Relax the Shoulders, and...

[Cady Goldfield]

How many times have you heard that? ;)
Relaxing the shoulders allows you to use them as a conduit to send the force you create by the manipulation of your structure to draw in or propel out. Combining that with the flow of non-resistance to uke's push or pull, you can do some very interesting things.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5zHA-ktWXE

[TonyU]

Thanks for posting. Interesting to note in Okinawan karate where on the surface is known as a hard style one of the key components that gets stressed during karate is to relax the shoulders. If anyone seen video r has trained extensively in it you see the sensei hit the student on the shoulders.

[Cady Goldfield]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comment. It's no surprise, since some of the Okinawan karate systems, notably Goju-ryu, have a connection to the Chinese internal martial arts; specifically, White Crane. Goju-ryu is reputed to be "hard on the outside, soft on the inside."