HOW TO CONNECT YOUR ARMS AND WAIST IN tai chi

Advice and recommendations from the great masters on the use of the waist, including examples by Bruce Lee, Sifu Yin-Yang Eyebrow and teapotmonk.

The Role of the Waist: Bruce Lee

Back in the early 80s I started learning with Sifu Yin Yang Eyebrow who taught a style so flowery that you could have planted it in a window box. I loved its exotic hand and wrist moves that he appeared to have borrowed directly from flamenco. Such movements reminded me of a back alley fight from Way of the Dragon and as much as I wanted to imitate Bruce Lee, doing so would not help me understand the role of the waist.

The role of the Waist: Sifu Yin Yang Eyebrow

​When I asked Sifu: "Don't the arms derive their strength from the waist?" he said stop asking stupid questions and to keep practising the 8 Inner-Aardvark Shaolin Breaths.”

In my next class with the legendary Sifu Yin-Yang Eyebrow, I studied his movements with greater detail, and in particular his waist and wondered if it followed nothing more than his rather dubious dietary habits. When I mentioned this idea (more courage was required), he scoffed at me (as I'm convinced he did with those Custard Tarts before each class) and defensively pointed out, that contrary to popular opinion, his belly was not full of custard, but rather overflowing with Qi.

Qi Belly or…?

The big question. Do middle-aged male teachers have qi bellies or just custard tart appetites?

At which point I raised an eyebrow or two of my own. And, eventually, inevitably, my mind and wrists ached so much, I dropped his style. I walked cat-like (trying to imitate Bruce Lee again) out of the school, ducking under the Sifu Yin-Yangs personal philosophy pinned above the main entrance.

Watch out

Taoism is so open to interpretation, even Sifu Yin Yang Eyebrow can find something to argue his position from.

At home, I perused the Tai Chi Classics and discovered that the arms should not move independently from the waist. Also that the the waist should "follow the mind", which if I'm honest, didn't help at all. They might as well have advised that the waist follows the whim of Neptune's Trident or the breath of a middle-aged dragon.

Waist, Arms & the Mind.

So what does it mean for the mind to lead the waist or the arms? Because as much as it sounds very Eastern and profound, I'm tempted to say that we often do too much mind leading as it is. Shouldn't we be turning down rather than amplifying the sound?

​Ultimately, I suppose, whatever explanation you find, whatever style you practice and under whomsoever's tutelage you eventually study, you have to decide for yourself.

What is probably more important is we find something that makes sense to each of us. As long as we are not silencing another, harming another or exploiting another, then, my advice is to take what you will and make it work for you. And not worry too much about that the rest of the planet is getting up to.

​Exercises to Connect Your Arms to Your waist

For me it is less of a transcendental explanation, but one grounded in basic physiology. Connecting the movements of the limbs to the centre axis of the body makes sense. Forget thinking about it, just relax and let your waist express itself through your limbs. If you want to really understand this, try practising with a sword, as - paradoxically - using an object in your arm really helps you take your mind out of your limbs and back into your centre.

And being centred will help with any mind/body activity - and by that I don't just mean tai chi, yoga or meditation, I mean washing the dishes, walking the dog, doing a 10 minute workout or take it further and try overthrowing a corrupt regime (there rare plenty out there to choose from).

Obviously, some may point out that the easiest way to connect your arms to your waist is though birth. This is true, but failing that, you could try these few simple exercises that will help reconnect your disparate limbs to your body. ​

WHY we CONNECT to THE WAIST

When you are moving as a single unit and ready to take on the world with loose shoulders, a loose tongue and slippery hips, try this yielding exercise below. In these days of social unrest it may prove useful when confronting armed-agents of the state, disruptive coffee queues, or when storming your very own Winter palace with your local vanguard friends.

WHAT NEXT TO DO?

• Keep flowing and learning with:

  👉 Continue your Development of Flow by learning how to embrace it in daily life in this special Tai Chi module available now.

  👉 Give yourself a real challenge: Close down one sense, and see what happens to the others in this SILENT WORKSHOP

• What ways do you practice that help with this waist-limb conundrum? Leave a comment or exercise below for others to try...