Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Thank you, Yeilding. Much appreciated.
Personally, I am fascinated by his White Crane Spreads Wings. It's just a little bit different than what I've seen before. Very elegant, though. I've learned a lot just by watching him.
I had the pleasure of visiting a Gin Soon Chu school once and I saw Dmitri Mogdis (hope I spelled that right) demonstrate the footwork Yang Sau Chung used for Left and Right Strike Tiger. He taught it to me at the time, but I have unfortunately not retained it. I still find it very interesting and one day will relearn that just for the pleasure of knowing the variant.
I do see what Jerry mentions, but after several viewings it seems to me that these motions, while subtle, are not independant of his body movement, or "small motions". Rather they seem to be what I think of as "follow through" motions, originating from his center and being expressed by his hands. Very small movement, reminscent of small frame, but from the feet to the hands nonetheless.

Quality of the recording is not good, but still this is very good to see.

Bob

The skills are very subtle in this form clip, but also very apparent for those familiar with this form. If you watch the clip five or six times (I think I've watched it about twenty times now - lol), you will find more and more. Try watching the form from the feet up, and you will see the amazing power he possessed.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">
I do see what Jerry mentions, but after several viewings it seems to me that these motions, while subtle, are not independant of his body movement, or "small motions". Rather they seem to be what I think of as "follow through" motions, originating from his center and being expressed by his hands. Very small movement, reminscent of small frame, but from the feet to the hands nonetheless.
Bob</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bob, that's how I understand it as well. I see the same thing btw.


[This message has been edited by tccstudent_usa (edited 09-26-2006).]

I was pretty sure that was what I was seeing. These hand motions are similar to those at the end of Cloud Hands that were described to me as "follow through", though I"m not entirely sure I understand the reason for that name. Seems to me more like "finishing up" than following through, but that may just be my perspective at this time.
I am fairly puzzled by the forward leaning he does throughout the form. He holds the center of his frame remarkably well, but with that constant, exagerrated looking forward leaning it's not easy to see.


Bob

The White Crane Spreads Wings that he does is really fascinating.
I've been watching this quite closely, and I believe I'm correct in saying that he does what appears to be a right ward off then he turns to the left and makes an empty stance and finishes the WCSW's with a waist turn to the left.
I've run this through about ten times, at different WCSW's in his form too, and he appears to do this every time.
I've tried this, just to see how it would work, and I really like how it feels.
Anyone else notice this? Am I seeing this correctly?

Bob

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bob Ashmore:
<B>The White Crane Spreads Wings that he does is really fascinating.
I've been watching this quite closely, and I believe I'm correct in saying that he does what appears to be a right ward off then he turns to the left and makes an empty stance and finishes the WCSW's with a waist turn to the left.
I've run this through about ten times, at different WCSW's in his form too, and he appears to do this every time.
I've tried this, just to see how it would work, and I really like how it feels.
Anyone else notice this? Am I seeing this correctly?

Bob</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not that I am any expert on the form, but from my experience with this you are absolutely correct. The ward off right is actually the shoulder stroke, in which you would weight your right foot, lean in, and turn your body towards the right shoulder.

After that, you leave your right weighted foot where it is - turn the palm of your hand outward (the left hand stays more or less where it is) - step with your left foot into and empty stance, and then turn your waist towards the left, which brings the right hand up over your head. The only difficulty in this posture is that you have to keep your right knee over your right foot while you turn your waist to the front (left). This is where some people get into trouble because there knee ends up getting inside the foot which is bad form, and bad for the knee as well. A flexible waist is crucial to this posture. I hope that makes sense.

TSU,
The form as taught by Yang Jun is just a little bit different. The shoulder stroke is more subtle, the timing of the turning and stepping is different. That's all sort of window dressing, nothing too much different between the forms to make a big difference.
But I have figured out the difference I was seeing and now realize it's not that much different.
It's not a Right Ward Off I'm seeing, the grainy quality and bad lighting of this video was confusing me, it's a Press.
I got to my house, where I have a better monitor and video card, and I cleaned up the video a bit digitally so I can see it more clearly. I can now see what I couldn't before, that he is doing the same Press I'm used to already in this form.
He's doing it more clearly here than I'm used to seeing, more openly. The Press in the form I practice is much more subtle.
But this does answer a question I had in mind about the new 16 posture form I just learned. It has the Press more overtly expressed in it, closer to what Yang Sau Chung is showing here, though still less openly. Somewhere in the middle, I'd say.
So now I've answered my own question, and now I feel kind of silly for asking.

Bob