Kua Rotation

Since I read the article referenced in the blog below, I have a much different understanding of the kua.
http://ktaiji.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-kua.html

I am starting to feel what it means to rotate the kua. I am very much looking forward to meet Master Chen in May 2010 to verify whether I am on the correct path.

One thing that I feel different is during the duck walking exercise. I am starting to feel with kua rotation, I can use the front leg as an anchor to pull the hind leg to the front. Rotating the kua allows me to adjust the centre of gravity from the even split on both legs, to 60/40 or 70/30.

I am trying to apply such kua rotation on every leg move in Yilu. It was easier to start with legs wider apart at first, now I can feel the same sensation with legs relatively closer together, like in a normal standing position.

This is very exciting!

Kelvin's Yilu on April 14, 2010

Reversing life to the beginning

http://www.hongkongtaiji.com/files/qing-mag-articles-june2008.pdf

This articles talks about reversing to the same state as a baby (e.g. how it breathes), and eventually you will be back to the beginning and be united with the universe (back to wuji). Master Chen discussed this concept as well.

Not moving the hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfqgwJfA0c4&playnext_from=TL&videos=UDJPqWKIlh8

This is an excellent video by Ian Sinclair providing the student the feeling of relaxation during the displacement of the hand from the bottom to top.

I definitely got the feeling of the hand floating up for about 10 seconds immediately after performing the first exercise. This, in fact, matched what Master Chen once talked about someone's form looking more correct after performing about 100 times of Yilu in a row. A person will be so tired that he can no longer lift the hand by force. I can see how this little exercise can resemble such feeling after exhausting my strength in the arms.

Taiji Fighting Strategy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3y8tLH0M_M&feature=related

This video resembled what Master Chen showed me on the first day of class about keeping your intention, and not getting distracted during a fight. It takes training and experience to achieve that relaxed state of mind. I have briefly experienced how advantages it can be against your opponent if you are more relaxed than him/her. However to me, experience and knowledge are needed to achieve relaxation. It's natural to tense up if you are nervous. It's difficult or rather impossible at this point to me to be truly relaxed during an engagement with an opponent. It may seem like a chicken and an egg problem here. If you are more relaxed, you are better than him. If you know that you are better than him, you can be more relaxed. However, a chicken and an egg problem is exactly like a circle, with no beginning nor end. You don't know when it will start to happen. When it happens, it happens.