Monday, May 7, 2007

Open My Hip

I have a confession to make.

I forgot how to do Waibaitui. I don't remember any pointer or how I was taught to do the move. It was one of those moves that was taught to me once and has never been refined since.

So in the line, I would just kick my leg up - and then rotate it to the side trying to touch my hand - hope for the best - and then land wherever I land. Yesterday when I thought about it I felt very awkward - even lost my balance and had to take extra steps in between.

How is this supposed to be done correctly? When to extend? Where to land? When to take step? Does anybody know?

Maybe I should just volunteer to go to the side next time.

7 comments:

  1. i was taught by joshua in the back one time, and have also watched shifu show us one weekend morning.

    when doing waibaitui you are basically trying to cover three points. first you kick straight up like zhengtitui. then, you swing your leg out to hit your hand, and pop your hip at the same time. last, you bring your leg behind you. and to finish, you should swing your leg forward so that your foot ends up in front of you.

    common mistakes are not kicking straight up and going for the hand directly, not popping the hip, and landing with the foot behind you.

    hope this makes sense!

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  2. I have a secret confession to make: I don't know any of the level 1 basics, waibatui least of all. Well, it's not so secret, since sifu loudly calls me out in class and repeatedly threatens to send me back to level 1.

    Well, I know ciajiao and gongbu a little now, since I got to work on them the last 2 level 1 classes I went to.

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  3. in addition to what Ellen said: foot flexed going up, then point it when you come down so its pointed when your foot is behind you. Pop is all in your hips thrusting forward.

    btw this is Heng De, i can't tell if I'm logged in or anon because I'm in a net cafe in Yangshuo.

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  4. so you don't actually land your kicking foot in the back - but in the front where you started - is that right?

    that's difficult....

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  5. how i learned it is:
    kick up like zhengtitui then out to your hand, bring leg all the way behind you, popping on the way.
    then start again.
    i find it especially hard after stretching but i guess that's the point yeah!
    let's practice!

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  6. Posting this for Branden, who's experiencing difficulty on the site:

    After I have extended the hip and my foot is behind me, I pause (with the foot just off the ground). I am completely extended at this point. The foot then continues forward and I step into the next kick. It is one fluid motion and feels like a small semi-circle.

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  7. yea your foot is pointed behind you but doesn't touch the ground, then touches when you bring it forward and step for the next kick.

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