Effectively Integrating The Upper Body Into The Movement

This article focuses on the wrists in Carry the Ball to the Side – with the knowledge that the side-to-side movement of the legs and waist are the driving factors in the movement. Once the side-to-side movements of CTBTTS are taught, practiced, and the students are moving with some confidence, more focus can be brought to forming the ball and carrying it side-to-side.

This is a movement where it’s easy to see many of the basic principles of TCC – circularity, continuity, and softness. Simplicity in the movement of the hands as the student forms the ball is a key to integrating the principles. At this point, however, simplicity is rare in the student’s flow. Starting with the ball being formed on the right and moving to the left, most students are extending their arms and hands out to the side beyond their core and then driving their arms in a half circle arc down in front of the torso and out the left side extending well past the waist. This is exercise and creates tension not softness. Circularity? Perhaps, but it’s accentuated. Continuity? Most hands and arms are extending and stopping before returning in a half circle arc to the starting point. It’s quite visual and provides a great opportunity to demonstrate and teach the principals of CTBTTS.

As the movement begins, demonstrate how the hands and wrists softly form the ball and the wrists flow up without tension to the right side of the waist and not beyond the core of the torso. The elbows remain close to the body while the letting the wrists complete the motion. As the weight shifts to the left the ball follows the weight shift and the turning of the waist in a downward arc. The right hand has a 60-40 emphasis moving through heavier air than the left during the right to left weight shift. With continuity the weight shifts back to the right; as it does the right hand emphasis lets go and the ball flows up in an arc following the weight shift to the right until it is back at the starting point of the movement. This should visually demonstrate the softness, continuity, circularity, and simplicity of the movement.