In Tai Chi and in Qigong, it is not uncommon to have to turn and step at 90º to the left or right. This is where balance, good posture, and leg strength become very important. Falling into a step. What tends to happen when stepping to the left or right is that people tend to 'fall' into the new step, they do not step under control. This means that, for the briefest of moments, just before the stepping foot arrives on the ground, they are falling and therefore unable to sto

In Tai Chi & in Qigong, we are always moving forward, backward, left and right. If you can understand the differences and similarities between 'ordinary' walking, and Tai Chi & Qigong walking, it makes learning those arts easier. How you step one pace forward when walking. You place (e.g.) the right heel and move the weight forward towards the ball of the right big toe. As the weight transfers forwards on to the ball of the right foot, the body elongates on a vertical axis.

If you want to take a step forwards, it’s impossible to move efficiently if you still have weight on one foot, even a minute percentage.

The main point is that you keep dropping in order to step, and what most people do is to drop, then stop dropping, and then stick the foot..

From a standing position: 1) Suck in your abdominal muscles, (thereby connecting the upper thigh to the torso). 2) When you can, draw...