asked here

I don't especially look for the power...I'd like to understand and ot the right move, even slowly.

another question...are the chest moves uncompatible with panther walk? I've been doing some and I was wondering if that does not stiffen the chest
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Postby Folschild » Sat May 07, 2005 3:50 pm

Yes, your shoulders should move back when you open your chest and forward when you close your chest. The focus of this type of power is expanding your chest as a "bow," which I'm sure you've heard in your training before.

When you say you're not looking for power, do you mean you just want the technique correct first? Ultimately, bows are all about generating power, so I'll assume yes. The first response I gave you details an adequate drill for developing the correct form. Like anything else, your body will add that motion to its "muscle memory" and it will start to come naturally. After that, start speeding it up and adding power.

Panther walk will develop explosive power in your shoulders, chest and tricepts - as well as speed in your punching. It's actually a good compliment to white crane jin training - it will strengthen your muscles so you can use the bow effectively and safely when trying to generate power. As long as you continue to practice the motions of white crane - the bows, etc. - you will not stiffen up from panther walk.

I hope this helps.
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Postby darth_freak » Sun May 08, 2005 4:17 am

yeah! thanks quite a lot!
When I said I'm not looking for power, I meant I just want the technique correct first...because I find quite hard to feel the move, I feel like it's very shallow.
I sometimes practice the drill you wrote but it must be not often enough...I'll try to do it more often.

Thank you anyway

Peace 8)
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Postby Folschild » Sun May 08, 2005 12:05 pm

No problem. I hope other people respond. My understanding of white crane is very superficial and I know many on the forum could add to what I said.
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white crane

Postby dc » Mon May 09, 2005 11:09 am

if you have the white crane book, it has several exercises for incorporating your entire body into the movement. on the soft side, you may just practice the spine waving/circling movements that i'm sure every ymaa student has done before. start the movement with your root, then feel it come up from the waist, through the spine, expanding the chest, and then out through the arms. for the hard part of white crane, use an exercise similar to the one folschild described. stand up in a relaxed position. inhale slowly. as you exhale either push your shoulders back or forward and expand or contract your chest (these are 2 different exercises). hold your breath for 5 seconds in the expanded/contracted position, then inhale as you return to your starting position.

these exercises are also particularly good at protecting your shoulders from injury since they build up all the stabilizing muscles in your chest and back. this is partially how i recovered from a frayed rotator cuff.

good luck!
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white crane

Postby dc » Mon May 09, 2005 11:10 am

if you have the white crane book, it has several exercises for incorporating your entire body into the movement. on the soft side, you may just practice the spine waving/circling movements that i'm sure every ymaa student has done before. start the movement with your root, then feel it come up from the waist, through the spine, expanding the chest, and then out through the arms. for the hard part of white crane, use an exercise similar to the one folschild described. stand up in a relaxed position. inhale slowly. as you exhale either push your shoulders back or forward and expand or contract your chest (these are 2 different exercises). hold your breath for 5 seconds in the expanded/contracted position, then inhale as you return to your starting position.

these exercises are also particularly good at protecting your shoulders from injury since they build up all the stabilizing muscles in your chest and back. this is partially how i recovered from a frayed rotator cuff.

good luck!
dc
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white crane

Postby dc » Mon May 09, 2005 11:11 am

if you have the white crane book, it has several exercises for incorporating your entire body into the movement. on the soft side, you may just practice the spine waving/circling movements that i'm sure every ymaa student has done before. start the movement with your root, then feel it come up from the waist, through the spine, expanding the chest, and then out through the arms. for the hard part of white crane, use an exercise similar to the one folschild described. stand up in a relaxed position. inhale slowly. as you exhale either push your shoulders back or forward and expand or contract your chest (these are 2 different exercises). hold your breath for 5 seconds in the expanded/contracted position, then inhale as you return to your starting position.

these exercises are also particularly good at protecting your shoulders from injury since they build up all the stabilizing muscles in your chest and back. this is partially how i recovered from a frayed rotator cuff.

good luck!
dc
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Postby darth_freak » Mon May 09, 2005 2:52 pm

lol
I didn't read your post 3 times...I think it's a glitch. but yea thanks for the tips for the shoulders...however, how many should I do? I see what exercice you talk about, the one with the wrists in the back when yoi contract as you go in and the wrist on the belly when you go out. right?

and about panther walk...I was talking about bouncing, not the crawling...I guess you'd got it right but better to precise...

thanks guyz
Peace 8)
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