Forward Tension

Try this exercise:

 

From a tan sao position –

 

First Way:

  1. keep your wrist in place so that it does not move from its current location
  2. Transition into bon sao by just raising your elbow keeping you wrist in the same place throughout the movement
  3. Do this back an forth a few times and take notice how that movement feels

 

  1. Relax

 

Second Way:

  1. Go back into tan sao
  2. This time, instead of keeping your wrist in place the entire time apply a forward motion to the elbow and wrist –As you transition to bon sao, your elbow and wrist show move back slightly before it moves back forward. As you transition between the 2, maintain this forward motion.  if you are doing this correctly, you will be making a “C” like motion in the air with your elbow.

 

Although the techniques being done are the same, you can feel that the second way yields more power.  It is this forward motion that we need to maintain during attack as well as defense. This forward motion will prevent your arms from collapsing in when pressure is applied against it. This is the same forward tension that is used during chi sao

 

 

Try to incorporate this in all your moves