Friday, May 27, 2011

Notes in the Raw #28

Deeper theory explains the previous theory
- You can use connection to explain separation, but not the other way around.

Go for depth.

The Whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Notice what connects - I have a tendency to put too much energy in a specific issue, and not notice what's related. Notice The Patterns.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Optimal Force - Motion Analysis of Tai Chi

In lieu of my regular "Notes in the Raw" format, I would really like to share a video clip I found on a friend's blog. His blog "Cook Ding's Kitchen" regularly collects some very interesting martial arts and cultural data from around the world. This particular selection is from an article of his entitled "Motion Research on Martial Arts".

Go Here and click the Video called "Student Project: Tai Chi"


What you're going to see is a kinematic analysis of Tai Chi master Chen Xiang demonstrating some very powerful strikes, along with some student hypotheses about what makes these strikes so effective. One cool thing is how the students are thinking about the underlying factors and making some guesses. Another cool thing is how much precision they discover in Chen Xiang's movement. And there are more cool things! So go check it out, and see what YOU like and what inspires you.