The second Ki trick is useful in educating students on the benefits of relaxation and intent.
First have a student place their hand palm up on your shoulder. The crook of their elbow should be facing upward at this point. Now tell them to keep their arm straight while you pull down at the crook of their elbow. The arm should bend fairly easily.
Now have your student do the same thing, but this time have them relax their whole body. Now have them envision their arm as a hose with water flowing through it. Make them aim that water at the wall behind you. Their arm should be very solid at this point. It should take you considerably more effort to bend their arm, if you can at all.
The explanation for this trick is that Ki follows intent. As you relax and let your energy flow, your intent (the mental image of a fire hose) brings our Ki into your arm and lets you “resist” without resisting.
This second Ki trick is much more difficult then the first. I would recommend practicing it until you can do it easily. Then use yourself as the example to the students. Remember to relax your whole body as much as possible. I find that the biggest impediment to understanding this technique is random tightening of muscles. It is really hard to let go and trust yourself.
Once your students have the idea, make sure you tie the ideas back to our techniques. Probably the easiest way to relate these ideas is to the three technique principles: Soft-Circle-Harmony. Another satisfying way to illustrate the use of relaxation and intent is to apply it to a palm strike. You should be able see noticeable results within minutes.
