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Outside Magazine, April 2005

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Bodywork: Martial Artist
You've Got the Power
Turbocharge your sport with these tai chi postures. Hold each stationary pose for as long as possible, then repeat the pose on the other side. Work up to 20 minutes a day.


	(Illustration by Yuko Shimizu)

CLIMBING > With the Parry and Punch, rotate elbows inward. This opens the arm and shoulder joints to le the chi flow freely from the feet, through the body, and out through the hands. "A blocked joint is like a kink in a hose," says Jeff English.

SURFING > Center-line awareness is crucial for enhancing balance and alignment on your board. Stand in Commencement and focus on your head reaching into the sky and your tailbone, slightly tucked, extending into the earth. Feel the chi accumulate in your belly.



	(Illustration by Yuko Shimizu)

MOUNTAIN BIKING > Raise one knee in Rooster Stands on One Leg to develop awareness of your center line and improve balance and efficiency on your bike. Added benefit: more flexible hip joints, which can prevent soreness and injury during long rides.

GOLF > The Shoulder Strike mimics a golf swing and helps you generate spiral power. "By extending through your back leg as you drop forward into your front heel," Says English, "you let gravity do the work —a force much more powerful than your own strength."

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