We are still quadrupeds.

We spiral outward in our feet to rotate the femur in the hip socket to open the hips, lifting the pelvic floor and bowing the legs and lower spine.

We spiral inwards with our hands to rotate the humerus in the shoulder socket in the opposite direction to the hips to raise the upper back completing both the spine and arm bows.

These actions complete and connect the 3 bows (spine, arms and legs) also connecting feet and hands.

Humans are still built as quadrupeds so our hips and shoulders work together in opposite directions to raise our back and sink our chest to power and protect our body. Any quadraped raises its back and ‘hackles’ to raise fighting energy and to protect the soft, vulnerable underbelly.

It’s only with this action that we can put our weight and energy into our arms (front legs) for power and self protection.

It’s important that our hips and shoulders remain open by limb rotation to maintain structural integrity and chi (ki) flow throughout the body.

The feet and the hands, ankles and wrists, knees and elbows, shoulders and hips all have similar functions with elbows and knees bending and shoulders and hips rotating in opposite directions to make the bows work effectively.

This action also pumps the chi (ki) around the body and is the primary function of the qigong exercises for Tai Chi techniques and Sanchin in Karate.

• by Steve Rowe