Yiquan video for internal training

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[Dan Richards]

This video is well presented and a beautiful example of internal training for any aikidoka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq45azKujKY

[ken king]

Nope, bad video for aikidoka. Especially people with no prior IP experience. Little to no instruction on what to do internally. A lot of talk about hands and dragons, 6 directions mentioned but badly.This stuff really can't be taught by video as the important stuff isn't happening in plain view. The secrets protect themselves, it has to be felt, blah blah blah cryptic IP talk.

[ken king]

Duplicate post

[fatebass21]

Interesting....

[Brian Sutton]

IMO,his shoulders are a little forward not allowing for one of the most important T`ai Ji /Yi Chuan princples of release chest fill out the back. If the chest isn't released, the chi can't sink, if the chi can't sink, the chi can't rise. But to the point of Chinese Internal arts helping with Aikido. Absolutely. They complement each other very nicely.

[andrew sunter]

This video is well presented and a beautiful example of internal training for any aikidoka.

Hi Dan, I'm wondering what you found helpful in the video?

[Rupert Atkinson]

I have been doing stuff like this for years by myself and love it. I don't analyse it too much, but do seem to come up with endless variations that just make sense to me on the day. It is an endless journey. There is really not much point explaining stuff as what you do changes with time. I think it to be very useful for whatever martial art you do. Just search ...

[Erick Mead]

... Little to no instruction on what to do internally. ....The secrets protect themselves, it has to be felt, blah blah blah cryptic IP talk.

To take this out of the "secrets...blah blah... cryptic" department -- and to point out a relatively accessible "feel" mentioned in the video -- rather straightforwardly at 1:22-1:44 -- it is pointed out that as correct internal structure becomes external movement: "All movement is done as if swimming in the air."

To interact with water in swimming -- particularly in treading water (the closest aquatic thing to zhan zhuang) -- requires a definitively different grasp of internal structure to support movement than what most people operate from when they just move around out of water.

People who have not grasped this necessary alteration of structural support when trying to swim mostly thrash water, ineffectually or at best inefficiently, and, generally, sink in sad bewilderment.

But the physical lesson is DIRECTLY applicable -- people just don't realize that connection and how to adapt it. The dynamics of treading water are closely allied to actual movements in aikido that flow from structure. That provides a much more commonplace and perhaps more relatable way to see this supporting structure driving the mechanics of effective action.

Viewing the gentleman's examples in the video with that basic structure/dynamic overlay in mind makes what is being done far more understandable.