Opening of the joints.

 

 

 

I've studied a lot of literature concerning internal martial arts and mostly Tai chi texts. A lot of these articles contain the advice to "open the joints". Recently I came across an article in a Tai chi magazine which discussed the internal work of the Wu/Hao style of Tai chi. This style is one of the five main styles of Tai chi. The others are Chen, Yang, Wu and Sun style. Be sure to check these styles when interested in the development of internal strength and body motion in Aikido.

 

The article I read explained the method of power development in the Wu/Hao style. The idea is to "open the joints and drop the muscle". What does this mean and how is this trained? The body has numerous joints which can be expanded. This is a kind of expansion or extension which can be used in Aikido training. The feeling one tries to develop is likened to an overall inflation of the body. One feels bigger and larger than before the opening of the joints. The muscle however, must drop and give in to gravity. This will create a feeling of grounding as opposed to floating. The elasticity of the tissues will create a spring like power which rebounds from the ground to the point of contact. When pressure is put on your structure the joints compress and at the same time the muscle tissue returns the force into the opponent's structure creating a connection. When pressure is released one returns to the original "open" state. Usually a throw or joint lock has been made effortlessly.

 

So be sure to "open the joints and drop the muscle" at all times and use your breath power in coordination with your body movements and effortless power can be achieved.

 

One of the best Youtube channels which explain this type of force would be this Sifu. He's got a lot of video's which explain these concepts really well.

 

 

Enjoy practice.

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