THE STORK SPREADS WINGS PUNCH

This punch is one of the most powerful punches from any martial
art. It is totally centrifugal and quite fast considering it’s distance.
This is one of only three punches in T’ai chi that uses the first two
knuckles, in T’ai chi we use the knuckles that most suit the position
of the palm upon impact otherwise we use extra muscles to hold the
palm into position and there-by lessen it’s impact. The front jab as
described earlier is not really a straight punch as aren’t any of the
T’ai chi punches. Upon impact the punch circles around and back so
slightly that some-one looking sees only a straight punch. This is
why it is some-times called a straight punch. The ‘Stork Spreads
Wings Punch’ however looks circular from the beginning. As with
most T’ai chi punches except the jab, it comes from a blocking
movement. Although we usually defend and attack with all of our
punches, this is the t’ai chi principle of defense rather than attack.
Although, in effect, a bad word or a wrong look can be interpreted as
an attack.
If you block with the right fist across to the
left against a left face attack with the left
palm underneath it, Photo No. 139, the left
palm then takes over the block while the
right fist is thrown out at the target with the
turning of the waist. Photo No. 140. Its use is
covered in chapter one.