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 They open, relax and exercise your shoulders They teach you to move your body as one connected unit They help develop the twisting, wavelike power that is the hallmark of all good Chinese movement […]
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 access this course or article you will need a relevant subscription. CLICK HERE to get your Basic membership access (£8pm) CLICK HERE to get your Intermediate […]
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: They open, relax and exercise your shoulders They teach you to move your body as one connected unit They help develop the twisting, wavelike power that is the hallmark of all good Chinese movement arts From a martial perspective they contain a wide range of attack and defensive skills Today we are going to […]
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 […]
This move requires you to stay rooted and balanced on one leg while extending the other out in front of you. It also involves a twisting, circular movement that’s great for opening your hips and spine. This move also contains the most physically challenging move in the whole form but I will show you an easier version. Opens hips and spine Strengthens legs Works on balance How to do it […]
Golden phoenix is a seemingly simple move that just requires you to stand on one leg with the fingers of one hand pointing up and the fingers of the other pointing down. Practice your crane stance first and the heaven and earth breathing practice as this combines both of those exercises. Standing on one leg requires some practice. It’s just a question of strengthening your legs and relaxing. Develops poise […]
Snake creeps down (also known as descending single whip) is a move that develops leg strength, co-ordination, relaxation and awareness of your body weight. Your leading hand is the snake that retracts then slivers down the leg before turning upside down and extending forward. In the meantime your body moves back into a low stance then comes back forward. Don’t be put off by the low stance. Just keep within […]
This is an ancient qigong breathing exercise and part of the Jade Path Taoist School. It forms part of the 5 breaths of Tao which are a series of internal breathing exercises to develop the mind, body and energy of the practitioner. The main aim of Heaven and Earth breathing is to learn to create a feeling of yin or yang anywhere in the body. Internal power is expressed through […]
Below is a video of the 3rd section of the form. This is one of the easiest sections to remember the order of movements. I just create a story – you see some monkeys, guard yourself against them, fight them off then fly away! The moves are:Fist under elbow (guard position)Repulse MonkeyDiagonal flyingCloud hands. Here’s the video Again it starts from single whip position. https://youtu.be/659DPUKTDuU… Sorry but to access this […]
Cloud hands is a beautiful movement that mimics the soft movement of clouds floating through the sky. It is a lovely movement to practice over and over again. Partly because it feels good to do and partly because there is so much it can teach you when it comes to relaxing down and connecting different parts of your body together. How to do it Start with just the arm movements […]
Diagonal flying is a short move that involves a circling, stepping out and opening movement. It ends with probably the only position where your yin arm is higher than your yang arm. How to do it Start from the closing position of repulse monkey – weight on left leg, left hand at hip forward with right foot and hand as shown below Circle your arms clockwise so your left hand […]