Tai Chi Movements, The Walk: How to Improve Footwork in Yang Style

In practising most yang style forms, the practitioner lowers his/her centre of gravity to a “knee in-line with toe“ position. Imagine the knee touching the same vertical plane as the tip of the toes. That plane forms a 90 degree angle with the surface on which you stand. In this stance one’s weight is evenly distributed, over the sole of the weighted foot as in a “Forward Stance or Bow Stance”.

When sinking the overall stance, we evenly distribute the weight over the sole of the foot, using the quad muscles to support the body’s weight. As in Tai Chi Walking, practitioners step from this lowered position, shifting weight from one leg and lifting the other, from the knee. The ankle of the lifted foot should stay relaxed. Try to imagine that the lifted leg is attached to a string, which is drawn up before stepping out. However there is one important difference in a one legged stance. For example, in “Golden Cock Stands on One Leg”, what we need to think about is, as one leg is rising, the other leg is lowering, to enable us to send chi down to the substantial leg, to the sole of the foot. This improves balance.

Whenever moving up, we need to think of our chi dropping and the “rooting” of the feet. If this is done correctly, the moving of the insubstantial leg becomes effortless.

Throughout the stepping we need to keep an eye on maintaining the body in an upright position, with the head erect, balancing the weight correctly over the substantial foot. The toes of this foot should be turning slightly outward to optimize the angle for bearing the weight, which is 45 degrees. The length taken for the stepping leg should be a natural extension of the leg in a single stride, placing the heel first, so as not to over extend the leg, which causes the weight to be shifted forward, prematurely.

After the foot is placed down, the relevant points of contact are the heel, ball of the foot and then the toes. Once again don’t move the knees over the toes as there is a risk of hyper extending the knee. With each step, we place the foot, root it and then weight it. Such a practise can be most instructive to the student, leaving no doubt to the certainty of yang style tai ji quan footwork.

If we use care while moving the knees during the movements, we can prevent undue stress and thus injury to the joints. I hope these few tips on yang style Tai Chi Walk can help improve not only your stances and footwork but give you a stronger and more stable centre, making your tai chi moves look more flowing.

Give it a go next time you train!

Contribution from Si Jie Arlene McLeod

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