Hmm Interesting

[Xue Sheng]

Traditional Yang style Taijiquan

I have been working on the long form and attempting to get it to look as much like my Sifu’s Sifu’s form based on the pictures I have of him doing the form. This by the way is very close to the way my sifu does the forms as well.

I am not 100% sure and I definitely have to check with my sifu but I am beginning to see a whole lot of nastiness in application, but this could be other styles I have trained bleeding into my Taiji too so I really need to check with my sifu before I start training the postures with that intent.

There appears to be a multiple of attacks to the opponent’s knee in the form of kicks and stepping on it and I am finding what appears to be a Qinna lock to the knee that is done by locking the opponent’s foot and using your knee to attack. There also appears to be a lot more Qinna than I first thought but then I have been told my Sifu’s Sifu was rather fond of Qinna so this may not be as surprising as I think.

Also some of the minor corrections to that section of the posture, where I was off just a little bit in some and a bit more in others have relaxed my form even more. Frankly I can’t wait for spring now to take this outside and give it a try with the corrections and possibly intent change/additions

Still working on it though, I am finding that after almost 14 years of this form there a few are areas that I have become a bit lax with. After several years in any style we are all a bit guilty of this, you’ve done it so many times you stop focusing on it as much as you should. I have found that there are a few that were in need of correcting and the still pictures of my shigong are helping a lot. One example is my timing was off just a bit in single whip and with the correction in timing an application or two that I had not seen before popped out. Also I have the advantage of going to ask my sifu as well, actually I did last week and I was right in both cases and I am pretty happy about that.

 

[East Winds]

Xue Sheng,

You are absolutely correct. We tend to become a bit nonchalant in our form practise as time passes. We become comfortable with what we are doing and don't challenge ourselves any more. One of the reasons I stopped practising other forms was that I found them a distraction and when I was required to do some real work with Traditional Yang, I would for a short time, then I would revert to one of the other forms to try and convince myself I was doing some real work. As you said, I also found some of the "other" forms creeping into my Traditional Yang. My teacher would say "What are you doing?? I Didn't teach you that!!!"

The Chin Na on the leg is devastating and needs to be approached with great care, both for yourself and your opponent/partner. Placing your right foot on the inside of their right foot and your right knee outside their right knee, very little effort on your part will dislocate the knee. This can be done when ever you step forward with the right foot. i.e. Grasp Birds Tail, Brush and Push etc. and of course can be done with the left leg as well. It can of course also be practised while doing push hands.

Keep pushing yourself and take as much from your sifu as you can, while you can!!! But remember, giving to him means as much as taking from him.

Very best wishes