Rob's Shintaido Notes

Great Article on Kata Practice

The latest issue of the Journal of Asian Marital Arts (Volume 13, Number 2) has a great article titled, "Traditional Taijiquan Form Training in Chen Village" by David Gaffney, B.A.

Some of the interesting sub-headings in the article include:

• High or Low Postures?
• Familiarity Through Repitition
• Slowness as a Training Tool
• Fostering Mental Calmness and its Roll Cultivating Qi, & the Development of Intention
• Requirements When Practicing the Form

While the focus is on Taiji (Tai Chi), I think most, if not all of the comments could apply to Shintaido kata. Many of the concepts seem to translate straight forwardly e.g., "dantian rotation" becomes koshi rotation. But I confess that I don't understand what "silk-reeling" (shun-chan and ni-chan) of the arms and legs are.