oragami_itto wrote: no doubt, but "look at my hours of YouTube" is a cop out.
My point was that one needs to do physical practice rather than focus on abstract academic understanding.
If I were to summarize his point myself, I'd simply say that he's saying roundness is everywhere in taijiquan, externally and internally, physical and mental, shape and movement, visible and invisible. The point to study is to find that roundness, or more likely find the squareness in your practice and work on rounding it off
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That’s basically my point. I find “mental roundness” or “internal roundness” to be academic platitudes. What is a “round “ thought? How does one make their physical insides “round”? In my opinion, searching for some all-encompassing “roundness” in one’s Taiji is irrelevant. It is a distraction. “Roundness” is not the keystone of Taijiquan.
Making the outsides round is basic physical/postural stuff. For example, one should round the dang (“crotch”). In conjunction with that, “open” the kua. These are both basic postural requirements of stances.
Closing the chest makes the chest round (concave) and opens the upper back making it round (convex) and connects the arms to the torso. Opening the chest and closing the back does the opposite - makes the chest convex (round) and makes the upper back concave (round). There should be continuous transition between the two in every movement.
There are a few basic physical aspects of “roundness” that can be worked on and found in nearly any Taijiquan movement, forms or partner work. At more advanced levels one can discuss “energy” being circular and/or spiral.
But this is RSF, it isn't about the arts, is it? Is about egos, right? Trying to prove who knows more or does better, right? Does that shit work in the octagon?
I’ve never had an interest in those things.