Root - does it exist?

Discussion on the three big Chinese internals, Yiquan, Bajiquan, Piguazhang and other similar styles.

Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:06 pm

Does root exist, or is it just a convenient label?

Can you train your qi to physically extend beyond your feet into the ground?

If an expert at rooting stands on a friction-less or low-friction surface, such as melting ice, he should still be immovable if there is really something extending beyond his feet.

Your thoughts?
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby qiphlow on Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:33 pm

my current view: rooting is the ability to align your own structure with an incoming force so that your structure supports the force instead of pushing against it. perhaps mentally evoking the image of one's qi projecting into the ground helps the body to align right.

i reserve the right to change my view as conditions develop. ;)
esoteric voodoo wizard
User avatar
qiphlow
Great Old One
 
Posts: 3925
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 9:09 am

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:46 pm

Why would you want to align your structure with an incoming force?
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby ashe on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:10 pm

Ian wrote:Why would you want to align your structure with an incoming force?



that's the foundation of ILC's entire method.
discipline, concentration & wisdom
----------------------------------------
http://fallingleaveskungfu.com/
Facebook
Instagram
ashe
Great Old One
 
Posts: 3259
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:08 pm
Location: phoenix, az

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:13 pm

Would you mind explaining a little more? I know nothing of ILC. What do you use it for?

Thanks.
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby ashe on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:21 pm

we say that in order to neutralize and redirect incoming force you first need to "catch the tip of the spear". so the foundation of that is "absorb and project" by which you make "2 to 1" or in other words, you make it as if the point of contact and the center of the foot were one point. then when the opponent applies force to the point it's as if he's pushing the floor instead of a person.
Last edited by ashe on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
discipline, concentration & wisdom
----------------------------------------
http://fallingleaveskungfu.com/
Facebook
Instagram
ashe
Great Old One
 
Posts: 3259
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:08 pm
Location: phoenix, az

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:28 pm

Ok thanks.

So to the original question, is root an actual empirical thing in ILC?
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby kreese on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:31 pm

Does relaxation exist? How can you make your body more "heavy" than it already is? How can you make your limbs more heavy? That's just as absurd as root, Ian.
"Ignore the comments, people will bitch about anything." - Ian
kreese
Great Old One
 
Posts: 1556
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 3:49 am

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby SquattingMonkey on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:40 pm

Of course root exists, if there was no root(s) then trees would fall over ;D
User avatar
SquattingMonkey
Santi
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 11:27 pm

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:42 pm

Well first of all I'm not asking this question to call anyone out, and I'm not suggesting it's ridiculous. I'm only asking how and what people train.

Second of all, you can make your limbs heavier by building the muscles, tendons, bone density, getting blood in there through centrifugal force etc. But in the style in which I train, we usually refer to feeling the full weight of our limbs, not magically making them heavier.

And finally, of course relaxation exists in the empirical sense.
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby ashe on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:49 pm

i should qualify by saying that the idea of "2 to 1" forms the basis of ILC's physical method, but over all, attention is the true foundation of ILC.

going back to you last question ian... i'm not really sure how to answer that question. of course we do, but the flip side is that we rarely, if ever, actually use the term "root". we have a lot of other concepts and principles that when put into action basically equals "root" but i think in 6 years i've heard my Sifu mention root maybe once, and i don't think i ever use the term when teaching.

a lot of it is because my Sifu wants to make sure we stay mobile and not stuck to the floor. ;)
Last edited by ashe on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
discipline, concentration & wisdom
----------------------------------------
http://fallingleaveskungfu.com/
Facebook
Instagram
ashe
Great Old One
 
Posts: 3259
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:08 pm
Location: phoenix, az

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:58 pm

"a lot of it is because my Sifu wants to make sure we stay mobile and not stuck to the floor."

Excellent point, and I asked this in the other root topic:

How do you become nimble in footwork and adept at change if you spend most of your time developing immovability?
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby nianfong on Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:54 pm

first bark, now root... ian, are you some kinda... tree fetishist? next you''ll be asking about leaves ;D
User avatar
nianfong
Administrator
 
Posts: 4448
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:28 am
Location: SF Bay Area

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby Ian on Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:05 pm

Hey, talk to Areios AKA Tom Bombadil. He's the one talking about different types of tree :)
Ian

 

Re: Root - does it exist?

Postby cdobe on Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:12 am

ashe wrote:we say that in order to neutralize and redirect incoming force you first need to "catch the tip of the spear". so the foundation of that is "absorb and project" by which you make "2 to 1" or in other words, you make it as if the point of contact and the center of the foot were one point. then when the opponent applies force to the point it's as if he's pushing the floor instead of a person.

Does that mean that you have to establish a "ground path" before you neutralize?
cdobe
Great Old One
 
Posts: 2078
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 3:34 am

Next

Return to Xingyiquan - Baguazhang - Taijiquan

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests