Here’s Y.C. Chiang — a top student of Kuo Lien-ying — doing something that GuangPing Yang style is famous for — kissing the toes. I’ve been after this stretching ability for a few months and I have recently hit a bit of a plateau in my development. I can get my chest to my thigh and my head on my knee (well, after about 45 minutes) but I seem to be stuck there. So I’m looking for advice on advancing beyond that.
The following resources were pointed out as potential helps in achieving this feat. Here is a PDF file of some advice by a student of the school and here is a 100-day plan that will hopefully bear fruit. Time will tell, I guess.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Joseph Crandall // Sep 4, 2007 at 10:12 pm
It helps to have a long torso and short legs. If you have long legs and a short torso you’re screwed.
2 jonathan liljeblad // Sep 4, 2007 at 10:32 pm
i second that. i see the same thing w athletes–different people have different body composition, and some things are more biomechanically possible for some people relative to others.
of course, it may still be worth a try.
3 chessman71 // Sep 5, 2007 at 12:31 am
I’m just short, period.
4 scott // Sep 5, 2007 at 1:34 am
I third that.
By the way I was standing next to the Camera man when that picture was taken.
Whenever I meet someone my height that can do chin to toe, especially the arrogant ones, I compare my leg and torso length to theirs. People my height that can do chin to toe have legs at least two inches shorter and torsos two inches longer than mine. That works out to a four inch difference, assuming equal flexibility.
However, I can kick 4 inches higher. Na, na,nan,naaan,ah.
Flexibility is really worth training carefully if you are a kid, all the way up to 25. After that the risk of tearing muscles hardly makes it worth while. 30 Minutes of stretching a day should be enough, unless you are doing held meditation postures for flexibility like Paulie Zink.
5 omni // Sep 5, 2007 at 2:29 am
hey thanks for the info, I have recently made this my goal as well!
6 William // Sep 6, 2007 at 12:10 am
yeah, legs about 33in, torso about 30in, hence I cant do the toe-chin thingy, dorn!
7 Stretchit // Sep 8, 2007 at 8:44 am
Unless you have had hip replacement surgery, or have a deformity in your pelvis, anyone can do the chin to toe thing. Everyone has the same basic dementions in their body with a small window of variation. The trick is to bend only from the hip. If you head goes to your knee, you are bending you lumbar spine and shortening your torso. Same with the chest to the thigh. If you want to bite your toe, lock out your spine and go directly for the toe, you will sacrifice some depth at first, but if you do it consistantly, you will do it.
If you want to mesure it, messure from your ankle to just above you pubic bone, then from the same place to you nose.
8 Roger // Jul 3, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Great website. The info is excellent. Thanks.
I studied with Kuo Lien Ying in the late 70’s. Can still do chin to toe. Just curious if you have any info on Kuo in regards to his teaching in Taiwan. Anything you could pass on would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Chessman.
9 Dave Chesser // Jul 3, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Roger,
I know Guo was the teacher at TaiDa university, the top in Taiwan, for a while before he went to the States but I haven’t run across any info on him here. Nor have I seen anyone that does his taiji. My guess is that his teachings have died out here.
But I’ll keep my eyes open.
10 Roger // Jul 4, 2008 at 1:50 am
Mr. Chesser.
Wow. That’s pretty sad. Guo was in his late 70’s went he taught in SF. I was hoping that a core of Guang Ping tai chi people would still exist from his earlier years. I wasn’t an indoor student or anything and I never saw him display/teach application. However, he demonstrated a lot of spirit in this teachings and forms and was pretty much unpredictable and fearless. It took me a year and 1/2 to get chin to toe and I was in my late 20’s. I remember being really impatience about it and really pushing it and something in my neck snapped/released and I got the extra space to be able to do it. Note that I’m pretty short. 5′ 6′
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