Here’s just a list of common mistakes I see!
Mistake #1 Anterior Pelvic Tilt
We call this the J-Lo Butt. There are a few reasons that causes this. First, some people associate standing up straight with an anterior pelvic tilt. Second, in the Fist Guidance we say 命門後突 (Ming Men Hou Tu). This translates to stick out your Ming Men pressure point. Ming Men is located on the backside, directly behind the naval. Some people try to stick out their Ming Men and end up sticking out their butt.
The problem with sticking out your butt is your upper body is disconnected with your lower body. It is fine if you are doing flashy whippy moves. But goes against most internal styles because we are hitting with the frame [of the body], not the limbs.
Here is a picture of the location of the Ming Men pressure point:
Mistake #2: Posterior Pelvic Tilt
This is the reverse J-Lo Butt. We call this the MJ Crotch Grab…
This is less of a problem than the anterior pelvic tilt. Most guidance calls for a posterior tilt, especially if the stance is wider. In a wide front (bow/forward) stance, the posterior tilt brings the hips to neutral, which is parallel to the ground. However, it’s easier to over do it and go beyond neutral on a narrower stance.
Mistake #3: Super Straight Arms
This violates the Five-Bow-Principle. The five bows are your 4 limbs & spine. All five bows should have “bow structure” or “bow power” to support structural integrity. Imagine a bow that is tightened with its string, this means the bow is tensed and curved. Straight arms is not bow arms.
Mistake #4: Pointy Elbows
This is the opposite of straight arms. If your arms were a bow, and you tightened it with a strong from your shoulder to your hands, the bow would snap because of the pointiness. To be able to support the pressure, the bow has to be bent and rounded.
Mistake #5: Chin NOT Tucked
Makes you vulnerable to a knock out.
Mistake #6: Raised/Tensed shoulders
In Chinese we call it Duan Jian Bang (端肩膀), literally means “lifting shoulders.” Usually this happens when you just started out and haven’t practiced a lot. You are still fighting structure with “muscles” instead of learning to exhale and relax. The solution is to stand more, stand longer, without breaks. You need to get so fed up and so tired you finally exhale & relax and let the structure fall into place. This happens probably around the 20-minute mark.
Mistake #8: No Space Under Armpit
The guiding principle in Chinese is Ye Xia Rong Qiu (腋下容球), meaning you can place a ball (think tennis ball) under the armpit. If there is no space, your structure is collapsed inward and you can’t push against outside force.
One of the most popular moves in Bagua is Ye Xia Cang Hua (葉下藏花), hidden flower under the leaf. “Leaf” is pronounced Ye, which is the same as armpit. You can’t hide the flower under the leaf/armpit if there is no space.
Mistake #9: Incorrect Alignment
Nose, index finger of lead hand, and big toe of lead hand should be on ONE plane. Align everything to the center line, and squeeze the center line.
Use the center line, protect the center line, attack the center line.
Mistake #10: No Ding Jing (Forward Pressure) on Front Knee
This is one of the most common mistakes because people want to imitate the masters and have a 60/40 or 70/30 weight distribution. Usually what happens is people lose Ding Jing (頂勁), forward pressure, in the front knee. If your opponent were to stomp kick your knee, you would have no support to push against it. What usually follows is also mistake #1 the J-Lo Butt because you’re trying to force more weight on the back leg before building structure.
We do 50/50 weight distribution until you have strong enough legs and strong enough structure. This is THE CORE FOUNDATION of your stance. Don’t skip.
After you have good structure, you can move to 60/40, or 70/30, or even 90/10.
Mistake #11: Back Foot >45 Degrees
It’s easier, it feels nicer to have your back leg angled out at a wider degree. It feels more stable, it feels more relaxed. And that’s why it’s wrong.
You lose agility and mobility.
If you want comfort, go sit on a couch.
The guidance is 30 degrees to 45 degrees. The MAX is 45 degrees.
The smaller the degree, the more forward leap and push off you can get.
Nobody sprints with their feet angled outwards.
There you have it. Fix all of that, you’re off to a great start. Next step is develop gong & structure through standing. There are very specific guidance to how long to stand and what you are seeking for at each stage. Next post I will write about is: How Long Should You Hold Xingyi Santi Posture? A Guide for Practitioners
