Now I am able to bring this same fist back into a
yang mode and re-attack as in. Notice that I have
also blocked the arm that has blocked me downward with my other
palm. This sort of technique takes only a split second and is an excellent
training device.
THE METHOD
Two people stand opposite each other and one throws a punch as already
shown, the punch is blocked as shown. The attacker should allow
his arm to automatically fold up and become yin. In order not to
get into the habit of pulling your fist back using your own muscles,
the b locker should not always block the punch, making sure that the
attacker does not pull his arm back on purpose. It must be the momentum
of the block that causes the arm to fold up. You can do this
with the attacker blindfolded, this way he doesn’t know when you
are going to block and has to rely upon his own feeling.
Next, you should try to block the attackee’s blocking arm downward
with your left palm and re-attack with your right fist as seen in
. The right palm should come up underneath the left one,
which blocks downward from the top. This is the principle of continuous
punching. What ever portion of the attacker’s body is used to
block your attack you re-block it and re-attack usually with the same
fist until you have broken through all of your opponent’s first and
second line of defense and are able to attack his third line, the body.
You can play around with this forever and always learn from it. Just
keep on blocking the hand that has blocked you and re-attack. You
must remain relaxed so that your attacks can become simultaneous
and sub-conscious after much practice. The classics say of the folding
principle: “If the elbow is caught, circle it back and strike with
the back of the fist for equal success.” OR, “The method for breaking
locks lies in the wrist.” This tells us that the folding principle
also works with locks. If we are grabbed on the wrist and pulled
downward, we shouldn’t try to use force to pull our palm free, we
should relax the wrist and turn it in the direction of the least resistance,
usually against the thumb. Then we should re-attack usually
with elbow or shoulder. During push hands if your wrist is grabbed,
simply turn it over relaxed. Your timing must be perfect otherwise
you will be caught. If you stay yang, this gives the opponent something
to hold onto on order to control your body. Try for yourself.
Hold your arm tense and ask some one to pull or push your palm.
Your whole body will be con-trolled through your arm. But if you
relax your arm, your opponent has nothing with which to control
you and in this short time you have already re-attacked. You don’t of
course leave your arm yin so that he can re-attack it, staying yin is
Just as dangerous as staying yang, you must change from yin to yang
Chapter Three: Sparring:
How To Use Tai Chi as a Fighting Art:
in order to re-attack. If your wrist is caught (because your timing
was off) you should relax it (fold it) and come in using either elbow
or shoulder stroke to his mid-section or chest. People Just don’t expect
us to ‘go with the force’ so they are usually taken by surprise
when you barge inward with shoulder.