How to use internal power in throwing?

[Bodywork]

I wouldn't put too much stock in any notion of belts and Hakamas. I've not only been wearing them for years, I play with others who have as well. Sorry...not impressed.
I hate my hakama and wear it when I have to. Though I am extremely conversant in grappling with a gi-I hate that too. I prefer to train in sweats, and occasionally in street clothes, as that is what I will be wearing when the shit hits the fan. Not double stitched thick canvas keikogi.

No back panel (soft or hard), no knot in a belt, nothing… will aid you in training your intent but... TRAINING your intent!!!

As time goes on, I am ever more convinced that the practitioners of the Japanese and Chinese arts are losing the ideas of internal, and opting for waza. No hakama or belt will fix that, or offer the slightest aid to the higher levels of training. Not one wit.

[I-mon]

ok i shouldn't have said they make a big difference, just a noticeable difference, in the feeling of body shape.

[D_Glenn]

Kreese, "Really? Is that a bagua specific ZZ? You don't recommend just relaxing and worrying about gross structure at first? Just wondering."

I don't know. I don't think so. Intent has a connection with the eyes. Most of the ZZ I've seen looks at the hands. Structure of the postures to me is done more like the standing poses in yoga- like the tree and warrior poses- at least the similar activation of areas/groups. Intent to the extremities clears out blockage and stagnation, so the greater the intent the faster the process, one is already standing for a long time, that practice should be optimal not wasted. "the way you cheat your practice is the way it cheats you.". Some qigong is about 'gathering' with a different intent but for the most part I think the martial ZZ is done with strong outward intent.

"Breathing will burn visceral fat around the organs? I can see fali helping, but just breathing? Are you talking about reverse or normal breathing? I find that eating less and moving a lot helps to burn visceral fat (went from 33" waist to 30-31" waist recently). Years of taiji and ZZ actually increased the size of my waist."

I said 'abdomen breathing' but what I meant was the expansion outward of the abdomen from the dantian while contracting inward from the surrounding area, particularly the area of the belt meridian and lifting huiyan. Breathing is what it is inside of that. I don't know what these terms mean to you but I would say 99% of the time when striking/fali it is like reverse breathing- air comes out but it makes a low gutteral 'hen' sound. 1% of the time when fali it is like abdominal breathing and a loud 'ha' sound is made.

If already skinny than I would imagine it would just be a build-up of flesh surrounding the organs. From my experiences that dantian area is nothing like a beer belly actually hard as a rock, and ideally if doing the proper contracting of belt meridian not really protuding much further out than the pubic bone. Aslo contracting in is key to not getting a hernia.

The mingmen thing is the tucking the sacrum- mingmen open, untucking the sacrum- mingmen closed. Dantian in between qihai and mingmen - sacrum tucks- jarrs the organs/dantian- mingmen is open- the path follows the du meridian up and out to the arms.

I've heard a good theory on the japanese throwing arts- they cheat the intent part by wearing the belt with the large knot tied tightly directly over qihai point. If you have a belt you can try it out and see the difference in the feeling, and/or what the feeling should be like, especially feel the difference in lifting something. Probably similar concept to a lifting belt.

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The key word above is cheat the intent. As in 'cheating' themselves. Its like a crutch. Again "the way you cheat your practice is the way it cheats you.".
Everything we need to practice in our Chinese style is inside our own body, no outside implements, gear, or contraptions. Although it is cool to have the dadao to throw around every once in a while.


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[kreese]

Thanks for taking my questions in the right spirit.

I am sort of at odds right now about how much 'intent' to use when doing standing postures. I find that too much can lead to a sort of mental tension, but it does seem to increase power. Too little, and I am wasting my time.

re: abdomen. Whether it was flesh or fat, I was surprised I'd ever see my waist get smaller. The subcutaneous fat is about the same, but my pants are huge now. I know, I know. 33", big deal. But that's due to the freakin' tolerance Americans have developed to fat people. Also, biscuits & gravy are delicious after drinking...

Thanks, man.