Harnessing Tai Chi's Kao Energy: Keys to Training and Application
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Kao (leaning, relying upon) is the last of the 8 Tai Chi Energies of Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao. But it is the one I train my students in first. Why? Because it forms the foundation of these essential functions:
1. Neutralize the opponent's force by dissipating it along your body's surface.
2. Prevent your opponent's force from entering your body and affecting your center.
3. Balance your body to redirect their force.
4. Balance your body for powerful close range strikes.
5. Teaches awareness of your energy and spiritual body.
Can you imagine doing Tai Chi without these capacities? And how much more relaxed will your Tai Chi be when you can remain unthreatened by their pressure? Further beyond that, how much more easily can you develop the other offensive and defensive energies when you are aware of your energy and spiritual body?
Ready to find out? Join me on this exploration of this essential concept. If you have any questions please ask in the comments, because this will really help your Tai Chi develop.
Once you have gained a working understanding and skill with Kao, the next energy to explore will be Peng!
Great explanations!
Started to cringe at first with the leaning back, but the cue worked really well to connect with the back! I like it!
That's so awesome that you gave it a try even when you initially doubted it! Isn't it wonderful when something you didn't immediately expect to work brings you a nice surprise? And as you discover this method of connecting the energy of your back, what other new wonderful thoughts are now connecting in your Tai Chi practice? Thank you for your comment and thank you for your open mind! 🙏
Love it! Keep putting out these educational segments!
There will be a lot more content to come! If you have any thoughts on questions or topics of interest please share them 🙏
For me, "energetic" awareness is capable of being even more efficient than "physical" awareness because "energetic" is so to speak an abstracted form of physical awareness that is separate from, but inclusive of, any and all individual parts of the body. As a result, your focus is not directed to any particular part, which results in tension, instead your focus is directed at your feeling and connection in time with your partner. Paying attention physically is like putting a piece of wood in the middle of your whip. It still can whip, kind of, but would be a lot better if was only a normal whip.
It makes sense the way you put it, and is very simple to understand!
Thank you! Very good example about the wood in the middle of a whip, that's a great metaphor that nicely illustrates the idea. And you're right about the abstract encompassing all of the physical and frees you from the limitations of over focusing on the physical! Thanks for the comment!
What a great, clear explanation! I'm going to try this with my touch hands tai chi students on Tuesday. Can't wait! Thanks for explaining Kao so clearly and giving a simple drill to execute and learn Kao!
I know you've practiced these things quite a bit and this one might be what you're missing! To maintain the emptiness, what Howard calls deflame the mind, bypass the contact point etc, you need to prevent the force and awareness of the force from seeping into your bones and joints. And send your awareness along the surfaces to their destinations.
@phoenixmountaintaichi The part that surprised me was the "surface." Thank you for correlating it to my experience with Howard re: deflaming the mind and bypassing. That helps to further categorize it for me. Master William Ting, my primary teacher and mentor, taught the importance of emptiness. As you mentioned in your comment, the missing piece was the preventing of the seeping into the bones by sending awareness to the *_surface_* . This is brilliant. Thank you. I can't wait to try it!
And by the way, I think I'm going to rename my dog, Casper. 😊
Awesome lesson on the body, structure and energy! Thanks for sharing
You definitely understood the key points of this. Thank you for the comment!
Fantastic instruction, beautifully clear!
I appreciate your comment. Thank you for being a part of our community!
This is a great explanation. Sounds like which is what I understand is there is peng between the point of contact and the back. I've had to watch lots of your videos to discern if this is real because your approach is so soft. Thank you
Right! Thank you for your open mind and thoroughness in watching a number of my videos! I demonstrate as softly as possible so that people don't get the idea that it's based on some kind of muscle leverage, so that you're encouraged to consider how the internal mechanics cause this to happen. But you're right to be suspicious and think maybe it's just not real ha ha. Internal martial arts exist in this narrow space between "external" and just "fake" and it takes a good eye, clear mind, and sensitive awareness to travel that space doesn't it?
Regarding this Kao, yes it's like a Peng awareness between the contact points and at the back. And when you maintain that, and the emptiness between, you can maintain your access and control of the internal mechanics. Does that help?
Thank you for sharing..Sharing is caring and your explanation can be easily understood..
Thank you! Glad you find it understandable!
very educational example and explanation. thank you very much Sifu
Thank you for that kind words. Enjoy your practice!
please master, teach us exercises to move ki energy.
I will put up a short about this soon. 🙏
Very nice 🙂🙏🏼☯️👊🏼
🙏☯️🙌
Thanks!
Thank you so so much for your generosity and support! It's really wonderful to know that you find the lessons to be valuable.