Choy Lee Fut "Plus" on Keeping Your Balance
Even though by thinking the worst, I will probably doom myself into taking a fall outside, while the sidewalk is frozen, I can still practice as if I were going to successfully maintain my balance.
Tom Yung wrote in with some good tips. I think it's the imagery more than the actual technique. First, read his tips, then we can discuss a little martial visualization:
They can freeze up, be slippery or both.
Whenever I have to use physical force outside, I always put my ball part of the foot down so 5 toes and the ball of the foot are touching the ground first.
They act like a sucking cup and finally my heels. In the Choy Lee Fut system, we called it 7 stars. try it, may be it will work for you and the readers.
-- Tom Yung (choy lee fut & jiujitsu guy)
Great imagery to try ... the next time I go outside.
I don't think it's as important to find the exact position as it is to "think" about the right position.
It has to do with imagining five suction cups sticking to the ground. By thinking about it the right way, you force yourself into a good position.
Your imagery may not be suction cups, but if you find the right picture to plant in your mind, you'll be successful at keeping your balance.
It's exactly like improving the power of your punch. A lot of really naive martial artists out there skimmed (and illegally copied) one of the articles in The Punch Papers about developing power. They mistakenly believe that punching a wall will make their punches much stronger.
Wrong.
They missed the part about the imagery to place in their mind. Without the right mental photograph, they are just punching a surface that doesn't have any give.
With the image that I provide, they would notice a difference in their punch power after just one session. Imagine their improvement after a few weeks or a month!
The next time you have to balance on a slick surface, plant the right mental image in your head, first.
So, what's the right mental image?
The one that allows you to stay balanced, of course.
Answer to your next unasked question: By trial and error. Keep practicing and picturing, until you find just the right thought.
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