TATONKA!

 By Phillip Starr

Surely, it must seem (to onlookers) that I’ve finally “gone over the edge” at some points when I teach class. With my forefinger on the sides of my head and pointing straight up, I prance around and shout “tatonka. tatonka!”

For those who may not know, “tatonka” is the Lakota Sioux word for “buffalo.” I stole it wholesale from the film, “Dances with Wolves.” Doesn’t matter that their horns don’t grow vertically…this is how they refer to and imitate the animal.

And when I do it, I’m reminding students of one of the most important principles of proper body structure; the ears should be gently pushed away from the shoulders! This aligns the cervical vertebrae with the thoracic vertebrae, which significantly strengthens the body’s structure and, for us, our martial technique. It also enables us to move faster and more powerfully while maintaining good balance.

It’s a very simple technique that has been long forgotten by many, perhaps most, martial arts.

And it’s easy to neglect and forget. You might do it for a minute or less, then you unconsciously slip back into your old habits. You must practice it until it BECOMES your habit. It’s not so difficult to do it as you practice your techniques, but try and maintain it while you execute a form. And then in 1-step fight practice or sparring….well, that’s another story altogether. It’s going to require A LOT of practice. Every day.

After practicing it for a while, you’ll notice that it affects your body in other ways, too. For instance, it raises the sternum without raising the chest, and the shoulders drop naturally. This is very important for practitioners of internal arts such as taijiquan, baguazhang, and xingyiquan. It also impacts your self-image and consequently, your behavior (see my book, MARTIAL ARTS AND THE MIRROR IMAGE). And start practicing it every day!