DA-LU

DA- LU
This principle of da-lu can also be used in a fighting way It says in
the classics of da-lu or the ‘four corners’; “with erroneous technique
one has no choice but to use the four corners to help return to the
framework of squareness and roundness.” This means that ‘pull
down, split, elbow stroke and shoulder stroke’make up for deficiencies
in our technique. If we happen to be pulled off balance because
we are deficient, we must go with the force using a step to the corner
then re-direct the movement to bring us back into the opponent and
use either elbow or shoulder. So if I am attacked as shown
I should take a step with my left foot to the side in the direction
of the momentum and push back at an angle using elbow or
shoulder. The classics say that this is only used if my cardinal line of
defense (the folding technique) is not yet perfect. So T’ai chi gives
some techniques to save ourselves until we have learnt the right way
of using the principles.
BEGINNING SPARRING
It is not an easy matter to begin to fight. Human beings on the whole
would really prefer not to fight but sometimes we have to through no
fault of our own. This is why we use the excellent training method of
T’ai chi and pa-kua sticking hands. These methods allow us to ‘get
the feel of fighting’without feeling as if we’re threatened in any way
or in some sort of competition. It allows one to relax and find the
correct way rather than just fighting and therefore staying at one
level. Slowly these training techniques become more and more like
free sparring until eventually you break the contact and you are free
sparring before you know it. It is very important not to go into sparring
too soon. If you try sparring and you just tense up and have a
feeling of competition then stop and go back to basics, you’re not
ready for it. However, if you try it and you really feel at home and
not under any threat, then you are ready for free sparring. In the beginning
just keep it very easy and don’t try too much to knock your
partner’s head off, just use each other to learn. Start with
semi-contact, i.e.; you are able to strike certain areas with a reasonable
force without really doing any damage. As you become more at
ease, put on the gloves and try some more substantial power. The
most important thing even in non-contact is not to use less power in
order not to hit someone. You must use as much power as possible
so that your partner is able to know what a powerful attack is like. So
many martial arts schools fiddle around with a flick here and a flick
there and when someone puts in a full powered attack they don’t
know what hit them.