Walk Like a Cat, Stepping Carefully and Softly
Taijiquan Quote of the Week
“Walk like a cat, stepping carefully and softly, so that if there were danger you would be able to take that foot back instantly. Land on the heel when stepping forward and on the ball of the foot when stepping to the rear.”
This one has various suggestions.
One suggestion builds on the idea of being able to take your foot back: to do that you’ve got to sink low enough and reach that whole leg out, either forward or back, before putting weight into that foot. It’s tricky and subtle. Most people, when they start out tend to “plunk” their weight into their legs, never owning a moment where they could retreat.
Another implication, if one takes the metaphor seriously, is that the feet change because one attempts to walk like a cat. It’s quite accurate actually: walk a cat. A cat’s foot pulses, so to speak, grabbing the ground, step by step, and so must a stepper in Taijiquan grasp the ground. Paw at it, as if preparing your place to lie down…
And relax.
