The figure 8 training method is to draw a figure 8 on a horizontal plane while you’re in a horse stance, using your body as the pencil, and the butt as the pencil tip (or more precisely, the bottom of the vertical axis running through your body as the pencil tip). Please let me know if you have a good picture to illustrate this. My drawing skills are somewhat limited bordering on non-existent!
Anyway, my previous encounter with this training method was just to draw this figure 8, to train the legs and to train turning the body. Recently, I was asked to revisit this method again, but this time the kua should not protrude. This criteria was not previously included. By including this criteria alone, the intensity of the training is so great that I can’t last more than 1 minute of it!
The protrusion of the kua was something recent to me. It is whenever the kua is not relaxed that there will be some protrusion, i.e. some tension at the kua. To resolve this, my current teacher suggests (among other things!) to try out this figure 8 training method.
If you have tried this before, or even if you haven’t, please let me know if you are having similar experience. Just be careful about the knees, as the training may seem like drawing circles with the knees.
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2 Comments
The first time I was trying to do figure 8 training, I made the mistake of drawing 8′s with my knees! But like you, I got the whole notion of shifting from kua to kua emphasized and had quite a bit of hands-on adjustments on what exactly that meant. The 8′s are now much more subtle but what helps me is CXW’s silk reeling method of 15 degree turning.
Basically, in a right weighted horse stance, you turn to the right 15 degrees, shift from kua to kua, then turn to the left 15 degrees (resulting in straightening out). Then you turn to the left 15 degrees, shift from left kua to right kua, rinse and repeat.
This is something I still work on to this day
Have you tried turning left instead of right when you’re right weighted and vice versa on the other leg? Is one easier than the other? There are actually 2 kinds of 8 we can draw. I somehow always end up doing only one kind. Wonder what it means..
I haven’t measured in degrees before, but I don’t think I can even manage 15 degress! Thanks for sharing wujimon.