Grasping Swallow's Tail and Single Whip

Welcome to the first post on our class oriented blog! Here I'll be posting relevant supporting material after each class.

Creswick - Tai Chi/Kung Fu Class, Tuesday 4:30pm, 16/10/07
At tonight's class we introduced two new moves for our 24 Form. The sequence for the 24 Form is listed below. Where there is a common alternative name, I have included that in brackets.

1. Opening Movement (Preparation)
2. Parting the Horses Mane
3. White Crane Spreads (or Flashes) its Wings
4. Brush Knee-Push Step
5. Play the Pipa(/Lute/Guitar/Zitar)
6. Repulse Monkey
7. Grasping the Swallow's(or Bird's) Tail Left
   
8. Grasping the Swallow's(or Bird's) Tail Right
9. Single Whip
10. Cloud Hands (Wave Hands Like Clouds)
11. Single Whip
12. High Pat the Horse (Stroke the Horse's Back)
13. Heel Kick Right
14. Box Tiger's Ears
15. Heel Kick Left
16. Snake Creeps Down Right
17. Golden Cock on One Leg Left
18. Snake Creeps Down Left
19. Golden Cock on One Leg Right
20. Jade(or Fair) Lady works the Shuttle
21. Needle at Sea Bottom
22. Fan through Back
23. Parry and Punch
24. Finish (Apparent Close-up)

Phew! As you can see, 24 is neither the number of moves, nor the number of unique postures.

Grasping Swallow's Tail
I said today that Grasping Swallow's Tail is one of the moves that is fundamental to Tai Chi Chuan. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, it demonstrates (in all styles that I have seen) at least 4 of the 8 energies. The sequence we did in class today was:

1. Ward Off - Upward and Outward
   
2. Roll/Pull Back - Backward/Absorbing
   
3. Press - Straight and Forceful
4. Split - Opposite Directions from an Original Point
5. Push - Straight and Driving

Secondly, every move in this sequence can be used "as is" in your push hands. There's nothing mystical or hidden about them. They are basic and effective moves.

Single Whip
Single Whip is one of the more well-known Tai Chi postures. It is common to most forms, although it varies slightly. I demonstrated today how it can be used against a wrist grab.

The basic concept of Single Whip is using one arm to create an opening (the "hook" hand) and using the other arm to attack.

Push Hands Sensitivity
Lastly, we did a series of push hands sensitivity exercises. In Tai Chi Chuan, it is said that the Forms are for conditioning and Push Hands are for self defence.

We practiced feeling two things, a forceful push and a deliberate withdrawal. Once you have contact with someone, they can either attack or disengage (and then attack or run). Feeling for that push coming or that hand pulling away is these two situations at their most basic.

The only way to develop touch-sensitivity is to practice your push hands, so we'll try and do a little bit each class.