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Tai Chi Chuan Online Playshop Lesson Page
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LESSON 10:
              
                         BIRD IN OBLIQUE FLIGHT
                         LIFTING HANDS           

 please read the following text information while the images load on the page

click>>>LESSON 1<<<here
click>>>LESSON 2<<<here
click>>>LESSON 3<<<here
click>>>LESSON 4<<<here
click>>>LESSON 5<<<here
click>>>LESSON 6<<<here
click>>>LESSON 7<<<here
click>>>LESSON 8<<<here
click>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 9<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 11<<<here

Letters in (  )* stand for the eight directions=N, S, E, W, NW, NE, SW, SE.
Numbers in (  )* correlate to the frame number in main lesson image below,
as much as possible...(some frames are 'in between' described movements,
in which case either I will try to redo the image, or you will need to exercise
your imagination even more than is necessary to learn any movement art from
'text and images' alone in the first place.)
Formula in brackets [W= ] denote weightedness, which is the amount of body
weight shifted to either side (L=left, R=right, even=doubleweightedness);
example: [W=70R] means 'put 70% of your weight on your right side.' The range
here will be approximate, ideally based on an individuals personal needs, abilities and experience.   *You may choose to read through the text the first time disregarding these
parentheticals...it's easier!!
We OPENED  the set (Lesson 1) facing North (N); as you view images on your monitor for the current postures (below), imagine that you are now facing West(W) as you begin lesson 10.  As you end this lesson (Lifting hands) you are again facing North(N).

                                  Bird in oblique flight
                                  Lifting hands

Bird in oblique flight   (1 through 15)
     
     At the conclusion of lesson #9 you are facing West. (1)  Your right hand rests outside of your right hip with your right palm facing behind you (E), fingertips pointing to the floor.  Your left hand is pushing to the West, with fingertips at about eye level, pointing up.  Both feet are also aiming West, with your right foot a comfortable distance in front of (W) your left foot.  Your right kneecap is aligned above (but, in no case further out than) your right toes.  Your upper body points slightly to the corner (NW) as the posture ends. [W= even]
     Bird in oblique flight begins as you lift your right heel only and twist on the ball of your right foot (2), pointing it toward the corner (NW), then rest your right heel down again.  As you twist your foot, your upper torso bends more toward the North and you begin (3) to shift your weight [W=70R] onto your right leg, bending your right knee more (4) as you do so. As your right knee bends more, your left hand slowly turns from pushing West to facing North, and your right hand slowly turns from facing behind you (E) to facing South (and still behind you, because you next turn yourself toward the North).
     As your weight keeps shifting (and your right knee keeps bending), raise your left heel (5) first [W= 90R], then left toes (8) [W= 100R], and lift your left leg off the ground¹, moving it forward (W) as your entire body moves
(8-10) first forward (W) and then turns rightward (N) in a curve.  Next, plant your left foot down, heel first (11) [W= 90R], then toes (15) [W= 70R], at a comfortable distance to your left (W) as you finish turning your entire body to face the corner (NW).  As you rest your left toes down, pivot² on your left heel to your right side, so that as your foot rests down it is pointing to the corner (NW).  Now both feet are parallel to one another, slanting toward the corner (NW).
     As this happens, your left hand/arm have moved forward (W) with the movement of your chi and now are poised about a foot or so from your head at about ear level, with your fingertips up and palm facing North.  Your right hand/arm have simultaneously moved slightly to your right side and now repose about a foot from your right hip with your right fingers pointing down and your palm right facing (W) toward you. [W= 70R] (15)

Lifting hands    (16 through 34)

      For the most part, this Lifting hands is nearly identical to Lifting hands in Lesson #2, except for the very first part, which is slightly different here because it is preceded by Bird in oblique flight instead of Single whip.
     Lifting hands begins as you start to shift your weight over to your left side (16) [W= even], turning so that you now face North. [W= 70L].  Next, raise your right heel (16,17) [W= 90L], then toe (20)¹ [W= 100L], and move your right foot (20-23) in a slight arc back to the center in front of you (N) and set your right heel down (23) [W= 90L]; simultaneous to centering your right leg/foot, bring your right arm up in an arc, in toward the center (24), until it is chest high and horizontal with the floor, with elbow slightly bent, relaxing the right hand as you do, slowly turning the right palm from facing West to facing you (S) as your right arm is moving toward the center (N).
     SIMULTANEOUS to all of this (!), bend your lower left arm at the elbow³, rotating your left hand in toward your head (18-24), with your left palm still facing away, fingertips vertical, several inches before your nose.
     Next (25), as you begin to shift your weight forward (N) onto your right leg [W= 70L], directing the energy of your movement from your center (as always!), the toe of your right foot rests down [W= even], pointing forward in line with the heel (27).  Hold your right arm still allowing the bodies chi to move your vertical left palm (facing out) (N) to a near proximity (30) with the now stationary and horizontally held right palm (facing in) (S). [W= 70R]
     Continuing from here, further shift the weight forward on the right leg [W= 90R], unbending your knees some, and lift your right hand up (31), slowly rotating your right palm away from you (31-33) (N) as you rotate your right forearm away also (33,34).  Your right hand rests near your forehead, palm facing away (N) (with pinky up) (34).  While you lift your right hand, start to lower your left hand to your left side, with your left palm facing backward (S).  At the same time that you do all of this (!), lift your left heel (27,28) [W= 90R], then toe (28,29) [W= 100R], off of the floor¹ and shift your left leg forward (28-30), bringing it even with your right leg.      Rest your left foot down (30), landing on the ball of your foot, with both feet about shoulder distance apart, pointing forward (N). [W= even]

           ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

(Remember to keep your knees and elbows at least slightly bent and your pelvis tucked in throughout the set.)

(If at all possible, it is suggested that someone read the text to you - or record it on a tape and play it back - while you slowly practice the form...and slowly is the best way to practice.)


notes:

¹   Here you are completely weighted on the one side; the only way to lift one leg up off of the ground is to have all of your weight balanced on the other leg. _go back_

²   This pivot helps to facilitate the motion of your entire body, moving as one, from movement forward (W) to movement shifting to your right as you face North once
more. _go back_

³   Your upper left arm remains stationary as you rotate your lower left arm. _go back_
                         
                                       The links back to the above footnote numbers will only return you to
                                                      the very first use of that number in the above text,
                                  not to the subsequent references on this page to the same footnote number.

do not over-do     do not under-do
             
click>>>LESSON 1<<<here
click>>>LESSON 2<<<here
click>>>LESSON 3<<<here
click>>>LESSON 4<<<here
click>>>LESSON 5<<<here
click>>>LESSON 6<<<here
click>>>LESSON 7<<<here
click>>>LESSON 8<<<here
click>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 9<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 11<<<here

 List  of moves

FUNDAMENTALS OF
TAI CHI CHUAN
breathing
moving as one
being grounded
tan tien (center of balance)
ding jin (common axis)
continuity
single weightedness
double weightedness
yin/yang duality
bent knees and elbows
fist space/separates
moving on a curve
moving slowly

as time permits i will explain these
concepts and expand the list of
fundamentals


May I suggest the best way to see these images in the days after the lesson page has changed is to 'right click' on those images you want NOW and click
'save image as', then save it to some hard drive (the loads are BIG!)
You can also freely copy/paste/amend the text. (But do not sell, please)

~ ~ special thanks ~ ~
to
Michael W and Shar'n
for making free cyberspace available for MORE Playshop lessons at
www.caliban.net
NOW all of the Playshop lessons should ALWAYS be available online

~ ~ ~

Follow my movement on your monitor.
   You will be performing a Right Hand Set...
(Tai chi is practiced from both sides)
 When YOU practice tai chi, move slowly
 (and hopefully less jerkily than this animation)
If the pictures stop animating on your page, hit reload (refresh)
(I've even had to "clear memory cache" first if I interrupted initial page loading)





Another
angle
of
this
lesson
as viewed
from
the west

  click>>>LESSON 1<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 2<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 3<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 4<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 5<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 6<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 7<<<here
  click>>>LESSON 8<<<here
  click>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 9<<<here
  click>>>NEXT LESSON - 11<<<here

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

notes:
I made the Tai Chi graphic images using a reverse image option so that I could
video the Left Hand Set, then when it is viewed here on your monitor, it appears as a mirror image of a Right Hand Set, which you can emulate by following my movements.  Most Tai Chi students only learn the Right Hand Set, and it is a good way to start.  One can practice the opposite side movements (Left Hand) by practicing the reverse of the image(s) above.  I am fortunate that the students who instructed me at my 'tai chi beginning' practiced both sides of the set daily.  By learning the left and right versions (identical, just reversed) of tai chi, I believe one may gain even more.


~   ~   ~   ~   ~

more notes:

Please let me know what you like here and what really bugs you here, too
TO EMAIL HERE PLEASE MANUALLY CHANGE 'AT' TO '@'

Is there some aspect of the movement not made clear by the images (or the text, for that matter)??  Please tell me, and if I cannot clarify it with words I will try to make a new image to illustrate a way out of that confusion.


~   ~   ~   ~   ~

still more notes:

It is better by far to experience learning Tai Chi of any kind in a group setting, primarily for two reasons.  First, it's more fun! and nothing is better for learning than sharing ideas and practice with individuals who share the same interests.  By having many artisans practice together, this allows for an excellent source of useful feedback.  More than critically watching the moves as others do them, this also affords an opportunity that is unparalleled: by standing in the center surrounded by more advanced students, with every movement in every direction, the novice has a rotating view of the form.  This allows the newer student to follow all the others, even as the plane of movement tangents onto a new direction.  Turn left, a senior student is in front to follow from; turn right, another teacher is in view;
spin around 180° and, yep, you guessed it.

Though learning Tai Chi from pictures, and (sometimes even worse) from text, is not the best method to use...it is what I can offer.  Some people have little or no access to teachers or classes in their area; some have little or no money for them even if they did exist; some folk are shy and some may be to dis-eased to go to a class; it is for all these people (the ones online, at least) and of course for the martial arts intellectuals (you know who you are) that I make this meager presentation.

TAI CHI CLASSES
For anyone in or near (or just visiting) the San Francisco Bay Area, please accept our invitation to join us in our VIRTUAL REALITY PLAYSHOP
(real people), any Saturday morning from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
at 1819 10th Street, in Berkeley.
(The set usually begins @ 9:10 a.m. Saturday
Just take the outside stairs on the south side of Finnish Hall to the top to get in--or take the disabled folks elevator inside--if you need it)

 ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

 finally! feedback
finally, your notes:

    Scott, I HAVE FEEDBACK FOR YOU
    and/or
I wanna get email when the lesson page changes :)

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~   ~   ~   ~   ~



Only you yourself will know if you have stretched
your chi 'enough', 'too much', or even 'not enough'.  What we desire to achieve with Tai Chi is balance: to get there, moderation, not excess, is required.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Keep in mind while upon this new journey that we do it for our health, for our joy, for our spiritual reawakening...not to suffer more, but to complete ourselves
as beings, and rejoice of the universe.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

With gratitude to Li Lida      (1922-1982)



SPECIAL THANKS
to Ruth, David, Lydia, Michael, Shar'n, Harold, Eileen, Robert,
and all of the other people who have helped me learn Tai Chi...

                                     



Injoy.       heartLove!



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page last updated on November 27, 2006 at 5:20 P.M.


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~   ~   ~   ~   ~

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