SLT on one leg?

[Seeker]

Any legitimacy to this practice? It just seems odd since the form is supposed to teach structure as part of it's practice.

 

[CuongNhuka]

An application of good structure is good balance. Which is tested/developed by doing Sil Nim Tao on one leg. So, doing Sui Nim Tao on one leg, would be better for developing structure then regular.

 

[mook jong man]

I've done it a couple of times , just for something different .
But i actually find doing chi sau on one leg is more beneficial and provides more of a challenge and is good to do when a more senior practitioner trains with a junior one .
You are also working on your stance and balance against live resistance which is probably a bit more realistic.

 

[geezer]

Any legitimacy to this practice? It just seems odd since the form is supposed to teach structure as part of it's practice.

Yes, I would say that it is very useful. It not only trains balance but holding the unweighted leg well up in front of you as though preparing to deliver a front kick strengthens you abdominal muscles. It also helps prepare you for chi-gurk.

That said, I hate doing it. I have bone fusions in my ankles (no lateral movement is possible) that make it very hard to balance in a static position on one leg. I do fine as long as I can move. I can ski, skate, ride a bike... or spar just fine as long as I'm moving. But no matter how hard I train, most junior students can balance staticly better than I. Oh well. I can kick their butts in chi-sau most of the time.

 

[KamonGuy2]

I think the danger is that you will start leaning to one side to compensate for the missing leg and therefore develop bad structure

I'm all for the whole development of stancework and power in the leg. Indeed Kevin Chan does a wonderful demo where he challenges you to throw him to the floor whilst he is one leg. Seems simple. I couldn't get him....

Yet, I think it will tend to make you rush the form and not appreciate what it is teaching you

My mate trained under Andrew Sofos and they trained this way - form on one leg. He was a bit of a nutter - he got very jittery and would react whenever anyone patted him on the back or moved near him

 

[paulus]

Yet, I think it will tend to make you rush the form and not appreciate what it is teaching you

I'm not sure this would be the case. There is a temptation to rush SLT even on 2 legs when our muscles start aching, but we persevere with that and don't cheat ourselves. Doing it on one leg is just another practice. Though I agree with you in that while you're flailing about trying to keep your balance your tan sau loses form! Better balance better tan sau, I guess.

When we do it (we did it in class last night, in fact) we alternate legs so that we would do one iteration of fook sau > wu sau on one leg and then swap legs for the next iteration so everything is balanced (overall). No danger of 'learning' to compensate when you keep switching legs like this.

We only do it every now and then in my class and when we do I feel it really tests both balance and leg muscles.

 

[BFL]

I've been taught that way as well and have passed that practice onto my students. It's not done but occasionally and I've found it to have enhanced my ballance and leg strength too. I've done demo's where I'll root and have a few fellas press against my bong sao, then when they can't move me, I tell them I'll help them and stand on one leg. They still can't move me and for an old granpa that's not bad. I couldn't have gotten to that point IMO unless I'd practiced SLT on one leg. Yes it throws you to one side or another but it greatly enhances your rooting and ballance once you get the hang of it. I have to admit I've not done much Chi Sao on one leg but I'll increase that practice because I see it's benefit there too. I feel it's benefits far outway any detriments.

 

[qwksilver61]

Whatever it does ,it definitely strengthens the body..

 

[Seeker]

Thanks for informative replies, I still hate doing it though.

 

[profesormental]

Greetings.

Doing SLT in one leg is a beneficial practice, specially if you first master the transition to the one legged stance in a way that maintains structure.

Also, you can switch legs while doing each side, "activate" the movements, etc.

Several evolutions to the practice. Again, beneficial.

Juan M. Mercado