The Four Hooks of Taijiquan

The White Crane Hook Hand is one of the most misunderstood hand gestures in Yang Family Taiji. Perhaps because it only appears in the Public Form in Single Whip. I'm going to skip over its striking applications today and just discuss its hooking applications.

There are a lot of different versions of this posture: Some people hold the arm completely straight, and some bend the elbow. Some hold the Hook Hand way above their head and the Wing Hand low, and some hold them both at shoulder level. In the medium and small forms, it is essential that there be a distinct bend in the armpit and the elbow joints. This is why:

The purpose of this hand in Single Whip is to hook -- not to hit, as some people would like you to think. It is there to hold something in place while you do the rest of the movement. There are four ways it can do this:

1) Grab
Simply, grasping with the fingers.

2) Wrist Hook
Using the wrist to hook over whatever you are controlling, as in Praying Mantis. The reason it looks different from a Mantis hook at all is because it also includes #1.

3) Elbow Hook
Holding it in the crook of your elbow and pressing your forearm and upper arm around it.

4) Armpit Hook
Holding it in your armpit and pressing your forearm down on it.

It's important to note that while the last two might seem inelegant, they are much more likely in a real fight. In a real fight, as soon as the adrenaline starts pumping through your veins, all your fine motor skills depart in favor of more powerful gross motor skills, so you can forget about using your fingers. (Also, you may have blood or sweat on your fingers, or you may actually have had your fingers cut off. It's called a fight for a reason.)

Now you can see why the bends in the armpit and elbow are necessary.