Improve Your Basic

 In a class with Sifu we spend a lot of time Standing to help open our 'little idea.' I've mentioned this before and I said clearly that it is not just standing we are improving our basic. These are things that never change regardless of what we are doing. In Chi Sau, fighting, completing the form we should always keep our basic the same, and ignore any external forces.

So what is the basic?

1. No 'Big Idea': It is important not to think about what you are doing with the big idea, don't concentrate to hard, don't think about training or improving, don't feel, don't doubt yourself, don't want to do anything. This is probably the most important one as thinking like this will block you using your little idea.
2. Balance: Not just side to side, but vertical. Imagine a pencil balancing on its point; it can fall any direction just like us.
3. Rotate your joints: any adjustments to your body should come from your little idea including rotating your shoulder joints back and down.
4. Lift the anus: imagine you are making a straight light with your spine and you are lifting it from the bottom, and it is being pulled from the top
5. Naturally relaxed: when you are relaxed it should be natural, don't force it. As long as it isn't tense it is relaxed, it shouldn't be floppy. Separate the muscles from the spine to open up the chest.
6. Finally you must improve it all with your little idea, Don't be scared of it. Subtle gentle movements with the little idea. If you are scared of moving for fear of using the big idea, you will be using that big idea!