The Backbone Should Be Vertical

Taijiquan Quote of the Week

“The backbone should be, in general, vertical in relation to the ground, but there are some postures that require a slight forward lean. Never hunch the back.”

—Power Taiji

See: Power Taiji by Erle Montaigue and Michael Babin

Because I think vertical is so important: I’ll go a step further.

Be vertical, vertical, vertical.

What I mean is this: take out the curves of your spine and make each and every posture as vertical as if you were hanging from the tip-top of your skull’s skin… your crown.

Be the King or the Queen of Taiji.

6 Responses to The Backbone Should Be Vertical

  1. Shannon says:
    3 April 2010 at 7:57 am

    Great simple instruction. And I’ll take the Queen title too, thanks Steven.

  2. S.Smith says:
    10 April 2010 at 11:27 am

    You got it!

  3. James Fraser says:
    17 April 2010 at 9:35 pm

    I disagree.

    A “Turtle,” or “C” upper back is an essential part of stimulating and responding reflexively when you life is on the line.

    “The Ears and Backbone

    What do all animals do when threatened? Every animal will
    round its backbone. Sharks do this, even chickens do this with
    the cat being the epitome of the ‘C’ back when ready to attack.
    Rounding the backbone slightly, allows our Reptile Brain to
    take over from our conscious mind and puts us into survival
    mode. See Photo No. 45, for the ‘C’ back posture. As your
    backbone is curved, there is a feeling just under your skull in the
    area of your brainstem or Reptile Brain, you eyes become a little
    glazed and you are ready. However, there is another method that
    is always used in conjunction with the ‘C’ back and that is that
    the ears of all animals when threatened, are flattened out and are
    lowered. The horse is the typical example of this. Humans of
    course have lost the method of moving the ears, however, the internal
    muscles still work in joining the Reptile Brain to the rest of
    the body in just the same way that it does when an animal flattens
    its ears. When an animal’s ears are lowered and flattened, this is
    an automatic reaction to being threatened and it is a physical way
    of accessing the Reptile Brain. To move your ears internally so
    that the Reptile Brain is accessed takes some practice. Some people
    I know, can do this naturally, however, for most, it takes
    practice. Pull your chin in slightly and stretch your mouth

    Reflex Violence: Page 53

    slightly as if smiling without opening your mouth. Your ears will
    move ever so slightly backward and you will feel that Reptile
    Brain feeling at the base of your skull. But isn’t that what we are
    told to do in Taijiquan practice. We are told to pull the chin in
    slightly and to have a slight smile on our face when practicing.
    This was always to access the animal within and not some kind of
    nice meditation!

    The sign that you are accessing the Reptile Brain, is that, the feeling
    at the back of your skull will rise up and over the top of your
    head and end up at the ‘third eye’ point in between your eyebrows.
    This is when your eyes will glaze a little and it will seem as
    if everything is in slow motion. At first you will only be accessing
    a small portion of your survival brain but with practice you will
    be able to go into the Reptile Brain automatically when the situation
    arises.

    SUDDEN VIOLENCE, Erle Montaigue, Pp. 52 & 53

  4. S.Smith says:
    18 April 2010 at 6:28 am

    James Fraser:

    First, thanks for articulating Sudden Violence. The ideas in that book are excellent, ground-breaking visions about revving the engine of Taiji.

    Second: I agree with you. Here’s how…

    C-Back: is a refined internal sensation. Because many people have an external tendency to exaggerate, some go overboard and rounding into “hunchback” when attempting to “C”. So viscerally reaching for vertical takes precedence for me in terms of communicating this exquisite feeling. The neck in particular – in the age of computers – needs more vertical lift for most folks (me included) before reaching internally for a C shape.

    Plus there’s all those other subtle ways to describe accessing the shimmering feeling: ears pull back and lift, eyes turning inward (eagle vision), gaze without looking, smile inside.

    They each pull us inward toward accessing the triune brain.

    I came across this description once: press your neck vertebrae into your shirt collar. I like that one too.

    The funny thing about Vertical Spine: for many people it feels like a C shape. And rightly so: the thorax is already formed C-ish. Removing the curve from the lower back and neck further feels like C-ing the spine. Finally, both the occiput and sacrum/coccyx round out the verticality… hmm… maybe it’s Left-Parenthesis-Back: or (-Back or Bracket-Back as in [-Back ;)

  5. day says:
    20 April 2010 at 1:32 am

    Just a thought..

    This is related to the Yin-Yang of wrist.
    Looking at animal world, generally the back is stronger than chest and stomach. So, I consider the back as Yang while the chest and stomach as Yin.

    Now, when I see people around, there’re the “the bust-showing” type, whom mostly confident or happy or just don’t care, typical alpha people. These people have a very S-shaped back, showing the chest.
    Also, there’re the “walking question mark” type, whom are not confident, or dark, unhappy, don’t want to be bothered, beta people. These ones typically have a very C-back all the time.

    Considering the Yin-Yang of the torso, bust-showing people showing Yin side, or weakness to public, implying that they trust others, or are confident enough to show weakness to others, although may be a bit aggressive.
    In the other hands, the question mark people showing Yang side, strength, meaning that they’re always defensive, afraid of attack from others, difficulty to trust others, etc.

    Similar to the neck area. Confident, maybe arrogant people, usually hold the chin up, asking others to try to attack their neck.

    So, the vertical back might be teaching us to be neutral.

  6. S.Smith says:
    21 April 2010 at 4:25 pm

    Great images of communication portrayed by posture…