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"Let's Do The Twist" - Body Positioning in Tai Chi Bow Stances

From: The ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong Blog
Posted: Tuesday May 15, 2007

Greetings -

If you are already a Tai Chi student, or you are a ChiFusion student who has reached Level 3, then you know that the Bow Stance is the most common stance used in Tai Chi. We use this stance throughout Level 3 as we learn Tai Chi's Cloud Hands pattern, as well as for many of the patterns we learn in Level 4 of the course.

As distinct from the "feet parallel" positions in the Wuji, Goat, and Horse Stances, the Bow stance requires us to take a step forward. In the Bow Stance, you are in a "split" stance - that is you place one foot a step or so ahead of the other foot. As you may have guessed, the Bow Stance prepares us for the free stepping and turning as we learn in Level 4.

With this split stance, we will also place our weight primarily on one leg or the other in the stance. This weighting further allows us to work on our physical rooting skills. Plus we will also periodically shift weight from leg to leg, as well as turn our waist in this stance. This will allow us to incorporate the waist movements and the silk reeling you learned in Level 2's Constant Bear Qigong.

The Bow Stance, more than any stance Tai Chi and Qigong, strikes a balance between stability and mobility. You will feel rooted and grounded in this stance, but still able to move your body freely.

When it comes to Bow Stances where your weight is shifted forward (called the Forward Bow Stance), you'll find that there are two different types of Forward Bow Stances taught by Tai Chi masters. You can differentiate between these two types by the relative position of your feet and hands while you are in the Forward Bow Stance.

While different teachers have different names for these two stances, we'll use two terms you may have heard - "twist step" and "favorable step". Wen-Shan Huang, a student of Chen Wei Ming and Tung Ying Chieh, who in turn were students of Yang Cheng Fu (the grandmaster of today's Yang Family Style Tai Chi), documented these terms in his book.

Twist Steps and Favorable Steps

"Twist step" refers to a forward bow stance in which the opposite hand and foot are forward. For example, if you are in a right-foot-forward bow stance, but your left hand is extending in front of you, then you are in a "twist step".

This term is actually used in the names of some Tai Chi stances, such as "Brush Knee and Twist Step" (shown at right).

Some people believe the "twist" in the name "Brush Knee and Twist Step" refers to the waist turn in the movement, but that's not the case. It simple describes the final position of the hands and feet.

As opposed to twist step, "favorable step" refers to a forward bow stance in which the forward hand is on the same side as the forward foot.

For example, if you are in a right-foot-forward bow stance, and your right hand is extending in front of you, then you are in a "favorable step". Tai Chi movements such as Single Whip (shown at right) are technically called "favorable step stances."

Note that "favorable" does not carry any connotation of "favorite" or "better" in this context. Think more of how we use the word "favor" as in "He is favoring his left side when he walks."

Foot and Torso Position

When looking at twist and favorable Bow Stances, two important points to observe are stance width and torso position.

For stance width, pay attention the "side-to-side" distance between the feet. Note that this is NOT the stance length (how far the lead foot is forward), but how far the foot is placed to the side. (See the photo at right from our Level 3 course. For a more detailed discussion of foot placement in the Bow Stance, see "Lesson 4C: Structural Details of the Bow Stance" in Level 3.)

For torso position, pay attention to whether the torso is "open" or "closed". The difference between open and closed positions can be seen by (1) where the centerline of your body points, (2) and the amount of hip folding in the forward groin (the hip fold).

In an "open" torso position, the centerline of the body points to the side, and the forward groin is open - not folded. In a "closed" torso position, the forward groin is closed with the hip folded. (Again, see the photo at right, and our Level 3 course for more information on the structural details.)

The Variations of Forward Bow Stances

When it comes to stance width and torso/groin position, you'll find distinct variations among Tai Chi masters in their Forward Bow Stances. (In our examples, we'll be discussing Yang style masters, but this information applies to many other styles of Tai Chi.)

Twist Step Has Hip Width Stance and Closed Position

Most Yang style masters agree that in a twist step, the feet should be hip or shoulder distance apart. They also generally agree that the torso should face forward, and that the forward groin should be closed, in twist steps. I have found almost no exceptions to this when it comes to twist steps among Yang masters.

Favorable Step Has Many More Variations

As opposed to the twist step, you'll find much more variation in favorable step among Yang stylists.

Some perform all favorable step movements with the feet more narrow in width (side-to-side distance), with the hips and torso facing to the side, and the forward groin either partially or mostly open. If you look at the drawing at right, you'll see an example of this more "open" favorable step.

Other masters perform most of their favorable steps this way, but use a more twist-step-like body positioning with the forward groin closed for some favorable-step movements. You find this more "closed" groin position in favorable-step movements such as Flying Obliquely. (See the photo at right.)

And some masters perform all of their bow stances - both twist and favorable - the same way, with the forward groin closed.

You'll find this "forward groin always closed" especially in the style developed by Master Cheng Man-ching, a student of Yang Cheng-fu. Cheng was one of the first Chinese to openly teach Westerners. When Master Cheng revised his form, he converted all favorable bow stances to "forward groin closed". It is said that he removed from his form a movement with a favorable stance that he felt couldn't be properly converted, Fan Through Back.

So for favorable steps, we have masters in all three possible categories:

1. Always perform favorable steps with a narrow stance and an open torso/groin position.
2. Always perform favorable steps with a hip-width stance and a closed torso/groin.
3. Perform favorable steps with a mixture of narrow/open and wide/closed positions.

Vulnerabilities in the Open Stance

There is one criticism of favorable open stances you may hear from time to time, mostly from Cheng style practitioners, some internal martial artists, and from "Push Hands" instructors. ("Push Hands is a two-person Tai Chi practice.) The criticism: Having an open groin, as in an open favorable stance, makes you vulnerable to falling or being pushed over.

This may be a valid criticism, but whether or not your partner can take advantage of the vulnerability depends where they are standing in relation to you, and what control you have of them. If the person is directly in front of you, and you have little or no control of them, you may be vulnerable.

For example, this is often the case at the start of fixed-step Push Hands, when your partner is directly in front of you and you have little control over her. However in most "open" favorable step martal applications, the opponent can't reach the vulnerable front of your body, due to positioning and/or control.

As a matter of fact, as one Tai Chi master once said, there is no such thing as an "invulnerable" stance. Every body position at every moment in Tai Chi has some vulnerabilities.

However, if you know the purpose and application of the position, you'll understand whether the vulnerability is significant or not in the application. For example, what is significant in Push Hands, may not be of significance in martial applications or in health applications, or in Chi Development. Know the purpose/intention of the practice, and you'll know if the vulnerability is of concern or not.

Building Skill in the Closed Stance

In the ChiFusion program, we strongly encourage you to use the closed position when you first learn the Forward Bow Stance. The forward groin closed position has many benefits for health and stress relief.

We've found that the forward groin closed (and especially the shifting and turning method we use in Level 3) helps in the side-to-side pumping of the hip fold. This side-to-side pumping has direct effects on the immune system (via the lymph nodes in the hips) as well as on the energy meridians that run through the hips. In addition, the close position increases range of motion and flexibility in the hips, lower back, and thighs.

Probably more importantly, the closed version is generally more difficult for beginners, so it's important to develop that skill first. In general, we found that if you can perform the "closed" version, it's easy to learn the "open" version. But if you are habituated to the "open" version first, it's much more difficult to learn the closed version.

If you follow our ChiFusion program, you'll have plenty of practice in developing the "closed" skills (and reaping the benefits). And as a matter of fact, as a ChiFusion student, you need not worry about learning the open position. Though you haven't learned the stance, you've already received the same "body opening" benefits as the open position. However, you did so using different exercises and stances, especially in Level 1 of the program

But if you aren't a ChiFusion student, and you've never worked on groin and torso position in your Tai Chi practice, I strongly recommend you pick a period of time (say 2 or 3 months), and practice all your Forward Bow Stances - whether twist or favorable - using the closed position. Review the Level 3 material from the ChiFusion course for the structural details of the Bow Stance, and practice all of your Forward Bow stances with the groin closed. This will be the quickest way to build this skill into your body, and to see some of the amazing benefits the closed stance brings.

After this 2 to 3 month period, then you can begin to mix in some "open" favorable steps. Of course, do NOT use the "open" position in twist steps, only in favorable steps, and do NOT use it for ALL favorable stances. In my personal practice, I prefer the closed version of favorable stances for movements like Ward-Off, Press, and Flying Obliquely. But for movements such as Single Whip and Fan Through Back, where I want to emphasize body opening, I tend to use the open movement.

Knowing your Bow Stances can greatly increase your understanding of Tai Chi. And if you've never worked on groin and torso position, you'll be amazed at the health, stress relief, and Chi Development improvements you'll see by developing these skills.

As always, you have my best wishes in pursuit of Chi Development,

   

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