Devil is in the Details

[DeusTrismegistus]

So yea I went to class tonight and once again realized I suck. Half serious. Had one of those moments where I realized if I had practiced this one little detail that my teacher mentions in the first week of class that I wouldn't be having to fix it now. Specifically my knee is coming in when I do certain stances which is causing stress on my ankle and the weight to be centered too close to the inside of my foot. It might seem minor but It is giving me some problems now.

You guys ever have similar moments?

[qiphlow]

only every week. i think that's part of the process for most of us.

[Muad'dib]

I think the telling comment is "It seems minor". In reality, and I think what you are getting, nothing is minor. Particularly not in MA where repetitive action is meant as a training mechanism to make your body stronger. If an element is out of place, what you are really doing is harming your body, regardless of how minor it seems. I had a moment like that years ago, and it completely changed the way I practiced and observed my teacher. Not only did I pay more attention to what my teacher did, I started ensuring that the smallest points were cleared up before I was willing to move to the next stage or movement. My practice improved and I started to see where other people had problems, and learn from their mistakes as well. My practice at that point began to improve by leaps and bounds. Sadly, I am starting all over again at the beginning, but this time I have at least learned the lesson of how to learn.

[Walk the Torque]

I think the telling comment is "It seems minor". In reality, and I think what you are getting, nothing is minor. Particularly not in MA where repetitive action is meant as a training mechanism to make your body stronger. If an element is out of place, what you are really doing is harming your body, regardless of how minor it seems. I had a moment like that years ago, and it completely changed the way I practiced and observed my teacher. Not only did I pay more attention to what my teacher did, I started ensuring that the smallest points were cleared up before I was willing to move to the next stage or movement. My practice improved and I started to see where other people had problems, and learn from their mistakes as well. My practice at that point began to improve by leaps and bounds. Sadly, I am starting all over again at the beginning, but this time I have at least learned the lesson of how to learn.

QFT

I had one stage after incorrect bagua practice (plus high extension, one legged spinning catches in freestyle frisbee) where I was was rendered quite crippled, in that I could only shuffle from one place to another in totally agonizing pain from both knees.

I had to stop doing bagua and concentrate on building up from the ground with standing and tai ji to completely nail the alignment thing. After a year I got back into bagua with a completely different attitude to practice, and took it all one step at a time. I haven't had problems with my knees now for well over fifteen years.

Another reason slow is good.

[SitYodTong]

So yea I went to class tonight and once again realized I suck. Half serious. Had one of those moments where I realized if I had practiced this one little detail that my teacher mentions in the first week of class that I wouldn't be having to fix it now. Specifically my knee is coming in when I do certain stances which is causing stress on my ankle and the weight to be centered too close to the inside of my foot. It might seem minor but It is giving me some problems now.

You guys ever have similar moments?

All the time. When you stop having them, that's when you should be concerned...since that means you probably aren't progressing any more.

[iwalkthecircle]

So yea I went to class tonight and once again realized I suck. Half serious. Had one of those moments where I realized if I had practiced this one little detail that my teacher mentions in the first week of class that I wouldn't be having to fix it now. Specifically my knee is coming in when I do certain stances which is causing stress on my ankle and the weight to be centered too close to the inside of my foot. It might seem minor but It is giving me some problems now.

You guys ever have similar moments?

part of learning....

i can tell my baby 1000 times not to touch the hot stove, until one day he truly burn himself he will not understand it well.

[DeusTrismegistus]

So yea I went to class tonight and once again realized I suck. Half serious. Had one of those moments where I realized if I had practiced this one little detail that my teacher mentions in the first week of class that I wouldn't be having to fix it now. Specifically my knee is coming in when I do certain stances which is causing stress on my ankle and the weight to be centered too close to the inside of my foot. It might seem minor but It is giving me some problems now.

You guys ever have similar moments?

All the time. When you stop having them, that's when you should be concerned...since that means you probably aren't progressing any more.

I agree but usually my insights and moments don't go back to doing something correctly I was shown in the first week Thats what kind of floored me about it. First week, usually the second class is when he says you should push your knees out. Specifically talking about a horse stance. Which it was the san ti stance that I was letting my knee come in too far but looking back I need to practice pushing my knees out farther in my horse stance too.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

alternatively you could hold to the thought that god is also in the details.

keep working and be safe!

[TaoJoannes]

First week, usually the second class is when he says you should push your knees out. Specifically talking about a horse stance. Which it was the san ti stance that I was letting my knee come in too far but looking back I need to practice pushing my knees out farther in my horse stance too.

This is Taiji class?

"Martial arts are easy to learn, but difficult to correct." Can't remember who said that.

Personally, I've had problems with where to point my toes during movements (my first teacher said it didn't matter, tell it to my knees after 2 years of this line of thinking), and the specific weighting of my stances. Most recently, the direction that I pointed the hook in my single whip was corrected, for an extreme effect in my posture and practice.

[DeusTrismegistus]

We don't have separate classes. He teaches taiji, and shaolin in the same class. The specific correction was to san ti stance which I asked him after class about. Me and 1 other student are learning xingyi stuff too and I just started after I learned the xingjing form at the seminar by Daniel Weng.

[TaoJoannes]

That's an interesting approach. The taiji and shaolin in my school were very segregated. The reason I asked is because this is one of the key differences that my teacher stressed. The Shaolin way would have the knees and ass stick out more, while the Taiji way would have the knees pointed inwards and the tailbone tucked.

The only SanTi I'm familiar with is from Hsing-I, sort of a an 80-20 rear-weighted in-line bow stance with navel and nose foreward, both hands palm down, lead hand extended around throat height, rear hand near the dantien. But, that's probably what you're talking about since you mention xingyi.

[DeusTrismegistus]

That's an interesting approach. The taiji and shaolin in my school were very segregated. The reason I asked is because this is one of the key differences that my teacher stressed. The Shaolin way would have the knees and ass stick out more, while the Taiji way would have the knees pointed inwards and the tailbone tucked.

The only SanTi I'm familiar with is from Hsing-I, sort of a an 80-20 rear-weighted in-line bow stance with navel and nose foreward, both hands palm down, lead hand extended around throat height, rear hand near the dantien. But, that's probably what you're talking about since you mention xingyi.

Yep it is. I am just working on the lower body right now though, just trying to get my weight and stance right. The knee thing makes a differnence in taiji too because now that I noticed it affecting one thing I am noticing the porblem has been affecting others. Namely the stepping in slanting fly and brush knee. If the back knee comes in when you shift back to turn out it puts a lot of strain on the ankle.