|
Sample Student Video Evaluation |
||
| Hi ____, Congratulations - your tape was well done - you are making significant progress! Your tape was filled with lots of high quality movement and grace. You are moving with reasonable ease and flow. Once Certified, you will receive your Certificate and additional 4 Minute Fitness seminar tape by mail. Of course, I have lots of comments designed to improve your movement and are not in any way to be seen as criticism. Following are some clips I took from the tape along with some comments.
4 MINUTE FITNESS In General Remember to SMILE through all the movements! This is especially important for personal benefits and the possibility that you may be teaching the smiling in your classes one day. You have incorporated good breathing technique within the movements -- I would encourage you now to work on breathing even deeper. You have developed a good pace - very graceful. Be sure to complete each move before sliding into the next move. 4 Minute Fitness - #1 Photo One
Great stance - solid, with the knees safely pushing over the feet. Shoulders relaxed. Sink a Little Lower Your stance here is lovely - nice and upright green line. You can drop a little more if it feels OK to do so. The extra drop will definitely increase flexibility and strength. Keep pushing forward over your feet, continuing to drop your bottom between the feet for more stretching potential. But be sure your bottom doesn't go behind the feet at the end of the move as you go lower. Be sure to come up s l o w l y... to maximize strength building potential. View this Video Clip - (clip only available to registered students) 4 Minute Fitness - #2 Photo One
Sink into wider Stance The key to "stepping" into the posture with the free foot is in not "stepping" So, when moving the free leg into position, SINK onto the weight bearing leg (1.), then let the free leg slowly move to the right (2.). The more you sink, the lower you will go! So there no "step". Again, please review the walking section at the beginning of the tai chi tape. View this video clip - (clip only available to registered students) Also - your right foot (red circle) is in a weird position. Just let it hang down and relax. 4 Minute Fitness #3 Photo One
Less Hip Movement Another good move, but a little exaggerated. You are getting good back exercise, but you do not need as much hip movement. The red line shows your hips turning way too much, collapsing your right knee (see arrow). The green line show us where your hips should stay. This extra movement could also be a little hard on the lower back. It is important to keep the hips much more parallel to the front wall (see green line). When the hips move too much, the spinal exercise value could be lost. By holding the hips still at the front and turning the shoulders, they form an X from above (see below). This represents a torsion on each vertebrae and significantly increases the value of the move.
This is a different move, but it still demonstrates the "X". View this video clip - (clip only available to registered students) 4 Minute fitness #4 Photo One
.Weight Shift You need to shift your weight more over the supporting foot -see red + (more weight) and red - (less weight) and compare to my photo. You have kept your weight 50:50. It needs to shift over the left leg so you can sink onto the left hip (into posture) and rotate and stretch the hip joint. Your right foot can move in order to avoid strain if needed. Reach to Corners, not Sides You have a great reach. If you reach more to the corners, you will feel more of a spinal rotation. you still get the hip stretch, but will get a little more spinal exercise. View this video clip - (clip only available to registered students)
4 Minute Fitness #5 Photo One
Good Upper Back Arch (but do not drop head back) You have a good arch in the upper back (green arch), but be careful not to drop your head - it has gone too far back, potentially causing damage. Key is to push the chest out and up - green arrow. A side view would have been helpful here.
You have a good width of stance (green line) View this video clip - (clip only available to registered students) Yes, yes, yes! Did you leave it out on purpose, or just forget. This is my favorite part as I begin the day.. IMPORTANT - as part of your package, I will be sending a 4 Minute Fitness Seminar video. Please work through it as if you were a participant and take note of and include subtle details.
EASY TAI CHI In General 1. Slow your leg movement Your upper body movements were beautiful and wonderfully slow. You can increase the grace, and improve balance by slowing your leg movements. You stepped a little contingentquickly into almost every posture, creating disharmony between the upper and lower body. I love to feel that all parts move at the same speed, so legs move at the same speed as the arms. But do not "step"! Simply sink lower on the supporting leg, then gracefully and slowly extend the free (unsubstantial) leg. The farther down you sink, the longer the stance will be.
2. Increase waist movement (qua) You had very little waist movement in your form, especially in the in the first series -- Partition of Wild Horses Mane. It is vital that you begin to understand this concept so please review the video and video clips carefully and let me know if you have any questions. By stopping the hips and continuing the shoulder rotation, you gently and effectively rotate each vertebrae. This movement shows up as lines in your shirt (qua). The easiest move is in Partition, but powerful waist action can be achieved commonly in Repulse Monkey, Snake Creeps Down, and Wave Hands. 3. Sink into each stance Remember that we do not "step" into each stance, we sink down on the supporting leg and gently and gracefully place the forward foot into position. You can apply this to every single moving posture to increase grace and challenge balance. Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) 4. Flow Now that you have the basic movements, you need to focus on completing each movement and then adding some flow between the movements. Sometimes people at flow at the expense of completing each move -- in other words, they "mush" all the moves together. Once the move is complete, it is important to leave virtually no space between each movements. This will add flow, reducing the stop-start aspects of the movements. Please watch - (clip only available to registered students) 5. Legs Lifted Too High In general -- you don't need to lift your knee up as high as you are when placing your leg into posture. Have a look at the video and you will note that my knee comes just high enough to be able to place the leg gracefully into position. Tai Chi - Partition Photo One
Hips closed One of the keys in quality movement is closing the hips. In the top photo, your back (driving) hip needs to rotate closed (see lower red arrow). Your shoulder is also open -- it should also rotate so it is parallel to the direction you are facing in exactly the same way the hip needs to become parallel (see upper red arrow). Most people "lunge" with the front foot rather than close the hips - you have no lunge happening in the top photo (see green line at knees) but more of a lunge happening in the bottom photo (see red line at knee). See how the left knee pushes forward a little bit while the hips and the shoulders remain open?
Watch this - (clip only available to registered students) Your upright posture is terrific and the width of your balanced stance is perfect. (upper green line) More Waist I couldn't get a photo demonstrating lack of waist because you aren't holding the ball off in either direction. Please review the video (the beach ball section) and the video clip below. This is the most important thing you need to incorporate within your movements. One of the key secrets in developing flexibility of the spine is working the waist. You have good flow within the movements, but you are not doing what you need to do to rotate the vertebrae.
Note how may hands have stayed directly in front of my chest. The shoulders have rotated more than the hips (see lines in shirt, indicating maximum back exercise), but I have not lost my arms and hands to the back. They always stay directly in front of the chest in this move. Note the circle and space from my chest. Watch this - (clip only available to registered students)
Continue on top right of this page... Click here |
Page 2 This is a challenging move. Your move is graceful and flowing, but needs some structural attention. Please review the video carefully with emphasis on my comments below. Square Hips - Photo One
1. You need to sink and square into the final posture position (both red lines should be parallel to the direction you're facing -- in this case, both your shoulder and hips haven't dropped into a parallel position). As you sink back, drop your right hip so it is parallel to the front wall (if you were inside). Notice my photo - the width of stance and the squared hips. 2. Always be sure you don't lock a joint. The lower arrow demonstrates a locked knee -- we want to keep weight off that foot, but always keep the knee slightly bent. You have a good width of stance (lower green line) and your extended arm is in an excellent posture (upper green line). Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) ADVANCED Concept Tai Chi - Single Whip - Both Times Photo One - First Single Whip
Close Hips At this point, your hips and shoulders should be "closed" - parallel to the front wall (if you were inside). Be sure to complete the posture in the same fashion as in Partition - the right hip must close fully (in the direction of the red arrow). When you move your right into a square position, let your right shoulder follow along so it also becomes parallel (upper red arrow). Your right knee is perfect - nice and upright, so be sure it stays that way as you complete the hip turn. The back foot is elevated. Always be sure both feet are on the ground at the finish of any posture. Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) Single Whip Two Photo 2
Same concepts apply here. Both hips and shoulders haven't closed (red lines). They should end up facing in the direction that I have shown with the green lines. As well, you have "in stepped" (narrow stance) in your posture when you stepped into Single Whip. This happens when you fail to make a wide enough step with your right leg, making it very difficult to close your hips and shoulders. Be sure to step well over as you are moving into this posture. Your left foot hasn't turned (see red circle) -- this will also make it difficult to close your hips. Check the video to understand when to turn the foot in preparation for Single Whip. Review this clip in detail - (clip only available to registered students) Tai Chi - Snake Creeps Down Photo One The most difficult move, and the move you demonstrated with the a best skill level.
Your back foot is open and the knee is pushing over it and stable (green lines), the stance is wide and athletic and your body is relaxed. It is very unusual for anyone to do this move as well in such a short time!
Stop the LEAN Watch the forward lean (red line). People tend to bend forward rather than sinking on the back leg. Sink down, but stay more upright if you can. Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) Left Elbow Keep your upper elbow relaxed -- simply hanging down. I have circled your elbow in a tight and awkward position. You make the same mistake on both sides, so pay attention to the elbow. Extended (Front) Leg Only comment - be sure that your front knee isn't locked. Should have a slight bend. Please watch this video - (clip only available to registered students)
Kicks Please watch this clip - (clip only available to registered students) Tai Chi - Wave Hands Photo One
I like this move. You have a reasonably wide stance (green line) and you have the beginning of some waist action (see the lines developing in your shirt). Good flow as well.
Sinking into Next Stance To advance the skill level, rather than stepping into each move, sink on the supporting leg as low as you can, then slide the insubstantial leg out to its position. The lower you go, the father that leg can reach without falling or stepping onto it prematurely. This demonstrates greater strength and control and adds to the beauty and grace of the move.
Tai Chi - High Pat on Horse Photo One
Weight Distribution In the above photo, all weight should be on the back leg with the front leg just touching, bearing almost no weight.
|
|
