Good Knee Alignment

• Use the knees as a weight transferring joint
• Use the knees as a hinge joint
• Knees only move up to the toes
• Knees centrally between the foot arch and the knife edge of the foot
• Squatting is performed with the hips

In accurate Tai Chi and Qigong practice the knees are used as a hinge and as a weight transferring joint only. The majority of movement comes from the hips instead of the knees. By 'fixing' the knee joint in the direction of the toes, the rest of the body can move freely without putting pressure on the knee caps and cartilage.

Protect the Front of the Knees

When the knees are aligned correctly, your body weight will travel through the centre and rear of the knee itself down to the ground. Rather than travelling over the knee cap when the knees go over the toes or roll in. There is no structural integrity on the knee caps, no support from ligaments, muscles etc.

The rear of the knees is also where a large number of lymph nodes are located. When using the knees in a correct alignment, this helps to pump the lymph around the lower legs towards the nodes for filtering. Read more about detoxing the body through movement and the functioning of the lymph system here.

Tai Chi and Knees

There are two points to consider;

1) When aligned correctly, your body weight will transfer downwards onto the thigh muscles, through the centre/rear of the knees to the feet. The feet become weighted and heavy. The thigh and leg muscles give you lots of bio-feedback that they are being used, from shaking, trembling to heat and muscular discomfort. This is correct.

2) When aligned incorrectly, your body weight will transfer downwards onto the front of the knee caps. This feels light and easy, with no bio- feedback in the thigh or leg muscles and normal feeling feet. Or you may well experience front knee pain. At this stage, your posture is out of alignment and the knee is then a weight bearing joint. This is incorrect.

Weight Shifting in Tai Chi

When you have shifted into one leg during a Tai Chi movement and end up with approx 70% of the weight on one leg, that 'weighted' knee can move forwards and backwards in an arc from the toe to the heel, and the knee cap may move within small horizontal rotations/circles around the span of the foot. The other knee will have 30% of the weight and must still point in the direction of the toes on the same leg, avoiding a rolling inward motion.

Focusing on the opposing 'unweighted' leg during Tai Chi is incredibly difficult when you add in sinking and turning into the kua, a dantian rotation and a waist turn, that all move away from the opposing leg. When turning, the knees must remain in alignment to stay protected. Throughout your form maintain a 'dang' posture, a rounded open arching groin through the knees down to the ground.

This is all part of the Chen Tai Chi silk reeling motion body mechanics requirements.

Beginners and Knees

As a beginner student, most have very tight hips and lower backs, which means movement is restricted in these areas. In turn, when the hips and lower back are tight, to get the movements to 'look' similar to the instructor the knees become compromised as they move easily out of alignment. In this situation the knees typically flay around and the student may notice discomfort. By learning very early on in your Tai Chi training how to align the knees accurately and the importance of loosening the hip joints and lower back, this gives the knees the best chance to stabilise whilst strengthening the muscles around the knee.

Tai Chi and Qigong movements must be done properly with the joints correctly aligned to ensure the knee-joint remains protected. That is easier said than done as a beginner, whose knees tend to roll in, out and forwards.  Becoming aware of your posture takes time. With practice, correction and patience knee and leg muscles become much stronger and hips gain more flexibility, leading to safer knee alignment as you move.

This makes correct knee alignment paramount in your practice.