These are the as yet undescribed movements of the final section of the form. Some of the pics below also feature the great master Professor Cheng Man Ching who developed this form and is widely recognised as one of the greatest tai chi masters of the twentieth century From single whip go down into descending single whip aka snake creeps down. From here bring your weight forward onto your left […]
Learning to move in fluid wave-like patterns is good for your health, open your joints and allows power to flow through you in the most efficient way. The tai chi move ‘push’ is an ideal move to incorporate this wave movement. Do practice the basic move first. Then check out the video below. Sorry but to view this post you will need a subscription to the relevant part of the […]
The heaven figure 8 stepping pattern is very useful for tai chi practitioners to learn and essential for students of Jade Dragon Kung Fu. It forms a part of many of our styles and movements. You will find it in our leaping tiger form and discover many ways to use it. Practice the static heaven figure 8 until you have mastered it first before you even attempt to do it […]
This is the longest single movement in the tai chi form and takes up most of the fifth section. The practitioner steps out to all 4 diagonals, blocks up and pushes outwards then draws his energy back in. The arms The arms are fairly easy to understand. From a ‘holding the ball’ position you raise your lower hand turning it palm outwards as you do so that the fingers are […]
In both tai chi and kung fu our aim is for power to flow through the body and out again. Energy usually travels in waves so by creating wave movements we can prevent ourselves tensing up and let the movement flow. The power this can generate is enormous yet effortless. It also teaches you to move your arms in ways that don’t hold tension in your chest, neck, back or […]
This is the second of the two figure of eight arm movements. In a previous post we covered the heaven figure 8 movement. This one goes the opposite way round. Both movements have the following benefits The earth figure of 8 is also a great rooting exercise that teaches you to ‘sit’ on each leg more firmly. Stay upright throughout the movement. Don’t allow your arms to pull your body […]
The fourth section of the form is possibly the most physically demanding as part of it is done on one leg. The second half can be challenging regarding the footwork. Anyway, here is how it all fits together. Practice Practice Practice Sorry but to view this post you will need a subscription to the relevant part of the site. Click here to be taken to the sign up page.
We already looked at the brush knee in Module 4. In this section it comes up again but includes a step forward and doing it on the other side. It’s followed by a low punch and then we go straight into Ward Off East and carry on as we did in the first section to single whip. This next set of movements is quite hard to describe so study the […]
There are two figure of eight arm movements – heaven and earth. They have many uses: Today we are going to learn the heaven figure of eight. We will do a large movement that basically describes an anticlockwise circle to your left and a clockwise circle to your right. Stay upright throughout the movement. Don’t allow your arms to pull your body in any direction. Start in wuji position – […]
One of the main aims of tai chi and kung fu is for you to be able to hold and move your body in the most effortless and efficient way. This doesn’t come naturally as our habitual way of holding our body is from above by tensing up. This takes the weight off our weak legs but means we are constantly standing and moving as if we are always under […]
Developing an effective guard is essential in any combat situation. I have lost counts of the number of fights I have seen – both in real life and on video where one protagonist has his hands down around his waist and then wonders why he gets hit so easily. In fact, I can often tell before the fight really gets going who’s going to win by simply seeing who has […]
The dragon punch is the most powerful punch that is taught in the Jade Dragon kung fu system. It is a powerful forward strike, generally aimed at the chest area and the non-striking arm moves out at the same time to block or cover the striking arm. When you learn to punch with power you can take an assailant straight to the floor and wind him for seconds, even minutes. […]