arm swings in qigong

[P. Li]

[yeniseri]

Thanks for the video!
Which line of Yangshitaijiquan does this come from? Jianhou, Chengfu, etc I ask because I have seen no present Yang inheritor teaching these type of 'conditioning' routines

[windwalker]

Thanks for the video!
Which line of Yangshitaijiquan does this come from? Jianhou, Chengfu, etc I ask because I have seen no present Yang inheritor teaching these type of 'conditioning' routines

from the clips caption

Relaxation/Elasticity training in the line of Yang Banhou (Taijiquan)

Interesting clip, we also do some of the same type of conditioning exercises.

[amor]

Thanks for this. Not sure if this is the same routine that Steve Rowe mentioned previously about looking up when down and looking down when up. However if you look around the 01:00-01:08 mark he is clearly looking up as he rises up (head turns up) and looking down (head turns down) as he squats down. Seems to be the opposite of what Steve mentioned. Can anyone clarify if this segment is indeed doing what Steve is saying or not. I mention this because eye position becomes very important in these type of movements.

[Steve Rowe]

It's nothing like the exercise I learned from Ma Lee Yang and Jim Uglow. Difficult for me to film, upload to youtube and put on here, but I'll see if I can find a student to demonstrate tonight. Not even sure if a video will do it justice, but I'll try.

[wayne hansen]

The exercises in the clip are the closest I have seen to some of our basic exercises
They are what Huang hsein Hsin developed his 5 from
These are basically lateral where I think what Steve is talking about are front /back
Am I right steve

[P. Li]

This video isn't mine but was originally posted by Yuen-MIng.

[Steve Rowe]

[amor]

Thanks for this Steve. This movement along with yang songgong or even chen silkreeling's are great for inducing relaxed, meditative sort of movements but its when you get to that state and you have to look at more increasingly internal systems to maintain a reference to the center. The eyes, along with auditory and vestibular, is one very important way to utilise this. As there are many muscles in the skull and neck which also link down as far as the tailbone and feet so we can give the whole body a complete stretch. Very difficult to do and maintain, at least I find, once you get to this point.

[Steve Rowe]

The 'double tap' of the heels to the floor show the pulse that is passed by the softening and loosening of the soft tissue to allow it to be transmitted up and down the body core and spine through the loose joints to give a connected power to the swing of the arms, when done well you can hear the 'woosh' of the arms through the air and feel the power both backwards and forwards. you can then add a powerful compression by rolling the closed fists down through the line from the shoulders to the arches of the feet and and a rapid release of the core and spine to enhance the internal aspects of fa jin.

[wayne hansen]

The exercise that is shown is called both hands fan the fire
It became popular in the 70's when it was found on the wall of a tomb in Beijing
It was further popularised by the fact it was in the wai Tung gung set
some schools do it after standing noi gung to cool the chi
It is a part of one of our set where there are three versions
I have been doing it for 40 years and even though I don't fully understand it I find it more profound each day
There is a version in the Wu style 24 noi gung done in a fully (leaning)extended using each hand alternatively

[BruceP]

We just call em, wake-ups

[everything]

what do you do them for (whatever swings you do - sorry to be nonspecific)?

[BruceP]

what do you do them for (whatever swings you do - sorry to be nonspecific)?

They're done as part of 'Morning Stretch' routine.

They start with feet at shoulder-width, and standing natural with the knees slightly bent. The hips turn back and forth and the arms swing loose. The knees lock into place just short of torquing.

First position is across the kidneys with the back of the hand when they swing around the back, and palm of the alternate hand as it swings across the front - 10 swings each hand.

Second position has middle fingertip touching the bottom of the shoulder blade on the rearward swing and the alternate palm slapping the front of the shoulder - 10 swings each hand.

Third position has the arms parallel with the floor/ground with the outside arm swinging all the way out to one side and the alternate hand crossing the chest with the first knuckle of the thumb hitting under the clavicle - 10 swings each hand.

Without stopping the alternating/turning of the hips, the arms transition into inside/downward figure-8s for 10 swings and then outside/upward figure-8s for 10 swings.

As to the question asking what they're done for; Nothing really other than to loosen the spine, shoulders and arms, and self-massage. 'Functionally' it builds good whole-body connection and coordination.

[wayne hansen]

You are talking about different exercises to the one Steve put up
The ones we do are a little different to Stevens but follow the same basic track
Ours are similar to raise,drill ,fall overturn and have a similar purpose
The Wu style one I mentioned is about the same thing but adds in strengthening the forward leg and central axis