Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail
Available from Amazon as an eBook (£7.99) and horrifyingly as a paperback for £198.17! I bought a used copy for £2.
Introduction
A short article today, as something struck me when I was reading the Glossary from Dan Docherty’s book, Complete Tai Chi Chuan (1997, The Crowood Press Ltd.).
Yes, I was reading a glossary. Of a book. A real book.
Do I get nerd points for that? 🤓
We already know the moves in this piece of the form…
Ward off Left (Peng)
Ward off Right (Peng)
Roll Back (Lu)
Press (Ji)
Push (An)
Revelation
But what I didn't really grasp intellectually, (pun fully intended!) were the vectors of movement in each move. I think I knew them physically.
Silly me.
Every day is a school day!
The old chestnut of conscious competence.
The vectors of movement are clear when you read the definitions in the glossary…
Peng — Upwardly directed force, e.g. to divert a push upward
Lu — Diverting an oncoming force to the side and into emptiness
Ji — A straight push
An — Downward directed push / press
[Emphasis is mine: Steffan]
As emoji
⬆️ and ⬆️
↙️ or ↘️
➡️
⬇️
Additional Material
Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan, Fu Zhongwen, translated by Louis Swaim, 1999, Blue Snake Books
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Credits
Featured Image: White Crowned Sparrow
