Yang Family Traditional Hand Form T'ai Chi
Further discussion
Tai Chi Also known as T'ai Chi Ch'üan & Taijiquan.
UK based Neil Bradley. Tai Chi Chuan. Long Form Sifu Yang Zhengduo Style Taiji Quan. Sifu Cheng Man
Ch'ing Health Form.
|
Cross Hands to Carry The Tiger would seem to contain the following:
Double ward off
An escape from an opponent grabbing your left wrist
An escape from an opponent grabbing you from behind
Ward off right
Back hand strike
Ward off left
Groin sweep block
Hidden kick to South West
Groin sweep block to rear
Rear elbow strike
Rear strike to throat
Rear trip
Body drop
Strike to solar plexus
Another example, in turning to Single Whip from Push there are three easily identifiable
techniques. But you couldn't preform all three together.
You either do the technique which assumes both your wrists have been grabbed or you
do the technique which defends against a left punch which you deflect and strike back
using a hook hand.
The form would seem to be an answer to creating flow, not learning techniques. But
once you have a knowledge of the form you can then go on to see and practice the
techniques in a living manner.
Back to Yang Family Traditional Hand Form T'ai Chi
|
To discuss what application can be applied you would seem to need to discuss what the
oppponent is doing first. Elbow and Shoulder Stroke are two of the Eight potential gates.
The other six are:
You may wonder why kicks aren't named?
So a Ward Off can be preformed as, or with all eight (Double Ward Off).
You could ward off a swinging punch by pulling the opponents energy, you could ward off
a grabbing attack by putting you leg behind the opponents and using a pushing energy.
Ideally you would try to be adding to the opponents instability, so where he is already
traveling you might follow. If you just stuck to what you want to do, you aren't using the
opponents energy. Just your own.
Therefore any response has the eight Gates times the five Steps / directions times the
infinite combinations of mixing any together.
There is no one set response. To discuss the martial side you have to pay attention to the
five directions (Forwards / Advance, Back / Retreat, Left / Look Left, Right / Gaze Right and
Centre Equilibrium / Staying where you are) and the eight Gates of Press, Roll Back, Ward
Off, Press, Pull, Split, Elbow Strike and Shoulder Stroke.
Don't be bamboozled by the terminology. You are always going to be moving in one of the
directions or be standing still. Then just eight named Gates. So it's very simple yet
potentially unending in it's variety.