Circles, circles, circles

"It's all about the circles"

A couple of years ago I used to read this bi-monthly online newsletter on Taiji and Kungfu from a group in California, excellent news letter I need to find the URL and post it here. One of the nice things they did was post all the back issues so you could follow a thread if it spanned more than one month.

There were several sections to the newsletter one of which being self-defense. After several months I started to notice everyone of the self defense moves they described were all based on the same principle. Swing or rotate the arm being grabbed in one circle or another, large or small, depending on the situation. And I remember thinking to myself "It's all about the circles"

After years of study with our reverent Sifus, I remain convinced, it's all about the circles. If I'm not sure that I'm holding a posture correctly, I look for the circles; if I'm not sure how to transition from one to another, I look for the circles; when I'm picturing the energy flow through my limbs, I look for the circles (okay maybe circuit would be a better word here but I was on a role and I think they share a derivation)

Anyway whether it's a curve of the arm, and arch in the air or an imaginary ball of chi it helps me.

PDellArena wrote:

"It's all about the circles"

A couple of years ago I used to read this bi-monthly online newsletter on Taiji and Kungfu from a group in California, excellent news letter I need to find the URL and post it here. One of the nice things they did was post all the back issues so you could follow a thread if it spanned more than one month.

There were several sections to the newsletter one of which being self-defense. After several months I started to notice everyone of the self defense moves they described were all based on the same principle. Swing or rotate the arm being grabbed in one circle or another, large or small, depending on the situation. And I remember thinking to myself "It's all about the circles"

After years of study with our reverent Sifus, I remain convinced, it's all about the circles. If I'm not sure that I'm holding a posture correctly, I look for the circles; if I'm not sure how to transition from one to another, I look for the circles; when I'm picturing the energy flow through my limbs, I look for the circles (okay maybe circuit would be a better word here but I was on a role and I think they share a derivation)

Anyway whether it's a curve of the arm, and arch in the air or an imaginary ball of chi it helps me.

Patrick...I love your observation! It's all about the PLUM CIRCLES BABY! They are the bomb! We have a little poetic verse that I teach:

"All transitions from one hand technique to another hand technique, involve some variation of the plum circle"

If you like that discovery...how about chewing on this one:

"All transitions from one leg technique to another leg technique involve some variation of the Xiebu"

Keep on pondering!