Southpaw: An In-Depth Look

[RandyBrown]

Here's another article for you. The end there is a brief piece on Deflect, Parry, Punch in Taijiquan. Enjoy.

Southpaw: An In-Depth Look

[taai gihk yahn]

from the article:
"There is a long history of ancient cultures including the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese that prejudice left-handed use. It is seen as sinister, wicked, evil, etc. and many of the words for such are derived from the word left in these languages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handedness). In Chinese culture the major philosophies and religions believe in the universe spinning from left to right and things must always start on the left and move toward the right to remain in harmony. This expresses itself is in many of the Kung Fu forms that we see and is heavily documented in Tai Chi."

the taiji form moves from right to left...

[RandyBrown]

Perhaps, but it begins Left to Right. Wuji posture, shift weight to right leg, step with left. Play with it, you'll see.

Thanks Skip. Appreciate the support.

[taai gihk yahn]

but it begins Left to Right. Wuji posture, shift weight to right leg, step with left.

not really - bearing in mind that the Yang opening is in a sense incomplete, as YLC deleted certain aspects of the Chen form opening, such as the initial circling from left to right before the first weight shift and step, and the Arhat Pounding / Grinding the Mortar as well (which is an important "activator" from an alchemical perspective); in general, the initial opening part is really more of a moving forwards from the origin point (North to South), establishing Central Equilibrium (YLC "condensed" this, emphasizing the initial "wuji" up / down as a means of achieving what the Chen form does as it moves into Arhat Pounding); furthermore, the movement to the right (Too Lazy to Bind Robe) faces right, but does not travel in that direction: it is really more of a meridian based "gathering" up of energies that are then manifested to the left via Transforming Elixir / Single Whip;

as such, from a macro-structure perspective, the general direction is from right to left; specifically, this is, in the Yang form, achieved via linear forward movement (e.g. - Transforming Elixir / Single Whip, Brush Knee, Needling Sea Bottom, Opening Three Gates of the Back, Bear Walk / Cloud Hands, Snake Creeps Down, Seven Stars); conversely, the majority movements back to the right are generally non-linear, but rather take the form of things such as diagonal moves (Leopard & Tiger Return Towards Mountain; Subduing Tiger; Bend Bow to Shoot Tiger) cross-stepping patterns (Wild Horse Parts Mane), backwards motion (Monkey Retreats, Riding Tiger), aerial (jumping into Planting Punch), 360˚ circular (Jade Maiden), "dragging mud" stepping (the last sequence of Too Lazy To Bind Up the Robe), all of which makes sense from a Taoist alchemical perspective.

[taai gihk yahn]

TThe developer of our style is known to have collaborated a bit with YLC in the beginning, even tho YLC is not in our lineage.

just curious, who was that, what was the occasion he had to meet w/Yang and where / when? what is the lineage you practice known as?

do you guys have any of the low to the ground work aside from Snake Creeps Down? do you guys do any of the jump kicks or forward jumping moves?

TI think maybe it is your PT background that notices and brings out the activator aspect, interesting......

nope

[DRAGONSIHING]

I saw her also. Wishing I lived in Kansas City where her school is located, at least at the moment. LOL! She was very, very good. And Yes, the circles were there.

[DRAGONSIHING]

Will do. Seems as if there were a lot of folks from this forum there and we didn't know each other. Maybe Gene will have to have a Kung Fu Forum Members meeting and we can all exchange greetings. I know folks were competing and had things they wanted to see, but that would be fun.

[Skip J.]

Will do. Seems as if there were a lot of folks from this forum there and we didn't know each other. Maybe Gene will have to have a Kung Fu Forum Members meeting and we can all exchange greetings. I know folks were competing and had things they wanted to see, but that would be fun.

Sorry, went missing for awhile there.. be glad to meet next year...

Keep in touch!