On Injuring Oneself

by Stephen May

When new students first come to the studio, I ask if they have done anything like T’ai Chi before. Often the answer is either “no” or “some yoga.” But sometimes they have come from another martial art, such as taekwondo or karate. They report injuries that have made it impossible to continue with the art they studied for so long, but they still want to remain active. The gentleness of T’ai Chi appeals to them, and they want to give it a try. Little do they know that injuries are possible even in T’ai Chi, and, ironically, they are usually self-inflicted, often as a result of incorrect practice. The following gives a few examples and is far from exhaustive.

Warm-Ups and Solo Form

In the middle of the warm-ups, we do a simple swinging motion, turning the body from side to side to twist and loosen the spine. The next routine, called song gong, is too often taken to be a continuation of that turning. But here, the motion is not side to side; it is up and down. Turning the waist too far will start to pull the knee in toward the center, and the knee is not designed to bend that way. The hip, knee, and ankle of the weighted leg should form a straight vertical line, and the knee should be moving forward directly over the foot (which is pointing forward).

The same thing happens in transitions into bow stances. The rear foot will often be 90 degrees from the final direction, and the step is in the new direction. There is sometimes a tendency to fall into the new direction, but that also stresses the inside of the weighted knee. I often explain that the legs are the same length, and when standing in a wuji stance, the student's legs form a narrow isosceles triangle (imagine two lines running up the insides of the legs and converging at the groin; the base of the triangle runs between the heels). When stepping out in any direction, one leg of the triangle needs to become longer than the other. If touching with the toe, one can extend the foot and lengthen the leg that way. But if touching with the heel, the only choice for making controlled contact with the floor is to shorten the weight-bearing leg. For this, the knee again bends forward directly over the foot in order to avoid straining the inside of the knee (its weakest side).

Sometimes students will go much too far forward, so that the knee extends beyond the toes. This is an example of overextension and will also strain the knee. Some students have come to us to work on balance issues or knee issues, but they give up after a few weeks, saying things have gotten worse. While we cannot diagnose their problems, we can observe and try to help avoid further injuries from incorrect practice.

[If you are experiencing discomfort above or below the knee, you may be simply strengthening muscles. If you are experiencing discomfort on the sides of the knee, especially the inside, you may be injuring yourself. Stop and check in with an instructor.]

Roll Back also presents a special case, not because it may itself cause an injury but because it can develop habits that may lead to injury later. I tell students that there are many health benefits to T’ai Chi, and it is very easy to cheat themselves of those benefits. In this case, the gentle shifting of the weight from front foot to back (and forward again with Press) will start to strengthen the thighs. But quite often, after Ward Off Right, students will immediately shift back to have the weight distributed equally on both feet. It’s more comfortable that way. But it also means they are not learning to be aware of weight distribution, and that can cause injuries later (see the Symmetries below).

Weapons

In the cane form, the cane several times circles the head, moving over the top of the head with the tip hanging down along the back. This is an excellent opportunity to stretch the arm, but many students will instead duck the head. While it may be a little comical to watch, at least it won’t hurt. In the sabre form, however, they will make the same movement, and, unlike the cane, the sabre is not a straight stick but has a guard extending a few inches away from the hilt of the sabre itself. If they have not become accustomed to how far the arm must move to clear the head, they find the sabre guard hitting them.

We encourage the use of lightweight weapons when learning the forms, but there is also a drawback in that practice. It is very easy to move a light weapon around with just the arms, no waist turn. The first time students try a heavier weapon, it is soon apparent if they have been relying on the arms to do everything instead of involving the whole body. Forcing oneself to continue in the familiar way can lead to strain or injury. It will be better to relearn the form correctly.

Partner Work

Partner work obviously presents the greatest opportunity for injury. But because we ask everyone to try to be slow, soft, smooth, and sensitive, accidental unexpected contact with a partner will probably do nothing serious. However, that should not be taken for granted, and even here, injuries may be self-inflicted.

In the Push-Hands drills, students are usually expected to shift back and forth and turn the waist (there are a very few exceptions to this). These motions are usually necessary for the correct application of the technique in question. If the students in a given pairing are both accustomed to not doing these things, then there may be surprises when one of them is paired with a student who is accustomed to shifting and turning (especially shifting). It will probably be nothing serious, but too often, the tendency is to put the new partner at fault, when in fact the one facing “injury” has been inattentive. And it is all made worse simply by going too fast.

The Symmetries compound the problems of the drills. While the drills are designed to develop sensitivity in a limited number of techniques, the Symmetries are designed to demonstrate a technique for every posture in the Solo Form. The drills are repetitive, and students may spend several minutes doing the same simple thing over and over. The Symmetries, on the other hand, do not repeat but move “quickly” to the next posture technique. It is here that habits, good or bad, become manifest.

Several posture techniques require a basic understanding of a Ward Off shape, that protective rounded arm that is rooted in the feet, not moving on its own. In postures such as Ward Off Left or Parting Wild Horse’s Mane, students will step in so closely to their partners that the Ward Off collapses, often flat against the chest. Then, instead of using a strong arm shape to issue energy from the legs (energy that has already been spent just in moving forward), they will try to move their partners using just the shoulder or (worse yet) just the elbow. Few of us have the muscle strength to move someone in that way, and the potential for injuring oneself becomes obvious. (Those who do have that muscle strength also have noticeable difficulty in learning the proper technique, since for them, the habit of muscle is easier.)

Another prime example occurs with Withdraw & Push. If the 50-50 weightedness of an incorrect Roll Back has become a firm habit, then this time it is the partner who faces injury. The T’ai Chi person is expected to make a momentary sharp tug (called pluck) on the partner’s arm, causing the partner to move laterally to a new position. If the partner is alert to the proper weight distribution and keeps the weight on the back leg, then it is easy to ride out the pluck and move in the desired direction.

But if the partner is in that comfortable 50-50 position of an incorrect Roll Back, the partner will be more rooted and unable to move easily. All the pluck energy is going into the shoulder, which quickly becomes uncomfortable. The tendency too often is to ask the T’ai Chi partner not to pluck, as if the fault lay there (and the T’ai Chi partner will not be learning the intended technique). In the worst cases, the T’ai Chi partner starts yanking with even greater force to make the rooted partner move, thus escalating the risk of injury.

But by far the greatest avenue for injury in the Symmetries is simply going too fast, especially with joint locks. It may be tempting to fall into a sparring mindset, and eventually, that can happen safely. But in class, everyone needs to be aware of the abilities and limitations of a partner, especially one in the process of learning. If one partner is going too fast, it is perfectly fine to ask to slow down. There is no need to risk self-injury from premature thrill-seeking.

T’ai Chi is just one of many martial arts now practiced more for recreation than self-defense. Some of those arts can be more prone to injury—throws, falls, full-force punches and kicks with no target to absorb the energy. That is not T’ai Chi’s way. While we do work on relaxation, balance, and gentle movement, we also try to foster body awareness. That awareness is key to avoiding self-injury in almost anything we do.