Our Stance On Stances
Knee injuries in the Tai Chi world are so common that they even have their own moniker derived from their cause. They can be brand new injuries caused by the practice or it can arise as a result of aggravating an old injury. Here we will look at why it is such a significant phenomenon and give some practical ideas as to what to do about it. It is worth noting that whilst knee injuries appear to be the most widespread, this concept often does apply to other injuries and the same reasons and solutions will apply.
So what causes these injuries? We’re not doctors or physiologists, the closest we come to this world is our regular first aid training which is an incredibly useful skill and recommended to everybody. A day out of your life every few years to top up your first aid skills is time very well spent. We are also definitely not those instructors who dip in to the arena of diagnosis because of their trusted position as a Tai Chi instructor. Occasionally through crossing hands with a student we can point out a notable weakness in their structure/connectivity but don’t pretend to know what may help outside of our narrow area of expertise. Some of us also engage in energy work/healing but always with the caveat that it is a complementary activity with no basis in mainstream science and you should follow the advice firstly of your healthcare provider and then try everything else from your physio to your Grandma’s nettle soup before you come to us. Anyway we digress, the causes of these injuries….
Tai Chi is pre-modern sports science and as such the traditional family styles are not well formulated for joint health and require awkward workarounds to make safe. Anybody who says otherwise is being disingenuous. Don’t get us started on holding low stances. Alright, do, but that’s another blog post.
We’re no scholars but a cursory look at the origin of these arts suggests the people that were doing them were not office workers, they were people who squat for their work and sit cross legged for meals. Their open hips, flexible knees and lighter bodies would much better tolerate the requirements of the traditional forms.
So there are the causes, or the reasons if not the direct causes. We will come on to the solutions shortly.
Over the years we have often pondered why yoga classes are perennially popular whilst it is very hard to maintain a good crowd at Tai Chi classes. Some of the excuses given for this are laughable, one that immediately comes to mind is that ‘Tai Chi is too challenging for some people and they quit in fear that they will hold up the class and never become good at it’. The technical term for that explanation is absolute b****cks!
As much as some teachers like to say that there is so much internal transformation going on in Tai Chi it makes it a really hard endeavour, the reality is that it simply isn’t that gymnastically challenging. Even your ‘snake creeps down’ and jumping kicks etc, unless you’re starting from a low bar just aren’t that tough. Going back to the yoga classes (and we are mainly just talking asanas here), we have concluded that one of the main reasons for its success is that it is incredibly challenging in terms of balance, strength and flexibility, far more so than Tai Chi. As a result it is also visually more impressive. There are also a huge number of asanas to work with making for a much longer evolution and more variety. Yoga also puts lots of emphasis on adaptation using aids such as blocks and straps, but most importantly being truly aware of the varying needs of the aspirants and adepts. Yoga’s success is reflected in our suggested resolutions below.
So what are some options to fix these issues both of safety and popularity of Tai Chi?
Adapt! This will require a fundamental change to the usual form heavy class format. A good starting point is taking small sections of form such as grasp sparrow’s tail for example and teaching it multiple different ways (oh the heresy!) and looping it. Then also adding in resistance from a partner. We have sampled huge numbers of styles and teachers who all talk a big game about adaptations and are yet to see anybody we’re that impressed by in that respect.
Increase the challenge. Lines of push kicks held for longer times at greater heights for example. You need material that is demonstrably cool that people would want to show off to their friends. Let’s be honest, we’re all looking to become a character out of a kung fu movie.
Minimise the emphasis on the form (or ditch it all together) and utilise the huge array of chi kung routines which are often safer, particularly for the knees.
Kick out the rigid orthodoxy and embrace freestyle movement. Easier said than done as this can devolve into total rubbish but can you be a movement specialist if you haven’t explored this?! At least put your own unique stamp on the traditional techniques otherwise where is the the art? Note that we do appreciate the value of preserving something in its original form if that’s your thing.
At the time of writing this we can think of 4 Tai Chi systems that we really like and would regard as nutritious movements (5 if you count ourselves :-)). One is a very small frame version of Wu style with lots of Yiquan influence. Another is Wu style again but a unique approach to it. The third we don’t know the root of the style but like what we see, it is imbued with power. Finally the last is recently formulated based on Tai Chi and Hermetics principles and bears little resemblance to traditional forms. If you are not able to locate a teacher such as this and don’t have the knowledge or motivation to try and make Tai Chi your own from day 1, then the simple answer is learn Yiquan. It’s so much safer (as an art that is, the same can’t be said for all teachers, a story for private discussion only!) and there is some really good material out there to learn from.
Whilst this post is a bit of a rant it is important to note that this is an open conversation and we will always listen to other opinions on it, especially from those more experienced and qualified. As Tai Chi practitioners it requires a group effort to evolve and breathe life in to the art because it is going in the dusty relic direction currently, at least in our part of the world.