"Royal Dragon" Who Is He???

**Omar** · Posted On: 1/11/2006 11:10pm

Fist one, the twist stance looks basically pretty good excpet if your going to pose for a pic you should probably get that knee snugged up against the calf. I was always taught that they should touch. Things happen but your posing so . . .

The "square horse" looks great from the side. Good job with the tucked kua and the rounded back. That's hard and seldom seen being done right. To get critical though, your leaning forward a bit. Your shoulders aren't really centered over your hips. Based on the front on view in the second pic I'd say that you could maybe bring your knees again. They are slightly splayed out. Nothing like the comedy version yo posted of your "special friend" but still. I don't know nothin about no Taizu but for most southern stuff, the classic horse aims to get the lower leg pretty damn perpendicular to the floor from a front on view.

This goes hand in hand with your feet being not quite perfectly parallel. Could be the angle on the pic but to my eyes it looks like you feet are ever so slightly pointed out. They should be like on skiis which makes them feel the tiniest bit pigeon toed if you are not used to it.

I am being really picky here by the way.

I have mixed feelings about the super low cat stance. That looks damn impressive. In a way, the best of the bunch. I can't get that low without ruining the alignments through the back and sticking my ass out. But I also could never really justify the effort it takes for that kind of a stance since I have never really seen a use for it.

Another super minor point on the very last pic. and this may be just me, never did Taizu, only Hung Gar and a bunch of IMA stuff, I'd reccomend turning that front knee in just a little bit. It's a good habit and it protects your groin. Also, your hips aren't quite level.

These comments are really "hair tooth comb" kind of things. Overall they all look pretty good to me.

**Royal Dragon** · Posted On: 1/11/2006 11:23pm

Thank You for the comments! Tai Tzu uses fairly common Northern Shaolin Stances (Cha Fist, Northern Hong Fist), but some branches look more like the Chen Taiji version as well. It really depends on the line. In a style as old as Tai Tzu, you do get some variants.

In the fifth picture, I seem to have a really weird tension in my lead foot that is messing up my rooting, can you see it?

I did all these postures ice cold, no warmup about two hours ago..

**Bugeisha** · Posted On: 1/11/2006 11:23pm

Originally Posted by Omar

Fist one, the twist stance looks basically pretty good excpet if your going to pose for a pic you should probably get that knee snugged up against the calf. I was always taught that they should touch. Things happen but your posing so . . .

The "square horse" looks great from the side. Good job with the tucked kua and the rounded back. That's hard and seldom seen being done right. To get critical though, your leaning forward a bit. Your shoulders aren't really centered over your hips. Based on the front on view in the second pic I'd say that you could maybe bring your knees again. They are slightly splayed out. Nothing like the comedy version yo posted of your "special friend" but still. I don't know nothin about no Taizu but for most southern stuff, the classic horse aims to get the lower leg pretty damn perpendicular to the floor from a front on view.

This goes hand in hand with your feet being not quite perfectly parallel. Could be the angle on the pic but to my eyes it looks like you feet are ever so slightly pointed out. They should be like on skiis which makes them feel the tiniest bit pigeon toed if you are not used to it.

I am being really picky here by the way.

I have mixed feelings about the super low cat stance. That looks damn impressive. In a way, the best of the bunch. I can't get that low without ruining the alignments through the back and sticking my ass out. But I also could never really justify the effort it takes for that kind of a stance since I have never really seen a use for it.

Another super minor point on the very last pic. and this may be just me, never did Taizu, only Hung Gar and a bunch of IMA stuff, I'd reccomend turning that front knee in just a little bit. It's a good habit and it protects your groin. Also, your hips aren't quite level.

These comments are really "hair tooth comb" kind of things. Overall they all look pretty good to me.

+1

Even with my relative lack of CMA experience, I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw what's his face's pics. In my first class in Northern Mantis I was held to higher standards than those stances. Same when I sampled Baji. We practiced the stances 'till we could stand properly because without that basic structure all the fancy handwork in the world amounts to nothing. Blegh.

*Edit: By "what's his face" I meant Ron/Tsuruken, if that's who the first set of pics was.

**Omar** · Posted On: 1/11/2006 11:32pm

RD,

I saw something wierd in the 5th pic but you must have noticed that was the only pic I avoided commenting on. I don't have soft enough hips to do that one properly myself. Since I started with the Taiji I am getting there but I've never liked that one either. Did you figure out some kind of throw or something with that? The only place I have ever really bumped into that stance was with the Pigua sword I learned from YC Wong.

There seems to be more wrong than the front foot but I couldn't pick out anything really concrete so I figure I'd just keep silent. Now that you've pointed out the foot my question is, "Is the front foot supposed to be pointed forward like that or more parallel with the rear foot?" I've only learned variations with the foot much more parallel. I just got up and tried it but my groin is really not up to the task. I can go down there but if I add the postural stuff then it really takes more of a stretch though the groin than I can handle at present.

**Royal Dragon** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 6:48am

No it's not parrellel to the floor. You are stepping and must keep mobile. By steping with the heel it keeps you sprung, and ready to move. You see Chen style Taiji guys do it this way more often than anything,

As for applications, I have used it as a way to sort of slide in behind thier lead leg from the side. to initiate a trip. I have also been able to shift into a bow stance to continue the motion as a push as well. I really don't finnish from there, but that is more a testament to my lack of ground skills than anything.

**Omar** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 8:10am

I meant one foot parallel to the other foot.

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not

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and not
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**Royal Dragon** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 11:32am

Ahh, I see. basically I'm doing the Taiji version of the step, but the posture is more from Shaolin Wu Bu Chuan. I sort of Taijiified the step in that photo, but if you want to be a purist, you are correct, it is supposed to be more parellel, and the foot is flat, not heel first.

**meng_mao** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 12:57pm

RD, what's the hold up with the videos?

**Royal Dragon** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 1:49pm

The tapes are being shipped to me from Australia. It may be a while. Once I get them, I have to get them converted to a USA video format and transfered to DVD. Once that occures you guys will have to guide me as far as figuring out how to post them here. If need be, I'll ship a copy to Phrost or anyone who is willing to help out.

The important thing here is that this gets done one way, or another. This guy needs some light shed on him in a major way, I and I'm just the one to do it.

**JFS USA** · Posted On: 1/12/2006 2:12pm

Originally Posted by Cough/Cool

guys this is pure gold. Way to stick up for eachother!

In fact, I'm personally inviting Edgar to attend this Summer's Muther Mega TD as an Honored Guest.

I plan on attending this TD as well. It would be an honor to meet you as well as Sifu Edgar Liningston if he decides to attend.

You would be quite welcome. Just make sure you let me know in advance and check the Summer MMTD Thread as we are going to do crowd control by way of an attendee roster.