Before the third Grasping birds tail of the set, one must make a Forward step, as the previous posture leaves one not quite at the same stage of prep-
paration as in the first two examples of Grasping birds tail so far practiced.²
     Forward step starts out, ironically enough, by shifting your weight backward (back to your right side) [W= 60L] as you begin to raise up your
left toe off of the floor (14), again resting your left foot on its heel only.  
When you do this, bend your right knee even more and allow yourself to
sink at the waist a bit (by pulling your head slightly forward and bending
your waist more.)  As you sink your waist, start to rotate (pivoting at the waist) your upper torso toward your left (NE) more. [W= 60R]
     Simultaneous to this, your elbows start to rotate away from each other slightly.  As they do, your left palm turns, from facing your right forearm (South), with fingers up, to facing the floor, with the tips of the fingers touching lightly against (or near) your right forearm and pointing to the corn-
er (SE).  At the same time, your right hand pulls toward you as you unclench your fist from the punch and rotate your wrist and forearm clockwise, turning your right palm up toward the ceiling.  Here you have finished shifting your
weight to your right side [W= 80R] and the true meaning of Forward step can be realized.
     With your body aimed toward the corner (NE) following the twisting at your waist toward your left, both of your arms are at about shoulder height and parallel to the floor.  Your hands are before you, your right palm facing up, your left palm facing down and resting by your right wrist at about
a 90° angle to it. Your left toe is pointing to the corner also (NE) with your left foot resting lightly on the heel.  Your right foot, bearing most of your weight, points (SE) at about a 90° angle³ to the left foot.
     Forward step begins now, in earnest, as you start to shift your weight (sorry, folks, you'll just have to get used to seeing this phrase a lot...that's Tai Chi!) forward (East) again. [W= 60R]  Here you carry both of your arms together as one with your chi, moving them only in relation to the movement of your torso, or your 'carriage' (from Websters: "car·riage; 2b: manner of bearing the body; more at BEARING; CARRY; POSTURE".)
     As you shift forward, pivot on the heel of your left foot, turning your left toe outward to the corner (NE) (17,18); rotate at your waist your upper torso, aiming it, together with your arms, in that same direction; and slowly rest your left toe to the floor. (18)[W= even]   As your left toe lowers down, continue shifting your weight forward [W= 60L] onto your left side (East), lifting your right foot as you do (19), heel first [W= 80L], then toe [W= 100L], and step through, moving your right foot on a slight arc forward, past you, and on to rest, heel touching only (21), at a comfortable distance ahead of you in front of your right shoulder [W= 80L].
     Next, begin to shift your weight [W= 60L] forward again onto your right leg , directing your chi towards your left (NE).  As you shift your weight forward, your right toe rests on the floor again with the heel (22,23).  Your hands are still together, either hovering or slightly touching, with right hand
palm up, left hand palm down.  As your toe rests down on the floor again, draw your hands slowly across in an arc from your left (NE corner) to your right (SE corner) (22-25) [W= 70R]; as you do, gently rotate your arms counterclockwise so that your right palm revolves toward the NE corner,
with your left fingertips still grazing your right inner wrist and your left palm now facing South (SW once your torso faces SE corner).
     When both hands reach the SE corner, shift your weight back [W= 60L] onto your left leg with your torso and arms moving along as one.  As this happens both elbows bend more, bringing your hands up, with your fingertips pointing more toward the ceiling. (26)  Your right foot lifts your right
toe up, with the heel remaining on the floor.  Your left foot remains still (throughout this) at a 45° angle (pointing NE); your right foot is now at a 45° angle (pointing SE) resting on the heel [W= 80L]. Together, your feet form at a 90° angle.
     To finish Grasping birds tail, your whole body pivots as one on your right heel (27,28), to your left (NE corner) [W= 60L] until both feet are parallel (your left foot remains still.) The right foot rests flat (lower your toes) (29)[W= even] after you pivot.  All the time you are pivoting forward and are
shifting to your right, your left hand (still hovering at your right inner wrist) becomes more parallel to the floor as your left elbow rises slightly to equal the elevation of your right elbow (notice that before pivoting, while still facing SE, the right elbow is elevated just above the left elbow.)
     Here's the grasp: shift your weight again back to your right side as you move East with your hands still together, right palm facing NE (29,30)[W= 70R].  Slightly raise both elbows simultaneously (away from each other) making your right and left hands at right angles to one another (right palm
facing North; left palm facing South).  Turn your right palm so that it faces away to your right side (East); with your left fingertips hovering against your inner right wrist, bend your right wrist downward and fold your right fingertips together (30,31) (pointing down, your fingertips and thumb tip gathered as one at the end of your fingertips so that your right hand looks 'beakish'.)
     Your right arm points NE as you finish the posture, as both it and your left hand end up at shoulder height. Your left fingertips (pointing East) are grazing against your right wrist, and your left palm is facing South.  Your feet both
point to the NE corner. (31) [W= 70R]

Single whip    (31 through 35)
     
     You may have noticed by now that after each occasion of Grasping birds tail during the form there follows a Single whip.  This combination is the most common in the set, occurring nine (9!) times; you should be getting the
"grasp" of it by now. :)[This version is the same as in Lesson #1.]
     Single whip begins by drawing your left foot further leftward (lift heel up first, then toe) to a comfortable distance (don't over-do, dont under-do) at a point where it is parallel with your right foot (both feet are still at 45° angles, pointing NE), and the left toe lines up even on the floor with the instep of the right foot (set toe down first, then heel).  Then, shifting your weight to your left (32-35) [W= 60R], draw your left hand in that direction too, across the front of your face, with your fingertips at eye level, pointing upward and
slightly to the right, your palm facing in.  Keep your right hand stationary through the entire posture.
     As your left hand passes your face rotate your palm away from you, with your left arm continuing to move left (West) until it points NW at about a 45° angle to your torso, creating about a 90° angle with your right arm which is still pointing NE.  As your left palm passes in front of your face, your head begins rotating toward your left,  following the movement of your left hand (33), and rests facing the same corner (NW). As your left palm passes your face (33-34), rotates outward (34) and stops (35), palm facing away toward the left (NW) corner, your left foot moves in tandem with it, and with your turning head, by pivoting on the heel (34), turning your left toes to the corner (NW) (34-35), then settling your left toes down, creating about a 90° angle with your right foot. (35) [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   As your right hand lowers to your side, your left hand maintains its same position (relative to your torso); in fact, it does so throughout this entire posture.  _go back_

²   In each case of grasping birds tail before, notice that the positioning of the feet differs from lesson to lesson.  Here the right foot starts out Forward step; grasping birds tail far behind, rather than even with (Lesson #1) or ahead of
(Lesson #7) the left foot.  Thus the forward step here is necessary to position into the grasping birds tail. _go back_

³   As I have tried to emphasize here and there throughout these lessons, anywhere you see stuff like: "at a 90° angle" or "[W= 80L]" or even "(left, NW; right, NE)"....please, please, understand that these are basically my approximations.  They are certainly not cast in stone, but simply guidelines to get you moving in generally the right direction at generally the correct balance.  Though I have attempted to assign these numbers accurately, especially with regard to their relativity to each other, it's natural for each individual student to dither somewhat from these (my) norms. _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.