He lives long who enjoys life and who bears no jealousy of others;
whose heart harbours no malice or anger;
who sings a lot and cries a little;
who rises and retires with the sun;
who likes to work and knows how to rest.
(Mislimov)
100%
If you were to perform every tai chi action to 100% of your physical limit -
in terms of stretch and endurance - you would be working at maximum
capacity.
The 100% capacity approach is the 'no pain, no gain'
attitude to exercise.
It opens you up for
strain and
injury because you are fully committed at all
times.
We recommend following the 70% rule.
The 70% rule
If you remain well within your limits at all times there is less risk of
injury.
Most people exceed their
natural range of safe movement frequently
throughout the day without realising it.
The 70% rule encourages them to be aware of their natural range.
In self defence, over-commitment is a serious flaw because you have little
room for failure.
Holding 30% in reserve is a useful safety precaution.
Natural range
Our approach to tai chi works safely
within your natural range:
If you move a limb away from your centre, the support decreases the
further away it goes.
Experiment with your arms and legs - stretch them away in various
directions...
In each instance there should be distinct boundary points where a
subtle but tangible strain
occurs and increases with the degree of movement.
You may not notice this initially; finding your natural range takes patience
and sensitivity.
Page created 19 April 2000