T’ai Chi Advanced Detail

Sink a bit deeper into the RIGHT leg as you simultaneously (1) turn your head to the LEFT; (2) open your LEFT thigh to the LEFT (move your knee from pointing west to pointing south or even southeast, if possible.); (3) extend your hands away from your body, keeping them crossed at the wrists. Turn and extend as far as you can comfortably go. Pause a moment to assure you are grounded and centered. Then start your whole body turning to the LEFT by momentarily pushing to the RIGHT with the ball of your RIGHT foot. As soon as your body starts to move, lift the ball of the RIGHT foot off the floor so that you can turn, pivoting on the heel of the RIGHT foot. Once the RIGHT foot is pointing somewhere between southeast and east, stop the turn by lowering the ball of the RIGHT foot so that it contacts the floor.

Execute a Kick with Heel, Left as before except once you have fully extended the leg and arms, do not bring them back as before. Rather lower the LEFT leg until its heel touches the floor, in left bow stance, with the foot pointing to the west. Lower the LEFT arm so that it stays parallel to the LEFT leg. Leave the RIGHT hand in its high position. Your weight is back (on the RIGHT foot).

Shift your weight forward as you turn your hips LEFT. This motion will cause your LEFT hand to brush past your LEFT knee and the RIGHT hand to do a Swim movement.

As you shift your weight back, simultaneously (1) continue to turn your hips to the LEFT. (2) Lift the ball of your LEFT foot and allow the turn of your hips to turn your foot to the corner (northeast). (3) Start to bring both hands, palms down, to the area of the LEFT hip.

Then complete the movement of the hands to the LEFT hip as you step up onto the LEFT foot in 3-point balance.

Shift your weight to the LEFT foot. Step forward into right bow stance. Then simultaneously (1) shift your weight forward to the RIGHT foot; (2) turn your hips to the wall (east); (3) move the ball so that it is directly in front of you at heart level. Your heart and the centers of your two palms are lined up horizontally.

This is the first of four movements collectively called the Four Corners or the Four Maidens.

In this movement, you will turn RIGHT, going from a left bow stance facing west to a left bow stance facing northeast. The hips move continuously and fluidly from west to east and then back to northeast. The movement is broken down into 4 sections.

SECTION 1: Turn RIGHT as you simultaneously (1) shift your weight back to the RIGHT foot; (2) pivot on the LEFT heel; (3) lower the RIGHT elbow a few inches as you straighten the RIGHT wrist, ending with the forearm vertical, the fingers pointing up and the palm facing forward; (4) move the LEFT hand to a few inches below the RIGHT elbow, palm up, at about waist height. Take care not to lean forward.

SECTION 2: Continue turning RIGHT until you face east and coordinate the following foot and hand movements so that they complete at the same time. Foot movements: shift to the LEFT foot as you pivot on the RIGHT heel until the foot points slightly south of east. Then step up onto the RIGHT foot into 3-point balance facing east. Complete the foot movements by stepping out to the north with the LEFT heel. Point the LEFT foot to the northeast. Hand movements: move your LEFT hand forward (just an inch or two) as you angle your RIGHT forearm forward and move the RIGHT elbow to the rear. The movement of the RIGHT arm has the effect of passing the inner part of the RIGHT forearm past the upturned LEFT palm. Continue moving the RIGHT elbow back so that the RIGHT palm first passes over the LEFT palm, then proceeds about a foot or so past it. Then angle the palms so that they face each other as if holding a ball at about waist height.

SECTION 3: Shift your weight forward to the LEFT foot with minimal turning of the hips. As you shift your weight, rotate the LEFT arm at the shoulder so that the arm sweeps upward (to top-of-the-head height) in a high block. Turn out the LEFT palm so that it ends facing away from you. As you do this section, your hips will turn slightly to the LEFT, but will remain facing roughly east.

SECTION 4: Complete the LEFT turn of the hips so that they face straight ahead to the northeast. Use the motion of the hips to power the RIGHT palm, which moves forward and slightly upward, striking along the centerline at about heart height. The LEFT hand moves with the turn of the hips (and torso) so that it ends aligned with the LEFT edge of the body.

In this, the second of the four Corners, you will again turn RIGHT. It is similar to the first Corner, but hand and arm movements will be left-right reversed. You will block with your RIGHT arm and strike with the LEFT. Again coordinate your arm and leg movements so that they are continuous and smooth.

In the second Corner, you will turn RIGHT, going from a left bow stance facing northeast to a right bow stance facing northwest. The hips move continuously and fluidly from northeast to northwest.

SECTION 1: Turn your hips to the RIGHT as you shift weight back to the RIGHT foot. Pivot on the LEFT heel as it becomes unweighted. Turn the LEFT foot as far RIGHT as you can while maintaining your balance. Do not lean forward. During this turn and shift, lower the LEFT elbow so that the forearm becomes vertical, palm out, and bring the RIGHT hand under the LEFT elbow, palm up.

SECTION 2: Continue turning the hips to the RIGHT as you shift your weight back to the LEFT foot and step out with the RIGHT foot into right bow stance to the northwest. Align your heels roughly north-south. At this time, your hips have not yet turned fully to face northwest. During this turn and shift, draw the LEFT inner forearm past the upturned RIGHT palm until you hold a ball between the palms.

In Section 2, you may find that you are not able to angle your LEFT foot so that you can step out to the north with your RIGHT heel. If this is the case, do an Adjust by momentarily shifting your weight to the RIGHT foot; unweight your LEFT foot just enough to allow you to ball-pivot on it until it points in a direction that allows you to step out with the heels aligned north-south. Keep the turn of your hips smooth and continuous if you do this Adjust.

SECTION 3: Shift your weight forward to the RIGHT foot with minimal turn of the hip. As you do this, raise the RIGHT hand in an upward block, turning the palm to face away from you.

SECTION 4: Complete turning your hips as you thrust forward and slightly upward with the LEFT palm. Let the turn of your hips pull the RIGHT palm slightly to the RIGHT. This final movement is the same as the final movement of the first Corner, except that RIGHT and LEFT are reversed.

In this, the third Corner, you again perform turns, shifts and steps coordinated with arm movements. The arm movements match that of the first Corner, but the turns are different in that your hips first turn LEFT (to south), then RIGHT (to west), then LEFT (to southwest), ending facing the southwest in left bow stance.

SECTION 1: With your weight still on the RIGHT leg, turn LEFT, pivoting on the LEFT heel until the foot points south. As you do this, bring the LEFT palm under the RIGHT elbow.

SECTION 2: Shift all of your weight to the LEFT foot, bringing the RIGHT foot forward. Then turn RIGHT and step out with the RIGHT foot. Align the heels roughly east-west. Angle your RIGHT foot to the northwest. Then shift all of your weight to the RIGHT foot and bring the LEFT foot forward. Then place the LEFT heel down in a left bow stance. Angle the LEFT foot into the southwest corner. Your heels are aligned roughly north-south. As you do all of this, move the RIGHT inner forearm past the upturned LEFT palm and form a ball between the palms.

SECTION 3 and SECTION 4 are identical to those of the first Corner, except for directions. You turn LEFT from west to southwest instead of east to northeast.

The transition from the third to the fourth Corner is identical to that of the first to the second except for directions. Perform the identical shifts, turns and arm movements except that you start facing southwest and end facing southeast.

Repeat as in the beginning of part 1, except that the Single Whip is low as in part 2. End with your weight low on the RIGHT foot, RIGHT hand at head height, palm facing north, and the LEFT arm parallel to the LEFT leg.

The final position of this movement has you standing in 3-point balance on the LEFT foot with your two hands wrapped around an imaginary telescope that you are gazing through. You are gazing upward at about a 45-degree angle, and you actually look through the holes formed by your two hands. The LEFT hand is a few inches from your eye and the RIGHT hand is a few inches beyond the LEFT. To do this, shift your weight forward to the LEFT foot as you bring the RIGHT foot forward and also arc the LEFT and RIGHT hands up.

Simultaneously (1) turn your hips RIGHT to the northwest as you step a few inches to the rear (northeast) with your RIGHT foot, then shift your weight half way to the RIGHT foot; (2) open the palms so that they are flat and then lower both hands until the wrists are crossed (but not touching) at Tan T'ien height. Lower the hands in a circular motion with the palms facing the direction of travel. The palms end facing your body.

Then simultaneously (1) complete the weight shift to your RIGHT foot; (2) turn your hips back to the west; (3) withdraw the LEFT foot into 3-point balance; (4) circle your RIGHT hand around in a wide arc until it ends palm out, just higher than the top of your head, and about a foot in front of your face; (5) circle the LEFT hand to the LEFT hip. The hands end in a White Crane Spreads Wing formation. Note that the turning of the hip combines with the motion of the RIGHT palm so that it is as if you are striking forward with the palm.

Simultaneously (1) turn your hips as far to the LEFT as is comfortable; (2) move both hands to the LEFT side of your body, Tan T'ien height, palms down; (3) pivot on the ball of the LEFT foot until it points south. Then simultaneously (1) turn your hips to the RIGHT; (2) move your hands in a horizontal arc to the RIGHT side of your body; (3) pivot on the ball of the LEFT foot until it points north, then shift your weight to the LEFT foot and pivot on the ball of your RIGHT foot until it points east, then shift all your weight to the RIGHT foot. Visualize yourself sinking deeply into your RIGHT leg.

Shift all your weight to the LEFT foot, then bring the RIGHT foot forward and kick toward the southwest corner.

Use a circular motion with the kick so that you end it by touching down the RIGHT heel to the northwest of the LEFT heel. Here is how. Initially bring the RIGHT foot forward (southwest) raising it to about knee level. Once your RIGHT leg is straight (but don't completely straighten your knee), start swinging it over to the RIGHT. The leg will reach its maximum height, about waist level, when it is pointing west. Continue the motion to the RIGHT. Then lower the heel to touch the ground when the leg is pointing northwest.

At the beginning of the kick, your hands are at hip height on the RIGHT side of your body. As you swing your RIGHT leg to the RIGHT, swing your arms to the LEFT side of your body. Use the motion of your leg going to the RIGHT to counterbalance the motion of your arms going to the LEFT. Coordinate the leg and hands so that they pass by each other when they are directly in front of you, pointing west. Pass your hands close to your legs so that they almost touch. Finish this movement by touching down your RIGHT heel to the northwest of your LEFT heel. Point your RIGHT foot to the northwest. Finish with your arms to your left at about shoulder height.

Shift forward onto your RIGHT foot, facing your hips to the northwest. Imagine a vertical pole passing through your RIGHT heel and knee. While you shift your weight, bring both hands from your LEFT side to grasp this pole. Bring the RIGHT hand to chin height, thumb down and palm facing away from you. Bring the LEFT hand to solar plexus height, thumb up, palm facing you. Bend both wrists so that the hands move in toward your body.

Repeat as in Part 1, except that as a final step, straighten your knees so that you return to the height you had before you did Sink at the beginning of the form.