Staying "Grounded"

[focus102]

No, I don't mean coming home before 11 pm!

 

I am currently training in Shotokan Karate and I have been told that I am not "grounded". While I understand the effects of being grounded, I cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what has to be done. My instructor told me that for about the first two years of training she noticed that students have their energies in the upper portion of their bodies and after training sufficiently their energies are in the lower portion of their bodies and they are more grounded. That is a nice esoteric story but what exactly do I have to DO to practice being grounded? Are there specific muscles to tense, specific abdominal breathing or is this just something that cannot be defined?

 

I would love to hear peoples definitions of this and your experiences of when you became "grounded".

[aefibird]

I suppose it's just something that comes with practice.

 

Keep on practicing deep stances. Good muscle control in your legs and stomach will probably help you to get that 'grounded' feeling.

 

I can't say I really noticed how I became more grounded. It just sort of happened naturally over time with effort and practice.

[Dijita]

What exactly does being grounded mean?

[Guest]

My understanding of being "grounded" is to keep my center of gravity low and have a good, solid stance with my lower body. That explanation probably doesn't tell you any more than what you already knew.

[tommarker]

This is also referred to as "rooting." and I'm not sure I can explain it well, but here goes.

 

As has been pointed out already, it has to do with the lowering of your center of gravity.

 

Have you ever tried to pick up a kids didn't want to be picked up and they turn into dead weight? Kids are a master of this. You want to emulate this to some extent. You should really feel it in your thighs and at first, you won't be able to hold it long.

 

A lot of people when standing, carry their weight high, and when you're doing hand techniques, it's very easy to emphasize the movement from the shoulders instead of the hips. You can usually walk by these people when in kibadachi and knock them over with a feather

 

Sinking your weight is a good chunk of the process, but you also have to watch your alignment, stance, posture, etc. There's nothing magical, just good physics.

 

Here's a start.

 

http://www.uswushuacademy.com/articles/rooting.htm

[tommarker]

“If one cannot come to recognize how the weight moves distinctly back and forth between the two legs, then the upper and lower body cannot work together and connect. If the upper and lower body cannot connect, then you cannot absorb the opponent’s force. If you cannot absorb the opponent’s force, you cannot use his force.”

--Chen Zhaopi

[tommarker]

http://www.americanchentaichi.com/pages/rooting.html

[tommarker]

Here's one more idea that I got from Yang jwing-ming. All you need are two bricks (the smallish red kind) For reference, I believe his book the Essence of Shaolin White Crane has photos of this exercise.

 

Start out by measuring your horse stance at about 1.5 shoulder width. Place the bricks on these spots laying sideways from how one would normally lay a brick on the ground. You now have something about 10" long, 3" wide, and 4" high to stand on.

 

Build up your horse stance on these bricks. When they fall over, you're doing it wrong Once you can hold it for about 5 minutes, have someone give you a constant steady push from the side. If you fall off, you're doing it wrong.

 

Dr. Yang does this with the bricks standing vertically (10" high" 4" long 3"wide) easily, and on one leg, etc. If you can do this, you will be the envy of your karate club

[delta1]

what exactly do I have to DO to practice being grounded? Are there specific muscles to tense, specific abdominal breathing or is this just something that cannot be defined?

 

Yes and no to the muscular tension. You have to relax and settle into your base, useing only those muscles necessary to support you. Requires practicing and conditioning, and conscious relaxation until it becomes second nature. This is the Taiji viewpoint, or method, and is very similar to what tommarker is talking about.

[Drunken Monkey]

don't forget that as well as being grounded whilst stationary, the really hard part of stance training is learning how to carry your structure without it compromising during stance shifts and steps....

 

but like all things.

 

one day, you will feel what it's like when it's correct and from then on, you'll have a reference of what good strcture feels like.