The "Kua" is not a familiar word to the layperson, but people who practise Taijiquan are very familiar with the word. This is because the “kua” plays a key and decisive role in the practice of Taijiquan:
1. It is the bearing that connects the upper and lower planes of the body. The coordinating actions of the kua enable the upper plane to rotate left or right that in turn put into motion the actions of the four limbs.
2. It allows the transmission of strength. The body’s natural load can be transferred to the bottom of the feet by loosening the kua, making the upper body light and the lower body stable. The rebounding force of the legs and feet on the ground can be transmitted to the waist through the rotation of the kua.
3. It uses folding and tucking motions to adjust the height of the body. In Taijiquan the height of the body and the usual half squat/sitting position are achieved by the folding and piling of the kua.
4. It is a generator of the body’s power source. Pushing off the ground starts with either "loosening and sinking" or "rotating and sinking", using the ground's rebound force, which is then transmitted sequentially to the hands.
In the Taijiquan context, "kua" is not muscle, tendons or joints and bones. The whole area that connects the thigh bones and pelvis is collectively called "kua".
In discussions of Taijiquan, there is sometimes confusion and misunderstanding about the Chinese word “kua”, which is not adequately represented by the English translation to the "hip". It is helpful for practitioners of Taijiquan to understand what “kua” encompasses.
1. It is the bearing that connects the upper and lower planes of the body. The coordinating actions of the kua enable the upper plane to rotate left or right that in turn put into motion the actions of the four limbs.
2. It allows the transmission of strength. The body’s natural load can be transferred to the bottom of the feet by loosening the kua, making the upper body light and the lower body stable. The rebounding force of the legs and feet on the ground can be transmitted to the waist through the rotation of the kua.
3. It uses folding and tucking motions to adjust the height of the body. In Taijiquan the height of the body and the usual half squat/sitting position are achieved by the folding and piling of the kua.
4. It is a generator of the body’s power source. Pushing off the ground starts with either "loosening and sinking" or "rotating and sinking", using the ground's rebound force, which is then transmitted sequentially to the hands.
In the Taijiquan context, "kua" is not muscle, tendons or joints and bones. The whole area that connects the thigh bones and pelvis is collectively called "kua".
In discussions of Taijiquan, there is sometimes confusion and misunderstanding about the Chinese word “kua”, which is not adequately represented by the English translation to the "hip". It is helpful for practitioners of Taijiquan to understand what “kua” encompasses.
So, with regards to transmission of strength, the kua always connects the upper and lower planes, and for example in White Crane spreads wings, rotating the upper plane while not moving the lower plane creates a tension IN the kua area as it torques. Should this tension be minimized or "relaxed"? And IS this tension the source of potential power (as the coiled upper plane first "tightens" as the Crane moves left and out, then "loosens" as the Crane spreads its wings into standing meditation?
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