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What is “zhong ding”?
Often literally translated as “central equilibrium” or “center of balance,” for our purposes zhong ding refers to the vertical axis that runs through the body’s center of gravity. Clear perception of this axis and the physical structures that surround it are an essential component of early training. When two bodies are joined together, as in…
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Catch the Ball, Carry the Log, Stop the Speeding Train
A good trick for finding the right shape and structure in the body in any given position or posture is to think about absorbing force rather than issuing it. And a good trick for quickly conjuring the complex, well-integrated connections throughout the body necessary to absorb force is to use memory and imagination. With one…
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Standing on the Elephant’s Foot
When attending to the distribution of weight in the foot it is essential not to be misled by extra tension in the tendons around the ankle. It is easy to get a false sense of being rooted from the slight pressing into the ground generated by the muscles of the lower leg and transmitted through…