How to project a forward force. Now that your front foot is angle 45 degrees outward, keep the foot at that angle, and set the toes down flat on the ground, and shift the weight down on that leg, forward, in that 45 degree angled direction.
That is sort of the “outer shell” look of it.
But now let’s get into the subtle, nitty gritty, fine-point details.
First, point your shoulder in that direction, as though you are pushing a door open with your shoulder because your hands are full. What this will do is rotate your waist inwards – the opposite direction from Step Two.
Second, very very subtly and slightly, as you shift your weight forward, to a microscopic degree, bow both your legs outward.
Third, slightly rotate your pelvis UPWARD, as though you are trying to lift a car to send over a cliff! This can be a little tricky, because you are shifting your weight downward onto your legs, and slightly bowing them out. So practice this step without thinking too much about the First and Second points. Once you can feel that idea, combine all three of these points.
So all in all, there’s three energy directions going on at once in this step:
Downward – the lead shoulder and leg.
Across Outward – splitting the energy outward slightly with both legs/hips.
Upward – the pelvis rotation.
Some bonus details:
-keep the spine and neck aligned.
-feel the push off of the back foot as you do the movement.
The outer appearance of the Tai Chi Walk looks simple enough. But if you add the Fine-Point details and the Bonus details, you will be contributing greatly to your strength, structure, and ability to generate subtle “hidden” energy!
