8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 1/8
Stretching Seminar
IMAR has reported this year on an ACT stretching and loosening seminar in which Yan Gaofei taught a
group at the Traditonal Chen Tai Chi school in Hollywood, FL. These exercises were put into three catagories.
Those that purely stretch the body. Secondly, controled motions often done in rotations, and nally swinging or
shaking movements. In this issue we will show some photos of each catagory involving the wrist joint.
Figure 8 rotations with the hands interlaced. Also done in reverse.
Figure 8 rotations with a plam to palm side grip. Figure 8 done both ways.
Both exercises on this page are “controlled motions.”
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 2/8
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 3/8
The exercises on this page are in the pure stretch
catagory. As shown you can pull your own hand
back or you can use your body weight to stretch
the wrist against the wall.
The above three phots show the palm moving
toward the arm with a slight twist.
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 4/8
Above photos show a partner helping the pure stretching of the wrist. Caution should
be used in working with partners. Some exercises have built in safty methods such as
putting your index nger across the wrist to prevent over extention of the wrist.
This is an additional wrist stretch. This one pinches the ulna nerve.
The third catagory (swinging or slinging) is demonstrated above for the wrist.
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 5/8
The exercise to the left swings
the wrist in a side direction.
The exercise in the roe below
swings the wrist in yet another position.
In the Chen Tai Chi curriculum, the
straight two edged sword is used in
solo exercises in such a way that it
applies the swinging stretch to the
wrist. The weight of the sword helps
pull or stretch. The movement shown
in the photos is called “pointing.”
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 6/8
The reason for all the various exercises is so
that the wrist will become soft and plyable.
Silk Reeling or Tai Chi requires a body state of stretch and relax while the movement is always
turning. The wrist should bend and not be
locked tight. In the photos above Yan Gaofei
shows the hand movements of Ging Gong in
the solo form of Lao da Jia and puts emphasis
on the wrist being soft and bending at the same
time turning and maintaining stretch.
Mr. Yan demonstrates
a stillness posture
practiced in Shaolin
to stretch the wrist
and joints in order toopen them.
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 7/8
In the pictures to the
left and above, a partner
holds his arm out straight
while Mr. Yan circles and
coils his wrist and arm
around it.
The silk reeling and movement of the soft wrist can be practiced by rolling a ball against a wall
keeping the ball from falling and continuing to circle and silk reel the hands and arms.
8/14/2019 Stretching Seminar
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stretching-seminar 8/8
Finally the wrist can be further tested in the
basic step forward-step backward push hands
drill. As the arm comes around the partners,
the wrist should bend as needed to assist the
control and silk reeling. The wrist must not be locked and xed as stated throughout these
pages. There are just many ways to test to see if
the loosening exercises are eshing out into the
complete art.
Top Related