PENG’S OTHER ROLES

 https://youtu.be/MZzleh-jxgk?si=lmJozhWX3YAxI-y0

“ 8 energies, etc.” Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Jou, Kao Cai, Lie! 

Most videos on YouTube show lots of “Peng”( sounds like pung, I won’t include Mandarin tone marks). It is shown as a defensive movement without explaining that it is also the central component in the offensive aspect or “one-inch punch.”  

To further complicate matters, Peng is often not explained defensively as one sees “Masters” bouncing “disciples” backward.  For the most part, the arms of the “disciples” are tense and rigid as the teacher pushes them back, being done with a stiffened and tense arm.  Or, the arm of the student or even the teacher bends excessively in the defensive posture, and one sees It seems to me that an explanation of the implications of Peng is warranted here:

Implications of correct “Peng”:

·         Its integrity demands that the arm neither bend nor become tense.

·         At the most basic level, learning Peng starts with the arm in one hand and push hands.

·         Essentially, a primary implication is that the student keeps the form of their movement as they either yield or generate an offensive movement.

·         Collapsing the arm means the form of movement or its “shape” is being altered.

·         Tensing the arm means the form of movement or its “shape” is being altered.

·         We do not want the opponent to reach our body by collapsing the elbow, so the arm has to be “firm” but not tense.

·         When we use “Peng” as a “push” or “one-inch punch,” we maintain our form, but the arm is not tense as well.

·         Collapsing the arm results in using external or arm strength; we feel tremendous pressure to use the muscular force of the arm.

·         As we sit back or yield defensively, our force is less than our opponent's, but we must maintain our form or shape.

·         An analogy from the Tai Chi writings: “Peng is like the water that supports a boat.”  The water yields to the force of the boat, yet it supports its weight and shape, yet it does not lose its own overall shape or form.

·         Tensing the arm during cooperative push hands results in our partner feeling tremendous pressure to use muscular force.

·         Implication here is that tension or collapse is that a player does not have “internal discipline” of movement, and therefore, no “internal energy” is generated to either fend off an attack or push.  

·         In the same token, there is an implication that a player does not have “internal discipline” of movement, and therefore, no “internal energy” can be generated to “push” or “punch.”

·         Another implication of faulty peng is that the player is not able to “ting” jin or “listen” to what the opponent is doing (we refer primarily here to a rudimentary sense of touch that is lost when either collapsing or rigidizing the arm, “ting” jin at higher levels is beyond the scope of our discussion).

·         Implications for faulty peng can often be traced to such deficiencies (among others) as not sitting back correctly.

·         Sitting back correctly demands that a crease appear in the trousers at waist level.

·         Sitting back correctly demands that the player not remain perpendicular to the ground; the “crease” is achieved when there is a slight lean forward of the upper torso even while sitting back.  This slight lean forward also acts as a counterbalance to the backward momentum that is generated when pulling with the rear foot.

·         We have only touched on some implications here, but overall, the deficiencies we mentioned can always be traced back to problems with the Classical Tai Chi form playing.

·         Maintaining “form” or “shape” during push hands is directly relevant to maintaining “form” or “shape” during solo practice…after all, why do you think they call it the FORM?

Martial Intent

 

Most people are now learning Tai Chi for reasons other than martial arts applications. So the question is, how much should we emphasize the martial arts aspects of Tai Chi? 

Certainly, Tai Chi Form movements make more sense and are easier to remember if they are corroborated with the martial art origin of the movements. It is why there are these sequences of movements, as well as the body's positioning and timing.

Besides this aspect, there is a more subtle but powerful reason why the martial arts aspect of Tai Chi is essential. I shall discuss that below:

Tai Chi Form should be practiced with “Yi” (martial art intention). “Yi” is not something complex and elaborate. It is single-minded and somewhat intuitive, wanting to deliver internal power externally through hands, arms, and feet, whatever the movement is. 

If the hand moves forward, the Yi goes to the palm and fingers. If the hand moves laterally in a blocking movement, then the Yi moves to the leading edge on the side of the hand, etc.

Once the practitioner masters the “Yi,” it is no longer a conscious effort. It becomes subconscious and comes naturally whenever the practitioner makes a move. At this stage, when you play the Form, you have both the Internal energy and Qi (nerve signal - a simple-minded definition) are circulating in the torso of your body. 

With the “Yi” as a catalyst, the Qi can flow to your hands and fingers while the internal energy circulates in your torso until you need it for an application. Then, the internal energy will follow the Qi to the arms, hands, and fingers for delivery.

External martial arts such as Karate also practice a solo form called Kata. Kata allows the practitioner to study movements at full power and speed, allowing the student to move with the enemy in mind. So, Tai Chi form and Kata are practiced with “Yi.” But Kata is practiced with a tensed-up arm moving with power and speed, while Tai Chi is practiced with a relaxed arm moving slowly. 

The “Yi” in Tai Chi is therefore purely mental. For some students, “Yi” is fairly easy to develop. It is almost natural to them. For some students, it is pretty challenging to be consistent – other intentions creep in subconsciously occasionally. Students who have studied dancing or are interested in dancing have such problems. The fingers become warm after playing the Form, even in cold weather. 

One of my students who had already achieved good internal movements complained about cold fingers. Upon close examination, she frequently had small flourishes in her hands and fingers. After reducing that flourish, her problem of cold finger improved. 

Extraneous motions, or nerve signals, along the path of Qi, such as shoulder, elbow, and arms, have the same effect of disrupting the flow of Qi between the body and the fingers. People who use their hands intensively, such as dancers, typists, and piano players, could have such problems. They need to keep localized nerve activity dormant and let the Qi from the body take over. 

This is an excellent reason to learn the square form from which the practitioner will get used to movements with steady arms and hands without localized impulses.

The focus here is on the arms and hands, not the legs and feet. The reason is that during form playing, the lower limbs have definite functions to perform and its energyand Qi are already integrated with that of the torso. During form playing, the upper body's function is abstract, mental, and easily distracted.

Work from "outside-in", not "inside-out"!

https://youtube.com/@ClassicalTaiChi?si=cqfnfYNU5WAHncHs 

A GREAT LINK TO ALL OF MASTER HWA'S VIDEOS

 

"WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE, NOT WHAT ITS NAME IS!"

 (It is important to remember that we work from the "outside-in," not from the "inside-out," to learn Classical Tai Chi. I spent 20 years learning large Frame Wu's Style from the Great-grandson of the Wu's style founder in the 80s and '90s. I struggled with "quarter body movement" when I started Classical Tai Chi in 2003. Then I took Master Hwa's advice and WATCHED the videos 3 to 5 times each before attempting anything. I just watched and did not move. It is now 20 years after the initial 20 years, and as Ms. Eva Hwa (Koepsell) said, "...Jim, you got it...") 

 Anatomical terminology is a form of scientific terminology used by health professionals, anatomists, and zoologists. Over the years, I have heard terms like “Scapula, transversus abdominis, internal oblique muscle, etc.” used by students up to and including Master Stephen Hwas Teachable course. Hearing students use anatomical terms when learning Classical Tai Chi can be frustrating. However, for our purposes, it is unnecessary to get too anatomically technical here, as understanding these elements in the body requires not medical but experiential knowledge. 

 As I said, my student, and now "Sifu "Jason Bulger, invited me to demonstrate classical tai chi to his anatomy teacher. Jason is now an Occupational Therapist! I taught the Professor to turn at the waist, not the hips, a rudimentary upper-quarter body move, and not mention any anatomical terminology. 

 You may refer to almost any anatomical text on the subject. While it is certainly helpful to see the differences, it is more critical that we FEEL the natural design of the body and act based on what we feel. This is why Master Stephen Hwa has over 60 YouTube videos on HOW TO SEE IT TO DO IT, subsequently FEEL WHAT YOU SEE IN THE VIDEO, and not how to use its correct anatomical terminology to learn.

Internal Force is not Momentum Force

 ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘᴏꜱᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴀᴇ ᴋᴡᴏɴ ᴅᴏ, ɪ ᴘᴏꜱᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ "ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛᴜᴍ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇ" ᴀɴᴅ "ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇ" ɪɴ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ

Tom Kostusiak and Jim Roach taught Classical Tai Chi to a 4th-grade class, and one of the children wrote: “They taught us Tai Chi, but Mr. Roach said it was good cause we won't fly kick out the window like 1 kid did for him”

Let me explain what I said about why Tai Chi does not do "...fly kicks...": It is also a "...fly kick..." lesson on the pros and cons of Momentum Force. You might also understand how difficult it was subconsciously for Grandmaster Young to give up "external" to learn Tai Chi. A young boy in my 1984 Tae Kwon-Do class once attempted a flying side kick at a heavy bag, missed the bag, and went through the plate glass window at "Scrubs", what was then a Tae Kwon-Do school– "Kwan"

I explained to the children in the 4th-grade class that I once belonged to a Tae Kwon-Do school. It was under the instruction of Grand Master C.S. Kim, and It was located in the 1980s on Niagara Falls Blvd in Tonawanda, NY. It is now a "Scrubs and Beyond" store.

I was a "Red Belt" about to be promoted to Black Belt. I also did Wu's Style Tai Chi in Toronto. When I became a "disciple" of Grandmaster Wu, he said, "...I did not care then, but now you are a teacher, so I care that you do that..." so I gave up Tae Kwon Do. However, I had great difficulty physically giving it up when I sparred in Wu's Style of Tai Chi. Grandmaster Eddie Wu would come out of his office and chide me, saying, "...that's not Tai Chi..." if I mistakenly did a high kick. I gave it up before receiving my Black Belt, and C.S. Kim was unhappy. Chuck Gorino, who owns Gorino Tae Kwon Do in Buffalo, was my classmate then.

I was teaching a line of kids how to do a flying side kick. The Heavy Bag was close to the big plate glass window in the "Scrubs" store. I told one of the kids to "take it easy" because you have to take a running start, then "...fly kick...".

He missed the bag with his foot and crashed through the window onto the sidewalk. Several people were exiting the Drugstore next door, frightened, and lurched back into the parking lot. An unperturbed Grandmaster Kim came out of his office at the noise and said, "Mr. Roach, you clean that up!" The boy only had a small scratch on his foot.

A Classical Tai Chi lesson on the pros and cons of Momentum Force" from Uncovering the Treasure by Stephen Hwa:

"Most other martial arts emphasize offensive movements

and utilize considerable momentum force.

When one is on the ball of his foot, it is easier to push

off, rush the opponent, and build momentum in the

movement. When one depends on momentum in his

strike force, he doesn't have to connect well

with the ground. After all, a flying heavy object in the

air could knock a person down. However, for delivering internal force, "fajin," a solid connection to

the ground is very important."

All reactions:

2Tom Kostusiak and Rashid Oso

Connect arm movements with Torso movements

 Connect arm to core

The key to learning this is to learn from the outside of the body to get to the inside. Master Hwa uses the expression "Outside/In." So, how do you learn to connect your arm movement to your core? My experience with "outside/in" involved going back over the internal discipline I knew 20 years ago so that I could teach it. Master Hwa's workshops at BSU were enlightening because they gave me a better handle on "outside/in."

Don't think you can narrow it down by doing/picturing an anatomical textbook or anatomical terms of the core in your mind. I frequently teach senior citizens; many need help moving from the core. They do not feel much sensation there.

Please don't try to force anything in your core; you will only use your arm. Let one arm hang down and notice the feeling of stretch in your shoulder. Keep feeling that stretch in the shoulder and extend your arm forward, as Master Hwa does in this video. Now notice the effect this has on your core and keep repeating, repeating. You won't get this from trying to move from the core.

Think "outside/in" and look for those sensations in the core, doing this any chance. Look to do it walking, sitting, even when you lie down. Establish "outside/in" feelings; once you have that, you can begin feeling in touch with the core. Only then do you start trying to move the arm from the core. For instance, you feel the sensation in the shoulder, perhaps the back and abdomen as the arm stretches out, so try to pull the arm back using only those muscles.

Glib

https://youtu.be/Prtux8S7ITw?si=wQMe4UE

I wonder why is there so much glibness in an advanced democracy?  I have met so many people who treat even something like this so simplistically! Is it simply your perception that turning from the hips is the way to do it? Watching the befuddled faces seems to echo that.  A simple experiment of turning above the pelvis and then below the pelvis, as shown, would test the veracity of whether one feels something or feels nothing.  

Isn't it also medical evidence that the pelvis/hips are significant joints in the body? Isn't it also a mechanical fact that “fulcrum” capability differs depending on distance factors? Accepting that evidence, isn't it logical reasoning that tells us the hips cannot turn by themselves but need to be powered by something else?  

Because your feet are so close together in this case,  the hips turn by first turning the waist, which then turns the hips....the reverse order cannot work.   In the case of taking a more extensive, sometimes much larger step size, isn't it then the pushing down of the feet generating power into the legs that turn the hips?  

Glib does indeed win superficially. If I had to guess, it is just more accessible for people to eschew logic and as well to be simplistic, aka glib in some explanation, and say, "The hips generate all movement".

Is it internal or not?

 

 

 IS IT INTERNAL OR NOT VIDEO LINK

 

 

 

My question to a Tai Chi instructor in 1977: "Can you show me an "internal" movement? He said: I'm doing it, but you can't see "internal movement."

How do you know you are doing "internal"? Well, you CAN see "internal" movement on Master Hwa since he does not wear one of those Tai Chi uniforms so big it makes a tentmaker envious. So, if you can see it on Master Hwa, but some teachers say you can't catch it on them, others, or yourself, how do you know? Why not ask why you can't see it instead of "believing" a teacher?   Then, ask what can I do to "get it"?


 In Classical Tai Chi, you know that you are doing "internal" by self-examination (seeing) where the movement originates in your body's torso. You know whether anyone is doing "internal" by examining (seeing) their movements. You can observe these things in your body, but as you progress, you can feel (tactile) whether the movement originates inside or outside the torso.


Master Wu Chien Chuan passed this on. Every move has to have yin and yang (not moving and moving) parts of the body, and those are either in the torso (internal), or they are not (external). The moving and not moving parts form a "junction" called a Yin/Yang pair. One part of the "pair" moves, and the other does not.


Much Tai Chi says it is "internal," but ask yourself the following question when you see it: Is the movement originating in the torso or an extremity outside the torso, such as arms, legs, etc.? You also have to reckon with the fact that any "extremity" is the furthest point or limit of something and that internal is situated on the inside.

Long better than Short & Vice Versa?

 Long better than Short & Vice Versa?

This is also known as Rationalizations vs. Reasoning for doing Internal

ᴛᴏ: ꜱᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ ʜᴡᴀ, ꜱᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ: ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴠꜱ. ʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ

Hi Master Hwa: ɪɴ your book, "ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴀꜱᴜʀᴇ", ᴘ. 121 ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴇʀᴍꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ "ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋꜱ", ᴀɴᴅ "ʙᴀꜱɪᴄ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋꜱ" ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ "ʙᴀᴄᴋʙᴏɴᴇ" ᴏꜰ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴍᴘɪʟɪɴɢ ꜰᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟ ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ ᴠꜱ. ʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢɪɴɢ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴍᴘɪʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇʀᴇ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ.

ꜰᴏʀ ɪɴꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ, ɪ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇ 24 ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ ᴏʀ (ɪɴꜱᴇʀᴛ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴀʀᴛɪᴀʟ ᴀʀᴛ). ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴅᴏɢɢᴇᴅʟʏ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜʏ ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴅᴏɢɢᴇᴅʟʏ ʀᴇꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇ..." ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ 24 ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ, ʏᴀɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ, ᴇᴛᴄ...". ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ɪ ꜱᴀʏ, ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ɪɴ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴀɪ ᴄʜɪ, ᴀ "ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋ" ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴ ʙʀɪᴇꜰ ᴇxɪꜱᴛꜱ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ʏɪɴ/ʏᴀɴɢ ᴊᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏʀꜱᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏʀꜱᴏ.

ᴊɪm

ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ʜᴡᴀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ

ᴊɪᴍ: ᴍʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ 24 ᴠꜱ. 108 ʟᴏɴɢ ꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ. ʙᴜᴛ, ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴀʀɢᴜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ ʙᴏᴅʏ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏʀ ᴘᴏꜱᴛᴜʀᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴇᴀꜱɪʟʏ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ʟᴏɴɢ ɪꜱ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ.

ꜱᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ

"Ting Jin" during Sparring

 Ting Jin during sparring

 

 Instead of pushing back at the opponent's attack, the best known defensive strategy of Tai Chi is to follow and stick to the opponents' move, neutralize or drain off its power and then counterattack. In order to be able to follow and stick to the opponent, one has to be relaxed, sensitive and quick on the feet, matching the opponents move with ease and anticipation. That is one reason that the Compact Form optimizes body posture to achieve lightness and nimbleness through parallel feet, compact movements, and avoidance of
"double heavy".
 

Tai Chi applications emphasize stickiness or adherence to the opponent. This is useful only because this complements the fajin move perfectly. The characteristics of Fajin are:
 

• Delivery of Fajin is most effective when already
in contact with the opponent such as sticking to
the opponent.
 

• Delivery of fajin is most effective when the
hand in contact with the opponent is sufficiently
relaxed to allow "listening" or "ting jin"- the
objective of sticking to the opponent.
 

• Fajin has the ability to go from relaxation to
full power instantly. 

 

When one sticks to the opponent and detects a weakness in opponent's move, one can suddenly counter attack with fajin without telegraphing the intent. If the capability of fajin is not available, even when one detects weakness in the opponent, one will not be able to take full advantage of those fleeting opportunities.

The 分开腿 Fēnkāi tuǐ "Parting Leg"

 分开腿 Fēnkāi tuǐ "Parting Leg" 分开腿 Fēnkāi tuǐ "Parting Leg"

Posture 34, 36 - Parting Leg movements R & L, as Master Hwa says, "...begin the kicking section of both Round and Square Forms..." As Jim Roach says: The kick at this part of the movement becomes a front kick and is something someone would use on you even when sparring. Sparring tends to end quickly when one is kicked in the groin, even cautiously. ...there is the intent of projecting power from the core flowing down the relaxed leg all the way to the toe as if the leg is a whip..." In this part of the movement, the Arms cross at the wrists as the hands form hollow fists, the left palm facing down and the right palm facing up allowing you to STICK to somones arms as they grab your arms. In the crossed position your forearms can clasp an opponent's arms as you fold yours at the elbow. One might say your arms act in a scissor-like movement folding at the elbow. ■ Even though the kick is not a full power kick (more of a kicking motion), there is the intent of projecting power from the core flowing down the relaxed leg all the way to the toe as if the leg is a whip. The toe is slightly stretched forward and the stretch is maintained during the sweep ■ Right upper body opens 45 degrees to the right ■ Right upper body closes to the left 45 degrees as the right palm rotates clockwise to face left ■ Upper body continues to turn left 45 degrees as the right knee lowers to allow the right hand to pass under the left hand ■ Arms cross at the wrists as the hands form hollow fists, the left palm facing down and the right palm facing up ■ Right heel lifts off the ground ■ Right foot moves forward and then kicks ■ Right leg swipes to the right 90 degrees as both arms unfold to the sides and move to a low position

Placing the Yin/Yang junction correctly

 Neuromuscular control, placing the Yin/Yang junction correctly a more in-depth look.

Place Yin/Yang Junction correctly 

 Real neuromuscular control, understanding junction”, “disjunction” and the “hinge” analogy. “One thing that even some long-time students don't get is how and where to place the "junction of Yin and Yang". One needs to see their own "dis-junction”. 

Diving "deeper" into understanding, a Yin/Yang Junction is more than "...at the waist...".  As he raises either arm, Master Hwa places the "junction" of the arm (which is the elbow) at the same height...each and every time. The elbow "junction" moves with the straight arm so that the elbow junction is at the exact location next to his waist, Then he can bend the arm. 

In other words, he raises the entire arm with no bend so that the elbow (junction of yin and yang) is at the same spot concerning his waist, each time. If a student does not do this and instead bends the arm with no fixed point for the elbow concerning the waist it is a “dis-junction” As he is raising it thus negating a definite location of a Yin Yang junction. 

It's as if someone wanted to use a "hinge" (the elbow) on a door frame but instead of putting it in the most optimum spot would slide the hinge up and down the door frame and then attempt to use "bend" it as it was sliding rather than fixing "fastening" it down first to use "bend" it.”