Dear Master Chen
(please forward to master Chen)
My name is David Fadjar, and I appreciate very much your effort to translate GM Hong’s book. I have a question about Bow stance as described by GM Hong’s book (page 10)
It is said that “the front knee bend and lock, while the rear knee extends, relaxed and toes swing to left or right. Its rear knee bends down with toes turned “OUTWARD” 45 degree.
My understanding of outward is: for right leg, toes turn outward if while pivoting on heel, the big toes goes further to the right getting towards the little toe’s position.
I would like to make some descriptions about forward, left and right so as to make things clear on what my question is.
Assuming Taiji force confrontation is sideways, than the left side or right side will be the front side in the situation of confrontation. As I understand sideways stance is to prevent opening the deadly points in the middle of heart, throat and dang area. So to prevent this confusion I would like to define things in reference to the body.
Front: chest area, back is back area, left side is the side on left leg and right side is on the side of right leg.
Assuming pubu left, then left leg bend, right leg extend. Now following the “opening outward 45 degree” my understanding is in Dan Bian posture for example, the right leg is extended right and to further open outward the toe will result in having the toe as the most right ward body organ.
In contrast (because the people I learned Hong style also learned Yang style). they insist that the right toe should be pulled in 45%, which I found too exerting for my knee, especially during the change (ie after lanzhayi to liufeng sibi or from danbian to jingang daodui).
As it is also mentioned in the book, the toe is swinging to the right or left, then it would be better to let it fall comfortably as it swings (usually It swings inwards a little bit, sometimes my toes does not swing at all after the lanzayi move to liufeng sibi). I also find it easier to swing the heel instead of the toe, although I found it would mean less power.
Could you please give some guidance with regard the toe position of the extended legs in Bow stance as well as the meaning of “knee opens slanted inward on the front/bent knee”
Another question is on page 9 it mentioned that foot must move in an inside or outside curve according to the size of the posture. Inside curve meaning heel seek heel first then separate? And then what does outside curve means? I also do not understand the sentence “The knee must face the heel” Does that means the line of foot’s heel to toe must face same direction of line of hip to kneecap?
Thank you very much for your kind reply. I am looking forward to the day I can get the second and third book.
David Fadjar
