Sinking the Elbows Is Critical for Power

Most tai chi students eventually ask the question: “If I am supposed to relax and not use muscular force, then where does power come from?”

The answer is neither simple nor straightforward because many factors contribute to internal power. However, one of the most important is the sinking of the elbows. Most students sink their elbows but not deeply enough to establish a strong connection to the legs, and as a result they unconsciously resort to muscular force.

In this article we will explore the connection between the elbows and knees, and how that connection allows power generated by the legs to reach the arms and hands.

Power originates from the interaction of the feet with the ground. Anyone who has ever pushed a car understands this instinctively. To access that power, we must root—we must sink into the floor. To sink and root correctly, we must be song; we must let go, relax, and expand our bodies by opening each joint. When the joints open and separate, the muscles, tendons, and fascia lengthen and stretch, allowing the different parts of the body to connect and work together as a unified whole.

Think of an inflated balloon. As it fills and expands, the material stretches and separates, yet the overall structure becomes stronger and more integrated. The same thing happens within the body. As the joints open and the frame expands, internal pathways are created that allow force to travel from the feet, through the legs and lower back, and into the elbows, shoulders, and hands.

Figure 1 shows a posture emphasizing sinking and lifting the head. While structurally correct, this alone does not fully explain how power is generated internally from the feet and transmitted to the hands.

To understand that process more clearly, we must examine the function of the “Three Bows”:

• the leg bow

• the arm bow

• and the large bow extending from below the feet through the spine and over the head

  
  

All three are important, but for this discussion we will focus on the large bow.

An unstrung bow is merely a curved stick. But once strung (Figure 2), tension and expansion create strength and connectivity throughout its structure. In the body, a similar process occurs. As the head lifts and the feet sink, the spine lengthens and the lower back—particularly the ming-men area—opens. Like the strung bow, the stretching strengthens the internal connection between the ming-men and the rest of the body.

In Figures 3 and 4, the orange lines represent the flow of force or energy. Many tai chi practitioners utilize the bow structure and sink the shoulders and elbows correctly. As a result, they develop some connection between the feet and hands, allowing force to travel through the body.

In our system, however, we emphasize this relationship even further through the saying:

“Rest your elbows on your knees and lift your knees to your elbows.”

Obviously, the elbows and knees do not physically touch. The saying refers to creating a strong internal relationship between them (Figure 4). When the elbows sink toward the knees, a clearer and stronger pathway forms from the feet to the hands. At the same time, when the knees feel as though they are subtly lifting toward the elbows, the body naturally “sits” more deeply. This deeper sitting opens the kua and the ming-men more fully.

The stronger the elbow-knee connection becomes, the stronger the connection from the feet into the arms. Combined with an open ming-men, this creates significantly greater whole-body power.

To some readers, this may sound abstract or contrived. But once you begin to experience the feeling of connectedness between the elbows and knees, you start to understand how power truly rises from the feet and reaches the hands.

Try exploring this relationship in postures such as White Crane Spreads Wings, Fair Lady Works at the Shuttles, or Part the Horse’s Mane. In these movements, practitioners often lose the connection between the raised arm and the feet, causing the force to dissipate.

The principle applies equally to lower positions of the arms. In Brush Knee, for example, if the lower elbow is not connected to the knee, the movement loses a significant amount of potential power.

At first, this connection must be developed consciously. Over time, however, it becomes natural and unconscious—much like having peng-jin. Initially, maintaining peng requires constant attention. Eventually, it becomes an integrated part of the posture. The same is true of the elbow-knee connection. Once developed, it remains present throughout the form, continuously linking the hands to the power of the feet.