Unbendable Arm Tai Chi Exercise

Video Transcript

"In this segment we're going to be showing you a partner exercise called the unbendable arm. And what this helps us to develop is a sense of really good structure and not using muscle strength to keep ourselves in structure with integrity. So what we do is a person stands in front, you turn your whole arm upward, palm up, and arm out. And the other person brings their hand right on your elbow. So this is very vulnerable from my position. So as soon as he pulls down, if I try and use strength, he's pulling on a hinge. The hinge is going to bend. I can't use strength against him. Particular, you find somebody who's somewhat similar in strength level. But if I come here, I push my back foot down, feel my whole body in alignment, feel my hip connected into my shoulder, my shoulder is rotated so that it's open, my elbow is up, my fingertips feel like there is a hose running out of them. And you can take a moment, get yourself aligned, this person's hand, just very lightly touching so that you don't feel a need to use strength. And then when you're ready, you get in a good alignment. Set in your mind, set out through your fingertips, the person slow starts to add pressure. So you let them continue to add pressure, and if you find yourself really resisting, again the other person can use their sensitivity to let go a little bit or you can let them, or ask them to let go. But instead you let them keep pulling, keep pulling, keep pulling and I'm very relaxed, I'm not engaging my muscles, I'm just keeping a very good structure. But you see it's affecting me to a certain extent, but look at all the effort that he's putting into this, but I'm not putting a lot of effort. Now if I really use my mind, is not any problem at all. I'm talking now so I have to engage a little bit, but still he's unable to pull down. Now if he releases, and now he pulls down again and I try and engage him, he's going to pull me down because he has the advantage. No different than a grappling type movement that the hinge is going to bend, so how can I just use my muscle to hold that hinge together."