Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Matt, A good article on the 13-posture handform. Just to clarify, the sequence is: Preparation Form 1 Beginning 2 Cloud Hands 3 Single Whip 4 Fist Under Elbow 5 White Crane Lifts Wings 6 Left Brush Knee and Step 7 Hand Strums the Lute 8 High Pat Horse with Palm Thrust 9 Turn Body and Flip Fist Past ...

David, I find that the foot pivots on two different points on the foot depending on the given posture you are transitioning through. The two points are the flat/botttom of the heel and the ball of the foot. The flat of the heel is used when the foot you are pivoting (or spinning) on is going to be s...

David A good general question to spark discussion. I still have several questions regarding your pivoting. You stated: "For the most part, though, I lift the toes, leaving the ball of the foot on the ground, and the actual pivot point is right in front of the heel. This not only works for me as...

Necromander, I do not think that it is wise to use that or any katana as a substitute when practicing the sabre or sword forms for several reasons. First, from what you wrote it seems that this katana its in disrepair and thus is already a danger to you and others. Never use a sword, weapon, or any ...

David, As Joe mentioned, you can pivot on both the heal and on the ball of the foot. It really depends on which posture you are transitioning through. Do you have a specific posture that you are thinking of or was it just a general question? I commend Joe also on the proper transfering of weight as ...

Master Yang Jun, One of my students attended the seminar in Michigan and said that Master Yang Zhenduo has developed a new thirteen move form specifically intended for teaching to the elderly and more physically challenged. Can you give us more information on this new form and what is the sequence o...

Michael, Great posts! I am finally coming around to reading some of these. Your explanation of the application of the Single Whip is one that I have heard before (hooking the opponents punch with the right and striking with the left). I do recall that the application as explained by Yang Jun (at one...

Hello jefjay, Audi and everyone, Jefjay, I agree with your explanation and find that it further details similarly what I posted earlier in this stream. Getting good waist movement and coordinating it with the deflecting and ward off is very important. I also like your input on the footwork; it is ve...

Michael, You did observe correctly. There should be an advancing forward with the turning of the waist and the opening of the left arm. After you step out with the left foot and the heel has made contact with the floor, initiate your waist turn to the left and open the left arm. As the left arm open...

Audi, Just to add to something you just posted. You mentioned "a slight rightward turning of the waist during the push/strike of the left hand." While Yang jun never says to actually turn the waist to the right (you are correct on this, I find this to be an expanding open of your waist (hi...

Audi, Application for ward off right. David J made some good points; hopefully I can add some insight. The first problem you seem to have with the application is the left hand - what it does and the proper energy executed. Let's look at this from the end of ward off left. With the suttle weight shif...

David, Great analogy with the Rubik's Cube! I think we agree more than we know on many levels, yet do to language limitations we seem to be differing. I'm still not entirely certain about the waist turns. I don't think that there are conflicts. Again it may be a visual thing. I do agree with your st...

Horacio, Excellent explanation on the limitations that language puts on our communicating ideas! I majored in philosophy and realized by my senior year of college that language can be restrictive to our explaining what we mean. This is true of any dialect be it English, Chinese, etc. I find this imp...

Michael and Audi, Great posts! Michael, I tried 'white crane..' utilizing a heel stance and I agree with Audi that while the shape of the hand does not seem to be different, the energy in the hand feels very different. The heel stance seemed to seat the wrist more. Audi, thank you for the further cl...

David, Thank you for the clarification on these issues. I think that we have different approaches to this move and that we would need to see each other perform the move to get a better understanding of these differences. Unfortunately, sometimes seeing is believing. Maybe sometime in the future we c...