Gilman Studio On-Line Lessons
Tai Chi Partner Cane Form
This Lesson Contains:
Movement # 5 – Ride the Tiger
The opponent attacks my right knee. I get it out of the way to the left and block his cane with mine. This is a sort of touch and go with the next movement.
This is a quick movement to avoid getting hit on the knee. In teaching it, it looks like a movement made of several parts when it is actually a very quick movement.
Shift the weight onto the left foot and release the right foot by pulling in to Empty Step on Toe.
The cane is going to make a counterclockwise half circle in front of the body. Here it is just starting as I withdraw the body.
Focus on emptying the front foot.
The left leg is lifted to get the lower leg out of the way. The body also turns to the left to help avoid the strike. Keep some flex in the right leg. The attention is west where the opponent is, but the body now faces halfway between west and south.
The cane finishes the circle down at about the place where the right leg once was. I am contacting the opponent’s cane with a light touch because I am going to bounce back up and attack his temple in the next movement. The left arm opens in the opposite direction to provide balance for this standing on one leg position.
Focus on the cane about a third of the way back from the tip.