Fair lady weaves at shuttles - four corners
Photo by Brayden Prato on Unsplash.
This is a challenging section for beginners and intermediates alike. Lots of turns, lots of footwork. In an attempt to help you make progress at home in between lessons, I am setting out nine steps that take you from single whip to single whip.
⬅️ Start in Single Whip facing W
↗️ ↻ Turn clockwise 135° to finish in the NE (corner 1)
↖️ ↻ Turn clockwise 270° to finish in the NW (corner 2)
↙️ ↺ Turn anticlockwise 90° to finish in the SW (corner 3)
↘️ ↻ Turn clockwise 270° to finish in the SE (corner 4)
⬆️ ↺ Turn anticlockwise 135° to finish in the N, Ward Off Left (Peng)
➡️ ↻ Turn clockwise 90° to the E, Ward off Right, then Withdraw, Press and Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)
⬆️ ↺ Turn anticlockwise 90° to the N, push to left, push to right
⬅️ ↺ Turn anticlockwise 90° to finish in Single Whip facing W
At the risk of confusing you further (take heed!) I am going to include two carefully selected video clips. Neither is quite what you will see in class, but they both have useful tips and pointers.
The first is very ‘Chengy’ (after Cheng Man Ch’ing, the developer of the ‘37 posture’ short form. Note the short stance and modest, soft movements of the arms and hands.
The second is from a practitioner from the Yang Family, whose style Cheng practiced before he went on to develop his shorter 37 posture form. Note the longer stances and bigger movements.
Enjoy, but don’t complain to me that I am not doing it right! 😉
Featured image by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
