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| Form pattern: versions | ||
| Whole-body movement | ||
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18 versions
Each pattern involves distinct alterations to both the
appearance and the functionality of the form itself:
Square
Left hand form
Fingers as fists
Breathing method
5 bows
Moving from centre
Folding
Jing
13 methods
Reeling silk
Unite upper & lower
Opening & closing
Moving with stillness
Yin/yang
Combat speed
Small frame/circle
Empty form
Old school
The purpose of the earlier versions is to coalesce into a martial expression
of tai chi.
As soon as the student is able to handle a more challenging routine, they
should be encouraged to adopt combat-oriented features within their form:
Changes to the stances
Different steps
Altered weight distribution
Increase scope for viable application
Smoother
A more martial form is essentially an 'old school' form. It is the polar
opposite of the modern performance
methods being commonly taught.
The nature of the form is specifically martial.
There's no superfluity or
flamboyance, nothing
showy or crowd-pleasing. Rather, it is tight,
crisp and functional.
More martial?
This spirit of combat will infuse and transform the pattern; making it
energised and edgy. The martial spirit/intent is evident in the gaze, poise
and every movement.
This is good news for every student -
health and
martial.
Is the Long Yang form slow?
As slow as you want it to be. Unless you are training jing.
Final version
The empty form is about agility, nimbleness, jing,
power generation and
kinetic energy emission. It requires a high degree of softness, sensitivity
and lightness.
Expertise with form application, shuai jiao, chin na and the other areas of
skill is a must.
The Chen form derived from
battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that
had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed
to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to
realistically throw an armoured opponent.
By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of
firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques
to deal with armoured foes had passed.
Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards,
not armies opposing each other.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Page created
9 March 1995
Last updated
1 November 1998