One of the things I incorporate frequently into my training is the 2 and 3 step sparring. I do the 1-stepping as well, but for this particular blog I'm speaking more to the forward and backward slide-stepping that are used for the 2 and 3 stepping patterns.
When slide-stepping in a bow stance, I've always found it easier to slide step backwards, rather than forwards.
I will attempt to explain why I think that is.
In a bow stance, your front leg bares the majority of the weight. For this explanation, I will call it the "stabilizing" leg. When I am slide stepping backwards, the stabilizing leg is already connected to the ground, and remains connected for the duration of the movement. When slide-stepping forward, the stabilizing leg is the one that is disconnected from the ground and moves. Because it is disconnected, that stability is temporarily gone and needs to be re-established. So, physically speaking, I think this is why it seems a bit more difficult to slide step forward, as opposed to back.
Having said that, I've just recently started to try and take things that I'm discovering in one area, and apply them to others. One of the concepts I've been trying to apply to other areas is really maintaining my center...maintaining my energy at my core as I move through my forms or applications. Perhaps "re-consolidating" my energy to my core is a better way of putting it. And so I found myself applying it here, while working on what I thought was a more physical issue, and stumbled onto something really great.
When it comes to this slide stepping, not only am I shifting my body (and my weight) forward or back in a physical manner....I'm also shifting my energy. I know this seems obvious, but just bear with me...I'm new and trying 😉. For some reason, when slide stepping back, my energy remains fairly balanced and centered. My energy shifts with my body, anchored to my core, rather than shifting independently. Perhaps maintaining the physical connection with that stabilizing leg (as described above) helps keep things in harmony somewhat? Either way...with the forward stepping, this was not the case. During the forward motion, I could feel a major imbalance. It seemed as though my energy shifted forward all at once, and then I had to shift back and re-settle. Although you probably couldn't see it physically, there was almost a rocking sensation happening internally. Full forward, part back...full forward, part back. The difference was so blatantly obvious once I took the time to "look".
I'm starting to think that I sometimes take my energy for granted. I tend to initially assume any issue I'm having is purely physical because I simply expect my energy to shift and move and just do what it's supposed to do on it's own. Granted, sometimes it does. But more often then not, my energy does NOT do what I think it should. In fact, I would describe my energy as a bit wild and I find that I always have to reign it in, bring it back to my center and then direct it where needed...as if it needs to be trained. And it can cause havoc if left unchecked or ignored. Having said that, I do find it fairly easy to manipulate and harness my energy, once I acknowledge it's presence (or lack there of). For me the hard part is recognizing, acknowledging, finding and diagnosing.....the fixing part is much easier.
Once I recognized this issue with my slide stepping, and made some adjustments, I also ended up finding that connection between pulling my fist back to my waist and really solidifying that connection to the ground with my back leg. I think this is the "rotation" that Sifu Brinker has described. I always interpreted this to mean a circular rotation on a horizontal plane. But, for me, it feels more like a spiral rotation on an angle from my core right down to the ground. It's very slight and subtle, but it's there. So a side lesson here, for me, is to not take descriptions like this too literally. For one, the way each person feels their own energy is going to be different. And for two, I'm finding it can be very hard to accurately describe to someone else how your own energy feels and moves. I need to be careful to not be too rigid with any pre-conceived notions I might formulate in my head prior to experiencing something first hand.
I'm finding myself really excited about all of this. I've recognized issues with my energy and maintaining my center in the past with certain things and have made some really great discoveries. But I've always treated these each as independent of the other. I've never really consciously attempted to apply them to other problematic areas. With every issue I try to address, I tend to start from scratch each time....re-creating the wheel. But I can see how this particular discovery is likely going to apply to almost everything. And I don't just mean the obvious problematic areas. Being consciously aware of my energy and my core in everything I do is going to be integral to...well...everything.
A posting that Sifu Rybak made about pins and bridges suddenly just popped into my head.
Holy shit....did I just start building one of my bridges?
