Gilman Studio On-Line Lessons
Yang Style Long Form
Tai Chi Chuan
This Lesson Contains:
Movement #39 – High Pat On Horse
This is a rather straight-forward movement. My opponent grabs my left wrist with his left hand. I withdraw and knock his hand off. He follows with a right fist strike to my head. I neutralize it to the right and slap his head with my left hand.
Following Single Whip, John grabs my wrist with his left hand.
I am in the process of withdrawing.
The weight is shifted straight back onto the right foot. The torso turns slightly to the right. As that happens, the right hand opens from the hook and moves to the right side of the chest. The left arm relaxes and lengthens as I retreat. Keep some root on the left heel.
Focus on the center.
I knock John’s hand off.
The withdraw is complete. The left foot is withdrawn onto Ding Bow Toe. I can now use the left foot for blocking or kicking.
As that happens, the torso turns back to face straight west. The turning of the torso pulls the left arm back, and it ends up by the left side of the waist with the palm facing upward. Don’t let the elbow get behind the body. The right hand pushes forward to end up extended toward the front on the right side of the lower chest.
The two hands do this action together, as if you were holding ends of a towel and you were drying your back. Make sure the turning of the torso makes this happen.
Focus on the right hand for knocking off.
The opponent now strikes with his right fist toward my face. I step to the side to get out of the way and join with his energy with my right hand.
Step out to the left with the left foot. The heel touches, but don’t put any weight onto the foot yet. The toe faces slightly to the left of west.
As I step, the right hand moves slightly upward and forward as if to join with the back of the hand. The left hand opens and moves slightly to the left. It is in the process of circling upward to strike.
Focus on the back of the right hand.
The movement is complete. I slap the opponent’s ear with my left palm.
The weight is shifted onto the left foot. It is hard to see in these pictures but my left toe faces slightly to the left of west, and my torso faces slightly to the right of west. Be careful not to let the left knee collapse inward.
The two hands have worked together, as always. As the right hand led the opponent’s hand to the right, the left hand continued its circle up to end on the left side of the shoulder. The movement of the two hands in this movement is like holding a large ball in front of the upper body and turning to the right. The retreating right side causes the advance of the left side. Perfect Tai Chi.
Focus on the right hand for leading and the left palm for slapping.