Five Loosening Exercises 松身五法
These exercises are also known as Song Shen Wa Fa, and they are a set of Tai Chi exercises developed by Master Huang Xingxiang and used by many practitioners to cultivate Song in their bodies. It is thought that these exercises contain most of what one needs to achieve Song and have a very good understanding of important Tai Chi concepts.How to do the Exercises
- Swinging the arms around the body while twisting the waist.
- Lift the arms, elbows up, towards the level of the shoulders, keeping the forearms extended.
- Close the right hip and at the same time drop the arms. Start the arm motion at the scapula, then start bending the elbows, then the wrists. As the waist turns, the right arm should swing behind you, closing the right shoulder and the left arm should swing in front of you, with the left shoulder open.
- Open the right hip to where the hips are moving back to neutral. While doing so, raise the arms back to the original position with the elbows up and the forearms extended.
- Close the left hip and at the same time drop the arms. Start the arm motion at the scapula, then start bending the elbows, then the wrists. As the waist turns, the right arm should swing behind you, closing the right shoulder and the left arm should swing in front of you, with the left shoulder open.
- Repeat...
- Swinging the arms to the front while moving up and down
- Lift both arms, elbows up, towards the level of the shoulders, keeping the forearms extended.
- Drop the arms, starting the motion at the scapula, then bending the elbows, then the wrists until the arms cross in the front. While you are doing this, start bending the knees to lower the stance.
- Repeat 1 and 2 3-4 times as you slowly and uniformly lower the stance.
- Repeat 1 and 2 3-4 times as you slowly and uniformly raise the stance.
- Repeat...
- Swinging the arms forward and back, while twisting the waist.
- Open the right hip and right shoulder and allow the right hand to swing forward, perpendicular to the body.
- Allow the right arm to swing forward until it is almost even with the height of the shoulder.
- Close the right hip and right shoulder, causing the wrist to bend and the right hand to come back, while the left shoulder and hip open and the left arm swings forward.
- Repeat...
- Brushing the floor
- todo...
- Shifting the Stance
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Videos of the Five Loosening Exercises
- Huang Xingxiang demonstrates the five loosening exercises.
- Adam Mizner demonstrates the five loosening exercises
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