You should hear four distinct

sounds as you perform the four movements. The last two techniques,
the low block and the fist attack should not be simultaneous but a
split second between them. The whole technique should only take a
fraction of a second to execute once you have mastered the movements.
Do it as many times as you like in order to learn it correctly.
Then do the whole practice on the other side.
Once you have mastered both sides you do five on the right and five
on the left not stopping to change direction. This of course leads to
your attacker being able to attack at any time on any side with you
blocking on either side. Once you have mastered this then you start
to move around as if your attacker is really trying to attack you from
any side with you blocking on any side, still using the two punches.

THE VERTICAL METHOD
Sometimes we call this method ‘Australian Boxing’ because it resembles
the swatting of flies from one’s face. Two players stand opposite
each other in an easy for them stance or rather ‘no stance.’
The attacker throws a face punch with his right fist as the attackee
blocks it with a sort of stroking motion across his body with his right
palm to cause the fist to just miss his face. Photo No. 185. Ifwe were
to use a pushing type of block and push the fist some distance to the
left, this would give the attacker some considerable reaction time in
which to counter. Notice that the body has turned slightly to your left
as the left palm immediately and almost simultaneously comes up
underneath the right palm to take over the block. Photo No. 186.
The right palm then continues down to your right side to block his
second attack low to your right rib area. Photo No. 187. This all happens
in an instant with the second attack coming in as fast as it is
possible for the attacker to bring it in after his first attack. Then to
finish off, you should turn your waist to your right and attack his
face with left fist. In practice we use the chest as this exercise becomes
very fast.

HAR CH’UAN
CHAPTER FIVE
I said earlier that Long Har Ch’uan is where we learn to forget about
technique and take all that we have learnt and put it inside. This is
where our technique becomes subconscious so that our body and
mind can work as one unit. This method must not be taken for actual
fighting technique because then it becomes just that, another technique
to learn. We must treat this as a training device to teach us
something. Some of these techniques could very well be used as
fighting techniques but we prefer them to become sub-conscious reactions
rather than a planned line of defense.
This is the hardest of all areas for people to learn, especially those
who have studied another ‘external’ martial art. The most common
questions asked by students from other schools ii. “What If!" We
call these “what if” brigade. I always invite new students to DO
WHAT IF and see what happens, then they say “But you did something
completely different!” Then I explain that the techniques that
they are teaming must not be taken as strict rule, they are only training
devices. Devices that teach us to change our tine of defense automatically
as the fighting situation changes. ‘No Form’ means that
we change to suit the form of the attacker; this is what is meant by
‘sticking to and not letting go’ from the classics.

write about the martial aspects as well and most still regard t’ai chi
as a martial art, which has great health benefits.
Many of the classics are written in poetic form and can only be understood
if the reader is up to a certain mind level.
“Execute play the pipa and use threading and transforming energy.”
Or, “In moving to and fro, us the folding method in advancing and
retreating use changes and turning.”
Many classics are quite clear in what they are trying to transmit.
“The method of cross legs breaks the softer bone below the knee.”
Some classics have slightly esoteric meanings such as, “If there is
hardness within our softness we will never be defeated, if our hardness
contains no softness, it can never be called firm.”
Some of the classics give us exact details as to the postures of t’ai
chi. “Before slant flying, use shoulder stroke.” This tells us that
shoulder should be used before and in between each slant flying posture
something that many Yang styles have left out.
The classics give us explanations on how to use every facet of t’ai
chi from the form through to push hands and street fighting. If we are
able to understand them and use them as back up to our own learning
then they are the greatest learning tools available to any t’ai chi student.
If we take them all as literal and never question or experiment,
not keeping what we want and losing the rest then we will become as
sheep and never become our own masters.
Amost excellent translation of the classics is by Douglas Wile in his
book, “T’ai Chi Touchstones.” This book is a must for all who practice
the martial art of T’ai chi ch’uan.
Chapter Four, The Classics: LONG.

THE CLASSICS ARE OUR WAY BACK:
Many arguments have arisen as to exactly what the initial use was
for t’ai chi ch’uan, whether for martial or for healing etc. Or many
arguments still exist today as to what the use is for certain postures
or how to turn the foot etc. All one has to do is to read the classics to
find the answers. If you do not find the answers then you just aren’t
ready to be given the answers.
T’AI CHI CLASSICS
The t’ai chi classics were written by many masters of years gone by,
some were well known, some were unknown, and some were anonymous.
As to the use of T’ai chi we hear from one of the most famous Yang
Style masters, Yang Pan-Hou who’s Father invented the Yang Style.
“Hit the opponent’s chest with single whip.” or for the posture of
‘Stork Spreads Wings,’ “Parry and hit the opponent’s soft areas and
use no mercy.” or, “Step up parry and punch to the ribs and protect
your center with ‘close up.’”
Quite obviously when this classic was written, the master had the
martial application in mind. By the time that Yang Ching-Fu wrote
his classics, we start to see a softening of the classics. Yang
Ching-Fu was the nephew of Yang Pan-Hou. By the time that later
masters after Yang Ching-Fu wrote their classics we see a leaning
towards the great healing benefits of t’ai chi.