I’ll never forget the day when one of my teachers in China told me, “Most people will never figure this out, but the key to success with internal martial arts is not to train non-stop, constantly pushing yourself for more. It’s knowing that most of your training is resting. You train, then you rest and relax. The more you rest and relax, the faster your results.”
I had a tough time believing what this teacher told me, but I was willing to test it and see what happens. And guess what I discovered? I discovered that he was 100 percent spot on.
By using this method, within a short period of time, I was able to do things, flexibility and strength-wise, that I could never do before. My body was more connected and more functional than ever before.
Let me give you an example: In the evenings, when I typically do my qi gong training, I would push a big, heavy red sandalwood chair out of the way, giving me more space to practice.
One night, when I was finished going through several power postures, none of which I held to the point of fatigue or failure, I had so much energy that I was bubbling with excitement.
And then something amazing happened.
After I ended the session, I approached the heavy red sandalwood chair that I had slowly pushed out of the way. Now it was time to push it back to where it belonged. But something told me I didn’t need to push it back into its original space.
Why? Because I felt so much strength flowing through me that I believed I could just pick the chair up and carry it.
Huh?
I squatted low enough to get my weight under the arms of the chair. Then I grabbed onto it and easily hoisted it into the air, lifting it all the way to my chest. I walked across the floor slowly, and gently placed it back on the ground.
When I pushed the chair out of the way a half-hour earlier, it made noise as it slid across the floor. But when I hoisted it in the air, carried it, then put it down, I didn’t hear the slightest of sounds.
After lifting the chair this way, I was so pumped that I called my friend, Mark, a long-time martial artist, and told him what had happened.
“That’s qi power,” he said. “You’ve got it. If you trained the way you normally do, you would have been too tired to lift the chair and carry it. The method you’re following obviously works.”
Indeed, it does.
Instead of fighting myself, pushing myself outside my comfort zone, I started slowly and allowed my comfort zone to naturally expand.
Whether you’re a martial artist, an athlete or someone who wants to get into better condition without hurting yourself, Power Postures-Tiger Tendons is the way to go.
And yes, by following this unique program, you’ll be rediscover the azz-kicker within.
Best,
Matt Furey
