Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Open My Hip Part II

So I got what I asked for. I got to work with Esther and a bunch of other people on the 5th kick of the 5 kicks today. And now my hip is so open it hurts when I bend over or walk or sit or laugh or do anything...

Anyway - a few new things I learned about the kick from Esther:
  • Jump up on my right leg to get into the kick.

  • Kick up in the front just like Waibaitui and then open my hip and kick my right hand.

  • Keep my hip open and extend my right leg when I'm done with the kick.

  • Extend! Look up!

  • Don't worry about the next move. Finish the kick properly first.

10 comments:

  1. In regards to the post about waibaitui. Just want to make a few adjustments. This is a half hearted post.

    1. You shouldn't be jumping into the kick. You can jump out of the kick if you are powering the downward motion. If you jump up before kicking, you aren't going to have any balance with the kick.

    2. You actually don't want to pop your hip out the whole way through. If you do that, you aren't going to get much rotation that way. You want to sink hip in first, then when you foot hits its zenith, then pop out your hip. Your foot should come back around to the front according to your sifu.

    3. Extend up and look forward. Not extend and look up. Your enemy is not on the ceiling. I think the translation of your sifu he really means extend upwards and look far. Unless you really want to go to the qing dynasty, then look upwards.

    4. You aren't going to learn very much unless you ask your sifu. If you keep banging ideas amongst your friends, you aren't going to get very far or improve any bit because then every move you do with be subjective one and not an objective one. But maybe learning the correct movements is not the reason why you started "kung fu" as you mentioned earlier. If that's the case just try not to hurt yourself and relax through the movements. Once you tense, you waste a lot of energy and your flexibility goes as well.

    Look at this video if you want to see how it is done. Notice the straightness of the back and body. Often times when you guys pop, you are leaning too much after the kick. Don't lean forward either.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpJ2vGoxqoA&mode=related&search=

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  2. thanks for the tips, KF!

    you are right to emphasize asking shifu about movements. tossing around our ideas here is no substitute for going to class and learning in person. and there is no substitute for actual practice.

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  3. Jumping up before getting into the kick isn't for Waibaitui. You're right about that. My post is actually about the 5th kick in the 5 kicks which is similar to Waibaitui...

    Thanks for the tips and the video.

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  4. My hip is still hurting as well ... according to Wiki I strained my Filet Mignon :D

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_major

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  5. yay, esther! so proud of you!

    will you teach me five kicks whenever i get to that point? :)

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  6. Seeing how much you kicked last night - I think your mignon is no good anymore -

    [this muscle] tends not to be called upon to do a lot of work, thus it remains underdeveloped, resulting in a cut of meat that is known as the most tender

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  7. you should be careful richu, are you trying to turn us on?
    kung fu wimin are mostly carnivores!

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  8. I had a lot of trouble with my filet a while ago. Actually went to a chiropractor for it. He gave mes some stretches to do (basically deep gongbu with the back heel off the floor) and told me to climb stairs. Fixed me right up.

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  9. A note to kung fu: I'd like to make a comment on your point #4. I was taught by a fellow level 2 student/disciple (Heng Ngyo-sp?) that leads level 2 class. In one of the classes, Sifu wanted all of the new level 2-ers to review a portion of the 3rd form and 5 kicks was one of them. Sifu saw that I was doing the fifth kick,which is waibaitui, correctly. Sucheela was mentioning in her blog that I had taught some people on the 5 kicks. As a clarification, sifu had asked me to teach the jump and the waibuitui. I was re-emphasizing what Sifu was teaching to others. :)

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