LESSON NINE... WU STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN PLAYSHOP

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LESSON 9:

       MONKEY MOVING BACKWARDS (left palm)
       MONKEY MOVING BACKWARDS (right palm)
       MONKEY MOVING BACKWARDS (left palm)

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>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 8<<<here
click>>>NEXT LESSON - 10<<<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 9. As you end this lesson (Monkey moving backwards - L) you are still facing west(W).

                Monkey Moving Backwards (left palm)
                Monkey Moving Backwards (right palm)
                Monkey Moving Backwards (left palm)

Monkey Moving Backwards (left palm)    (1 through 9)

     At the conclusion of lesson #8 you are facing West. Your left hand is pointing in a direction (W/SW) just to the left side of your left shoulder, at about shoulder level, with your left palm slightly facing upward and to your right (N), and your right fist still resting beneath your left elbow. Your feet are both firmly grounded, with your left foot, pointing due West, comfortably ahead (W) of your right foot. Your right foot is at about a 45° angle to your left foot, aiming toward the corner (NW). Your left kneecap is aligned directly above (but, in no case further out than) your left toes. [W= 70L]
     Monkey moving backwards is nearly identical to brush knee twist steps, with the only big difference being that your body motion is toward your rear, rather than moving forward. Begin (1) as you pull your weight back onto your right side more [W= 60L], raising the toes of your left foot as you bring your left hand higher (2).  As you do this, turn your upper torso only toward your left side (SW) slightly and start to unclench your right fist as you begin to lower your right hand in an arc (4) to your right side. [W= even]
     Your left hand, rising¹ , reaches its apex, to the left and forward of your left ear (5), as your right hand has dropped about one third of the way down to your right side. [W=60R] (As it descends, the right palm faces in (E) toward your right knee as it passes closely, similar to brush knee twist steps in Lesson #4.)  Here, your left hand has rotated as it rises, so that it faces North with your fingertips pointing upward. As you reach this stage, your left foot is balanced on its heel only. (4) [W= 80R]
     Next, bring your full weight [W= 100R] onto your right side as you lift your left heel up (5) off of the ground² , then move¹ your left foot (5-7) backwards (E), and place your left toes (7) on the floor first [W= 90R], followed by your left heel (9) [W= 70R].  (Note: at this point your left foot points West as your right foot still is aiming toward the NW corner.)
     As you touch your left toes down again behind you, your left palm rotates leftward (W) and you unbend your left elbow more, resulting in a forward push against an imaginary opponent (7-9) in front of you (W)¹ . [W= 60R]
Your left palm finishes the push with fingertips upward, palm facing away (W), at about shoulder level, at the same time as your left heel finishes lowering down (9) and simultaneous to your right hand completing its descent to the right side, fingertips downward, palm facing backward (E). [W= even]
     As you finish pushing, arcing, and stepping back, your upper torso twists back to your right side, so that your upper body points slightly to the corner (NW) as the posture ends.  Your right kneecap is aligned directly above (but, in no case further out than) your right toes.

Monkey Moving Backwards (right palm)    (10 through 19)

      For the most part, Monkey moving backwards (R) is the same as Monkey moving backwards (L), except for the very first part, which sets up the rest.
     Start to shift your weight to your left side again [W= 60L] as you draw your left arm back toward you (E) in a slight downward arc toward your right, turning your left palm from facing forward (W) to facing to your right (N) as you bend your left elbow.  At the same time (11,12), your right hand rises up and forward as you bend your right elbow, turning your right palm from facing backward (E) to facing left (S) as it eventually reaches its apex, to the right and forward of your right ear (14,15).  Simultaneous to all of this movement, raise your right toes only (resting your right foot upon its heel) (10-14) as your weight shifts further back, bending your left knee more and more as it does so.  Remember to keep your behind tucked in.
     As your left hand continues toward you (E), rotate your left palm further still, from facing to your right (N) to facing behind you (E), until it nearly reaches your right elbow in front of you, with both elbows bent to 90° angles, and both forearms making a 90° angle to one another. (16)  (Right
forearm vertical/left forearm horizontal.) [W= 70L]
     As you do this, turn your upper torso only toward your right side (NW) slightly.  Here, your right hand has rotated as it rises, so that it faces South with your fingertips pointing upward. As you reach this stage, your right foot is balanced on its heel only. [W= 80L]  Next, begin to lower your left hand in an arc toward your left (S), where it rests eventually by your left hip.  (As it descends, your left palm faces in toward your left knee (E) as it passes closely, similar to brush knee twist steps in Lesson #4.)
     Before your left palm brushes your left knee, bring your full weight onto your left side [W=100L] as you lift your right heel (15) up off of the ground², then move¹ your right foot (15-17) backwards (E), and place your right toes (18) on the floor first [W= 90L], followed by your right heel (19) [W= 70L].  (Note: at this point your left foot is comfortably ahead of your right foot, with both feet aiming to the West.)
     As you touch your right toes down again behind you, your right palm rotates rightward (W) and you unbend your right elbow more, resulting in a forward push against an imaginary opponent (17-19) in front of you (W)¹ . [W= 60L]  Your right palm finishes the push with fingertips upward, palm facing away (W), at about shoulder level, at the same time as your right heel finishes lowering down (19) and simultaneous to your left hand completing
its descent to your left side, your left palm facing backward (E), fingertips pointing down. [W= even]
     As you finish pushing, arcing, and stepping back, your upper torso twists back to your left side, so that your upper body points slightly to the corner (SW) as the posture ends.  Your left kneecap is aligned directly above (but,
in no case further out than) your left toes.

Monkey Moving Backwards (left palm)    (20 through 31)

     (The third and final posture of this lesson is an exact reverse of the previous posture.)
     Start to shift your weight [W= 60R] to your right side again as you draw your right arm back (20,21) toward you (E) in a slight downward arc toward your left, turning your right palm from facing forward (W) to facing to your left (S) as you bend your right elbow.  At the same time, your left hand rises up and forward (21-25) as you bend your left elbow, turning your left palm from facing backward (E) to facing right (N) as it eventually reaches its apex, to the left and forward of your left ear (25).  Simultaneous to all of this movement, raise your left toes only (resting your left foot upon its heel) as your weight shifts further back (20-24), bending your right knee more and more as it does so.  Remember to keep your behind tucked in.
     As your right hand continues toward you (E), rotate your right palm further still, from facing to your left (S) to facing behind you (E), until it nearly reaches your left elbow in front of you, with both elbows bent to 90° angles, and both forearms making a 90° angle to one another. (25) (Left forearm
vertical/right forearm horizontal.) [W= 70R]
     As you do this, turn your upper torso only toward your left side (SW) slightly.  Here, your left hand has rotated as it rises, so that it faces North with your fingertips pointing upward. As you reach this stage, your left foot is balanced on its heel only. [W= 80R]  Next, begin to lower your right hand in an arc toward your right (N), where it rests event- ually by your right hip.  (As it descends, your right palm faces in toward your right knee (E) as it passes closely, similar to brush knee twist steps in Lesson #4.)
     Before your right palm brushes your right knee, bring your full weight onto your right side [W=100R] as you lift your left heel (25) up off of the ground,² then move¹ your left foot (26-28) backwards (E), and place your left toes (28) on the floor first [W= 90R], followed by your left heel (30) [W=70R].
(Note: at this point your right foot is comfortably ahead of your left foot, with both feet aiming to the West.)
     As you touch your left toes down again behind you, your left palm rotates leftward (W) and you unbend your left elbow more, resulting in a forward push against an imaginary opponent (26-29) in front of you (W)¹ . [W= 60R]  Your left palm finishes the push with fingertips upward, palm facing away (W), at about shoulder level, at the same time as your left heel finishes lowering down and simultaneous to your right hand completing its descent to your right side, your right palm facing backward (E), fingertips downward. (31) [W= even]
     As you finish pushing, arcing, and stepping back, your upper torso twists back to your right side, so that your upper body points slightly to the corner (NW) as the posture ends.  Your right kneecap is aligned directly above (but, in no case further out than) your right toes.
     As you conclude Monkey moving backwards, your right hand rests outside your right hip with your right palm facing behind you (E), right fingertips pointing to the floor.  Your left hand is pushing to the West, and both feet are also aiming West, with your right foot a comfortable distance in front of (W) your left foot.
     Monkey moving backwards occurs once again in the second half of this Wu set.  Hint: At first, you may find it difficult to retain your balance as you propel your body in the rather unusual direction of backwards. I find it useful to practice Monkey moving backwards as if you were moving forward, i.e., try to imagine the same sensation of movement that you normally experience when you move forward as you do when you move backwards here. By pretending that the backward movement is no different than its opposite, you may surprise yourself with greater ease of movement--that is, with more confidence.  It is also helpful to remember to keep your head up, with your chin tucked in...this helps to keep you from "flying off" balance.³

           ~   ~ ~   ~   ~

(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 Forward and backward movement of your arms and legs in this lesson should be made in a slightly arcing motion; left arm/leg movements should curve a bit first to your right, then back to your left; right arm/leg movements should curve a bit first to your left, then back to your right. _go back_

² Here you are completely weighted on 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_

³   Monkey moving backwards, like all of the postures in the form, is inherently designed to favor a balance of ones yin and yang energies.  Thus, preserving your balance in this particular posture is additionally made simpler by the fact that when your left side is, for example, pushing forward (yang energy), your right side is, simultaneously, pulling back (yin energy), affording better balance naturally. _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

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
this image is only the first
two monkeys (equivalent to
frames 1-19 in the image above it)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A FASTER VERSION*
OF THIS IMAGE FILE (seen directly above),
EMAILED TO YOU, SEND AN EMAIL TO
one@5medicines.com
*(cycles the image about twice as quickly: @ 10 secs...213 Kb in size)

  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>>>PREVIOUS LESSON - 8<<<here
  click>>>NEXT LESSON - 10<<<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! feedbackfinally, your notes:

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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
8:53 A.M. P.S.T., Monday, August 10, 1998

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

as one