Gilman Studio On-Line Lessons
Yang Style Long Form
Tai Chi Chuan
This Lesson Contains:
Movement # 67 – Fair Lady Works At Shuttles – Left
This is a very interesting series of movements. I have always taught and treated the four parts of Fair Lady as one movement. I was trying to cram all these movements into one lesson at my studio, as I always do, when one of the students asked, “Why don’t we just do one part at a time?” That sure took a lot of pressure of the students and me. So here we have the first of four shuttle moves. The opponent pushes me with his right hand. I neutralize and close him up to my right, step behind, open his center, and attack back with my right hand.
Yoshi pushes or grabs my right arm.
Shift the weight back onto the right foot. As you do, turn the waist to the right and let the torso turning turn in the left hip and foot. Pivot on the heel. The body and left toe face north.
The right hook hand opens and turns to have the palm face inward. You are in Ward Off position. Keep the elbow drooped.
The left arm drops and moves with the body to the right.
Focus on the right forearm for joining.
Transition of moving to the right and neutralizing.
Shift the weight back onto the left foot and release the right root, touching the right toe. The torso continues turning to the right and now faces halfway between north and east. The two arms stay in basically the same position.
Focus on the right forearm for sticking and leading.
Closing Yoshi up and pulling to upset his root.
Continue turning the torso to the right. Lift up the right foot and replace it so that the toe faces halfway between east and south. Place the weight on the right foot and roll up onto the left toe.
The right palm rolls over to face downward. The left hand in front of the crotch, protecting.
Focus on the right palm for pulling.
Note: I have joined, stuck, and lead Yoshi’s energy to my right and closed him up. You can see he is coming forward out of his root. I will now pull and step at the same time.
I step to his right side and open him up to my counter-attack.
Step forward with the left foot, touching down the heel. Don’t add weight yet. The toe faces slightly to the left of east.
As you step, lift the left arm upward. The arm is straight without being locked. The palm faces to the right. It ends with the palm slightly higher then the head. The right palm remains by the right, center of the chest.
Focus on the left forearm to lift opponent’s arm.
Note: When you lift, you want to attach to the opponent’s elbow in order to have the greatest control. Also, you want to stick to his arm, not just knock him away. You want to remain in control of his arm. Try and step behind his foot to seal his possible retreat.
I push Yoshi backward.
Shift the weight onto the left foot until the knee just covers the toe, turning the torso until the nose points to the knee.
The right arm extends outward to end on the right center of the chest. Keep the elbow drooped. The left palm turns outward and pulls back towards the body slightly, staying over-heard high.
Focus on the right palm for pushing or striking, and the left hand for pulling.
Note: There is a strong relationship between the two palms. The right is pushing outward and the left is pulling inward. If you don’t pull inward with the left, the opponent could go with your right hand pushing energy and move away, out of trouble. The pull with the left keeps this from happening.