Sil Lum Tao on One Leg

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
I have stated elsewhere on this board that my biggest problem right now is my rooting. Sifu has given me several different methods to improve this. However, I have decided my favorite is doing Sil Lum Tao on one leg. I haven't done it for too long, but I have already made some observations.

I wind up with a lot of pain in my foot because my balance is wobbling all around. I have to come out of the stance a few times before I can complete the form. This has to do with the fact that I am not letting the weight sink straight down into the ground...otherwise known as my rooting problem!

It's only day 3 of this new training approach. I'm monitoring my progress. After about 30 days, I will reassess where I'm at. Naturally, I will get Sifu's observations as well. Might not seem like a big deal to some, but I'm very excited to see what developments will come.
 

DanT

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
702
Reaction score
289
Location
Planet X
Good luck, it does take a while to develop the muscles and stability for one leg SLT.
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
Good luck, it does take a while to develop the muscles and stability for one leg SLT.

Thank you!

Yes, that is the trick: to not get frustrated and give up. I was initially because I thought, given the fact that I also do workouts, I could manage...but then I found out: NOPE!
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
Good luck, it does take a while to develop the muscles and stability for one leg SLT.

You know what doesn't help? I am also doing Insanity: Max 30, which is putting a beating on my calves!

However, I am going to push on. I know those muscles will toughen up before I even realize it.
 

KPM

Senior Master
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
3,642
Reaction score
992
Another good exercise is to do the form while standing on the flat side of a Bosu ball.
 

geezer

Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
7,364
Reaction score
3,571
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Good luck, it does take a while to develop the muscles and stability for one leg SLT.

I have fused ankles with no lateral movement so I cannot make the small corrections so helpful in maintaining static (stationary) balance as in One-legged SNT. It's a real bear for me. I looked into operations to correct it. Bad idea. Ankles are tricky things best left alone!

Then I got to thinking, what about getting a tail so I had tripodal stability and could even lean back and fight with both legs at once like a kangaroo. It would allow for a whole new dimension of chi-gherk. Heck, you could do poon-gherk! The imagination reels...

238137-kangaroos.jpg
 

wckf92

Master of Arts
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
1,553
Reaction score
538
I have fused ankles with no lateral movement so I cannot make the small corrections so helpful in maintaining static (stationary) balance as in One-legged SNT. It's a real bear for me. I looked into operations to correct it. Bad idea. Ankles are tricky things best left alone!

Then I got to thinking, what about getting a tail so I had tripodal stability and could even lean back and fight with both legs at once like a kangaroo. It would allow for a whole new dimension of chi-gherk. Heck, you could do poon-gherk! The imagination reels...

238137-kangaroos.jpg

Starting to wonder what they put in the water out there in Phoenix hahaha
 

yak sao

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
2,183
Reaction score
761
Then I got to thinking, what about getting a tail so I had tripodal stability and could even lean back and fight with both legs at once like a kangaroo. It would allow for a whole new dimension of chi-gherk. Heck, you could do poon-gherk! The imagination reels...

238137-kangaroos.jpg

While you're at it, I would add the front pouch. It would be a great place to keep a sandwich
 

yak sao

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
2,183
Reaction score
761
I think we could do all 3. The sandwich, the knives to cut the sandwich, and a cold beer to wash it down.
 

KPM

Senior Master
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
3,642
Reaction score
992
I think that's the "Roo Wah Kang" lineage. ;)
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
This has proven to be very frustrating.

I gave myself a timeframe of 30 days, practicing SLT 5 times a day: twice per leg, then once with both legs on the ground, in an effort to improve my rooting. Today is day 15, so I decided to do a "check-in" with myself. And you know what? I felt like my rooting is WORSE than it was before! When on one leg, my balance is all wobbly. Then when I do the form with both feet on the ground, I still feel wobbly. I mean, in a bad way...like when I pull my arms back into chamber, I feel like I might fall over! That's bad!!!

However, for the last two repetitions, I heard a voice in my head saying: "Try sinking the weight into the heel this time." So I tried that, and wouldn't you know it? I felt better...maybe not like a mountain, but I noticed there was much less wobbling. For those two repetitions, my quadriceps would not cooperate and I had to come out of my stance for a rest, but the muscles will adjust to that strain in time. :)
 

Nobody Important

2nd Black Belt
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
893
Reaction score
474
This has proven to be very frustrating.

I gave myself a timeframe of 30 days, practicing SLT 5 times a day: twice per leg, then once with both legs on the ground, in an effort to improve my rooting. Today is day 15, so I decided to do a "check-in" with myself. And you know what? I felt like my rooting is WORSE than it was before! When on one leg, my balance is all wobbly. Then when I do the form with both feet on the ground, I still feel wobbly. I mean, in a bad way...like when I pull my arms back into chamber, I feel like I might fall over! That's bad!!!

However, for the last two repetitions, I heard a voice in my head saying: "Try sinking the weight into the heel this time." So I tried that, and wouldn't you know it? I felt better...maybe not like a mountain, but I noticed there was much less wobbling. For those two repetitions, my quadriceps would not cooperate and I had to come out of my stance for a rest, but the muscles will adjust to that strain in time. :)
Try placing your focus on your knee. A relaxed & mobile knee will do wonders for stabilization of an ankle.
 

DanT

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
702
Reaction score
289
Location
Planet X
This has proven to be very frustrating.

I gave myself a timeframe of 30 days, practicing SLT 5 times a day: twice per leg, then once with both legs on the ground, in an effort to improve my rooting. Today is day 15, so I decided to do a "check-in" with myself. And you know what? I felt like my rooting is WORSE than it was before! When on one leg, my balance is all wobbly. Then when I do the form with both feet on the ground, I still feel wobbly. I mean, in a bad way...like when I pull my arms back into chamber, I feel like I might fall over! That's bad!!!

However, for the last two repetitions, I heard a voice in my head saying: "Try sinking the weight into the heel this time." So I tried that, and wouldn't you know it? I felt better...maybe not like a mountain, but I noticed there was much less wobbling. For those two repetitions, my quadriceps would not cooperate and I had to come out of my stance for a rest, but the muscles will adjust to that strain in time. :)
Do you grab the ground with your toes when rooting?
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
Try placing your focus on your knee. A relaxed & mobile knee will do wonders for stabilization of an ankle.

I tried this when I did SLT this morning. It helped a little for sure.

Last night I went to class and got a helpful tip from Sifu as well. Turns out I was not raising my leg high enough. I brought my knee up slightly higher than my hip, and wouldn't you know it? I felt like I was sinking into my roots better. The higher I raised one leg, the deeper I sank into my roots on the other.
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
Been at this for about 20 days now. My left quad still won't cooperate and stop giving out on me before I am done with the form, so I have to come out of my stance, relax a bit, and then go back into it.

Part of this is because I spend a lot of time fighting to merely maintain balance! So today I decided to take up another suggestion Sifu made, which is to not be a hero right out of box. Instead of just holding my leg up in the air, I put it on top of something. It has to be something that is the right height, of course, to ensure that my knee is slightly above hip level.

I tried it this morning, and it seemed to help.
 
OP
wingchun100

wingchun100

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
3,300
Reaction score
525
Location
Troy NY
Another training idea I had was from the first Wing Chun school I attended. I stood in front of the dummy and put my leg up on the lowest arm. He had me stand like that to help my adduction, but I think it could also help with rooting. Once I get my dummy finalized, I'll have to give it a try.
 

Latest Discussions

Top