Thank you for your appreciation. Good for you, if you take the ideas and work with them in real practice. That is why it is there, for readers to apply. Of course, the best way is to work with the teacher, Chen Zhonghua or one of his qualified instructors, if you can make the connection within your travel tolerance.

In the context of The Practical Method, you certainly are asking the right kind of question. If you can check the original source for the article, in Tai Chi Magazine, Fall, 2005 issue, there are numerous illustrations, including a photo of the anatomy of that “ball” like joint, connecting the hip and thigh bones. More pertinent to our practice, there are several photos of a sequence of Master Chen performing “6 sealing 4 closing”, with “dots” superimposed on his kua area, as the points rotate at various points of the movement.

But you can also see this principle in action right here on this blog, in video clips of Master Chen. Go to this link:

http://internalartsia.wordpress.com/2006/12/16/chen-zhonghua-intro-video/

Watch the first 20 seconds carefully. Most people tend to focus on arm and upper body movement when they watch Taiji performance. But if you focus on Master Chen’s hips and waist, you will see how his kua is functioning in the manner described in this article. The power is being driven from the legs into the ground, and transferred from lower body to the upper body by the coordinated rotation of the joints in the kua area, with central balance always maintained.

For kua exercise, the entire curriculum of the Practical Method continuously cultivates correct function and usage of the kua. The best place to start is with personal instruction, either at a workshop with Master Chen or one of his certified instructors, until you get the chance to study with Master Chen. Also check out some of his wide selection of videos. There are many excerpts of these on youtube, under Chen Zhonghua, or Hunyuan Taiji, or Chen Taiji, Hong’s Practical Method Taiji, etc. The introductory material on his series of “Foundations” videos, specifically offer many exercises which focus on kua rotation and mechanics of its correct usage.

A picture tells more than a thousand words. It will be great if someone can show or provide a link to a picture of the anatomy of the kua area. Also introduce some kua exercises. Thank you.

John

You have raised a few different points. Regarding extreme low stances, with thighs below the knee, your view seems to be in line with the consensus of most well known teachers. That type of stance clearly reduces mobility, and creates a structure which no longer can use gravity for leverage. The wushu versions are more designed for aesthetic appeal.

I would have an opinion quite different from your interpretation of Hong’s writing though. He did indeed speak favorably of the training regimen of students from earlier times, cultivating the discipline of practice in low stances. And I would agree with your interpretation, that he was expressing that appreciation in the context of the lower stances being valuable for “training gong fu.”. He appears to be referring to modern students not working as hard in their training. But I am not aware of any references to “modern” stances being higher for any specific superior value for fighting or applications.

As far as the applicability of lower stances, as long as the thighs are not sinking below the knees, (which would still be described as a” low” stance) alignment for optimal use of leverage from legs driving from the ground should be possible. Of course, it is a matter of degree of skill, whether the practitioner’s training, leg strength, and all around skills, will allow for using such a stance for advantage. And, as you say, if the practitioner is a “master”, then they will be able to determine the appropriate stance for the occasion, and use it effectively.