From a traditional IMA perspective, a well developed and efficient IP is certainly related to more than correct form or optimized oxygen saturation alone. It is also every bit as much about maximizing personal electromagnetic energy absorption, storage, compression, grounding and projection in conjunction with a rooted structural alignment, proper breath regulation, and focused mental intent.
When these variable factors are efficiently coordinated and synchronized with principle based physical postures and centered movement patterns, genuine skills will gradually develop and manifest through an activated energy body.
everything wrote:if one wants to be obsessed with athleticism, it would be good to play a lot of sports instead. all of these things are in sports and then some.
I saved a quote from @docstier from a decade ago, and I don't know if he'll still agree with what he said then, but I like his quote a lot if we are interested in "IMA: and not "just" sports.From a traditional IMA perspective, a well developed and efficient IP is certainly related to more than correct form or optimized oxygen saturation alone. It is also every bit as much about maximizing personal electromagnetic energy absorption, storage, compression, grounding and projection in conjunction with a rooted structural alignment, proper breath regulation, and focused mental intent.
When these variable factors are efficiently coordinated and synchronized with principle based physical postures and centered movement patterns, genuine skills will gradually develop and manifest through an activated energy body.
but if we think "athleticism" is what IMA is about ... welll, clearly some (most?????) people seem to think that. may as well give up and switch to MMA. nothing wrong with MMA.
LaoDan wrote:Yeung,
Since I am not very knowledgeable about biomechanics, could you explain in more detail how you are incorporating the concepts of “eccentric strength” and “stored muscle elasticity” into movements that are not typically trained as dynamically as running, jumping, etc.?
My layman’s understanding of plyometric movement is that there is an eccentric (lengthening) contraction followed by a concentric (shortening) contraction of the same muscles. This is like the slight downward compression into one’s legs (the eccentric phase) prior to jumping (the concentric phase). In jumping, the eccentric contraction stretches the connected tendons, and the resulting jump uses both the energy of the stretched tendon AND the concentric contraction of the muscles, therefore increasing the power output. Does your usage of the terminology differ from this?
From my understanding of Taijiquan, a held structure that is suddenly attacked responds like a properly inflated rubber ball, and “rebounds” to the original joint angles due to the “stretch reflex,” as long as one is not too slack (and when one is using this technique rather than diverting the force away using rotation = lujin). This rebounding force can be called pengjin. But you are talking about another mechanism. It is my (layman’s) understanding that the muscular-tendon system should be able to store more elastic energy and transfer it more quickly and powerfully from the eccentric to the concentric phase if you train them to do this. It seems like this is what you are trying to get at.
Since plyometrics is more commonly studied for dynamic and high impact things like running and jumping, it does not surprise me that you are looking at a somewhat different approach when applying the elastic principles to Taijiquan. For TJQ we want to talk about store and release of power differently than other activities where there is a preparatory (or wind-up) phase prior to the release of our power. Instead of pulling back (compressing) prior to extending (expanding), we want to be able to issue from wherever we are. So instead of talking about compressing and expanding, are you talking about the ability to stretch the tendons through rotational movements that can then be released during the issuing of force, i.e. chansijin where one stores with a rotation in one direction, and rotate in the other direction during the issuing of force?
I have never previously had what I consider to be a satisfactory explanation, using Western terminology, for what is happening during limb rotation during TJQ. I like this stored elastic muscle-tendon stretch explanation, especially for Chen style where the rotations are more pronounced than seen in most Yang styles…
I would appreciate any corrections or elaborations on this idea.
cloudz wrote:In my opinion look no further than the model or framework developed by Sam Chin in recent times; coming from the perspective of what we engage in. We are a niche within a niche, so the model won't come from Western physiology. But needs integrating with it - for some of us to fulfil a certain requirement. Which i think, like you it seems, is quite necessary.
Whoever came up with that model had a good understanding of how the body works, and there's no contradictions- with the modern models. …
[snip]
You need though the experience of that system and or others to understand how things fit together. The TCMA model - which ILC has an updated version of is an experiential one and for me - should be that way.
Eccentric contraction refers to any movement that lengthens a muscle at the same time it is being contracted. 1 It is a braking force that directly opposes the shortening of a muscle (known as a concentric contraction).
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