LESSON SEVEN WU STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN PLAYSHOP

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LESSON 7:

       OBLIQUE BRUSH KNEE TWIST STEP (right)
       BODY TURNS, BRUSH KNEE TWIST STEP (left)
       GRASPING BIRDS TAIL

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>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 6<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 8<<<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 again facing North as you begin lesson 7. As you end this lesson (Grasping birds tail) you are facing Northeast.

                      Oblique brush knee twist step  (right)
                      Body turns, brush knee twist step (left)
                      Grasping birds tail

Oblique brush knee twist step  (right)    (1 through 8)

     At the conclusion of lesson #6 you are again facing North, with the tips of your fingers crossing and pointing up at a diagonal, resting at your eye level, and the palms of your hands, facing you, are obscuring a full view to your face. Your elbows rest, bent inwards, at about shoulder width and almost shoulder height; and your knees, naturally, are slightly bent. In the right handed set, finish ten character hand with the back of your right hand reposing just inside your left palm, which is the outside hand here. (This of course would reverse in the opposite left handed set.)¹
     Oblique brush knee twist step (right) is very similar to the brush knee twist step (right) we see in Lesson #3, except movement is on a diagonal line toward the Northeast corner; and, because the hands and feet are positioned differently at the start, the oblique version begins a bit differently. As you begin (1) to sink your body [W= even] by bending your knees more, twist your right foot on its ball so that it points to the NE corner and begin shifting your weight [W= 60R] to your right side.
     Your right hand next (2,3) draws away from your left hand as you pull it slightly upward and backward [W= 70R] to the front right side of your face, turning your right palm from facing you to facing the NW corner as you pull it back.  Your right elbow here is just below shoulder level.  As the right hand rises, slightly rotate your upper torso, at the waist, toward the NE corner [W= 80R]; start to lower your left hand and elbow down in an arc to your left (NW) (3).
     Simultaneously, begin to raise your left heel, then lift your whole left foot up [W= 90R] and move it away a comfortable distance toward the NW corner, and set your left heel only down on the floor. (3,4)  (Your feet now form at almost a full right angle; right foot flat, left toe up and your left hand has dropped halfway down in its descent. Remember to keep your behind tucked in.)
     Next, begin shifting your weight [W= 80R] back to your left (NW), turning at your waist to twist your upper torso in that direction, as your left hand continues its descent. (4-8) At the same time, your right palm (still facing NW) pushes to your left (NW) at shoulder level, in front of your chest; as you push to the left [W= 70R], your body (from the tan tien, or center) dips very, very slightly down and back up in an arc [W= 60R], and you lower your left toe down [W= even]² . As the right palm, fingers up, pushes the imaginary opponent at the shoulder level, your left hand drops to a few inches in front of and above [W= 70L] your left knee (6) (hence the name, brush knee), with
the left palm facing in toward the knee, while the right foot (with weight mostly on the heel, pivoting) twists (hence the name, twist step) facing North, forming an acute angle with the left foot of about 30-45° (be comfortable) as the momentum forward (NW) concludes. [W= 80L]
    The left hand rests just outside of the left leg, palm facing backward, fingers down; the right palm faces away (NW) in a "push", fingers to the ceiling; both elbows are slightly bent, and your left kneecap is aligned directly above (but, in no case further out than) your left toe. (8)

Body turns, brush knee twist step (left)    (9 through 19)

     Body turns, brush knee twist step (left) is very similar to the brush knee twist step (left) we see in Lesson #3, except movement is on a diagonal line toward the Southeast corner; and, because the hands are positioned differently at the start, this version begins a bit differently. Body turns, brush knee twist step (left) begins (9) as you pull back onto your left heel only and start to shift your weight back onto the right side by rotating your upper torso at the waist in that direction. (9,10) Pivot on your left heel, turning your left foot to the right as you do, until both feet are parallel and pointing North (11), at which point you lower your left toe down again. (12)
     At the same time, begin to slowly raise your left hand upward from the shoulder in an arc (9,10), as your right hand begins its descent. [W= 70L]
When the feet are parallel to each other pointing North, your left hand, moving up, and right hand, moving down, reach an equal height and their palms face each other as if to hold a globe or ball (right palm facing NW, left facing SE.)³ (12)
     Next, as your right hand continues its descent in an arcing motion in front of your body, your left hand rises to its apex, poised near the front left side of your face, palm facing SE, fingertips at eye level, pointing upward. (13) At the same time, raise your right toe up and begin to pivot the right foot on its heel toward the right [W= 60L] until it eventually points East at about a 90° angle to the left foot. (13-16) As you pivot the right foot, your left palm (still facing SE) pushes to your right (SE) at shoulder level, in front of your chest; as you push to the right, your body (from the tan tien, or center) dips very, very slightly down and back up in an arc, and you lower your right toe down (13-19) [W= even]².
     As the left palm, fingers up, pushes the imaginary opponent at the shoulder level, your right hand drops to a few inches in front of and above [W= 70R] your right knee (hence the name, brush knee), with the right palm facing in toward the knee (16), while the left foot (with weight mostly on the heel, pivoting) twists (18,19) (hence the name, twist step) facing East, forming an acute angle with the left foot of about 30-45° (be comfortable) as the momentum forward (SE) concludes. (19) [W= 80R]
     At that point, the right hand rests just outside of the right leg, palm facing backward (NW), fingers down; the left palm faces away (SE) in a "push", fingers to the ceiling; both elbows are slightly bent, and your right kneecap is aligned directly above (but, in no case further out than) your right toe.

Grasping birds tail    (20 through 33)

     Grasping birds tail here is basically the same as in Lesson #1 except for the starting positioning (although it is angled to the SE corner, instead of West, as in Lesson #1, so I have adjusted the instructions for this lesson accordingly.)
It begins as you start (20) shifting your weight again to your left side [W= 70R] by bending your left knee more, as you start bringing your left hand directly toward you in a slight arc at shoulder level, turning your left palm from facing away (SE) to facing to your right (SW) as you do. (20-23)
     At the same time, your right toe lifts up so that your right foot rests on its heel (20-23), and your right hand rises upward to meet your left hand coming back (24), with your right palm turning as it rises, from facing backward (NW) to facing to your left (NE)³ . [W= even]  (Try to always make your arms and legs move in slight arcing motions, not straight lines or hard angles; round all of your movements for optimal benefit.)
     As you bend your left knee more, let yourself sink down at your waist.
[W= 70L]  Remember to keep your behind tucked in.  Next rotate your elbows so that the fingertips of your left hand, its palm down, are lightly grazing the inner wrist of the right hand (your right palm facing upward). (24) Then, begin to shift your weight slowly forward again onto the right leg [W= 60L], directing your chi ~ ~ movement ~ ~ to the left of you (E). As you shift your weight forward, your right toe rests on the floor again with the heel. [W= 70R] (25-27) (Your hands are still together, either hovering or slightly touching, with right hand palm up, left hand palm down.)
     Then draw your hands slowly across in an arc from your left (E) to your right (S) (27-29); as you do, gently rotate your right palm to the NE, left fingertips still grazing your right inner wrist, left palm facing SW (West, once your torso faces South.) When both hands are aiming South, slowly shift your weight back [W= 60L] onto your left leg with your torso and arms moving along as one. (29-30) As this happens both elbows bend down more, bringing your hands up, with fingertips pointing more toward the ceiling. (29)  Your right foot lifts your right toe up (29), with the heel remaining on the floor.
Your left foot remains still (throughout this) at a 45° angle (pointing East);
your right foot is now at a 45° angle (pointing South) 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, to your left (E) [W= 60L] until both feet are parallel (your left foot remains still.) (30-31)  The right foot rests flat (lower your toes) after you pivot [W= even]. (31)  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 South, the right elbow is elevated just above the left elbow.) Here's the grasp: shift your weight again (31) back to your right side as you move (SE) with your hands still together, right palm facing East [W= 70R]. Now slightly raise both elbows simultaneously (away from each other) making your right and left hands at right angles to one another (Right palm facing NE; Left palm facing SW). (32)  Turn your right palm away to your right side (SE); with your left fingertips hovering against your inner right wrist, bend your right wrist down- ward and fold your right fingertips together (32-33) (pointing down, fingertips and thumb tip gathered as one at the end of fingertips so that your right hand looks 'beakish'.)
     Your right arm points East as you finish the posture, as both it and your left hand end up at shoulder height. Your left fingertips (pointing SE) are grazing against your right wrist, and your left palm is facing SW. [W= 70R]

         ~   ~ ~   ~   ~

(Remember to keep your knees and elbows at least slightly bent and your behind 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 These left/right assignations would obviously be reversed in the opposite (or Left hand) set, which is not the set being taught here. _go back_

² This return to weightedness on the opposite side allows the upper and lower torso to again move as one in the same direction. _go back_

³   Throughout this and most of the postures in the set, the hands, when near to each other especially (with some few exceptions), should be considered to be moving as one together, forming as if to hold a globe or ball. Imagine this as much as you can. _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>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 6<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 8<<<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 East

click>>>LESSON 1<<<here
click>>>LESSON 2<<<here
click>>>LESSON 3<<<here
click>>>LESSON 4<<<here
click>>>LESSON 5<<<here
click>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 6<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 8<<<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)

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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...

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nothing new here in this part of the Universe since
3:19 P.M. P.S.T., Wednesday, July 22, 1998

we share some common strand in this universe...we

as one