Why is Single Whip Called Single Whip

One of the funny things about the martial arts I teach is that when teachers don't understand a movement they are likely to make up an overly-complex answer.

Over the years, I have heard all sorts of explanations about why Single Whip is called Single Whip.
A lot of stuff about Qi, and a lot of stuff about the entire body moving as a singe whip.
It's really simple, folks. Single whip is called Single Whip because only one arm is doing the whip.
That's it. The Hook Hand is holding something in place. The other arm is performing a whip, which is a type of scissor throw. In a lot of styles, the arm also performs a compression throw and a sail.

I'll update this with pictures as soon as I have time. The bold terms are things you can look up.

Irony in the Martial Arts: Defeated by a Mouse

Statistically, martial arts instructor is the third most likely profession, right after ice skater and dancer, to injure themselves off the job. In other words, we spend so much time at work focusing on our movement that we are much more likely to twist our ankles, bang our elbow into something, etc., when we are not working.

Ironically, I have a new martial arts injury, which I got not by practicing martial arts but by writing about it. I seem to have a collection of issues related to overuse of the mouse and the undersize keyboard on my laptop computer.

Full combat martial artists actually seldom injure themselves. In the 20 years I have been studying martial arts from an actual combat perspective, I have only had minor injuries, such as twisted ankles and the occasional slightly broken nose (usually from teaching beginner students.) The only serious martial arts injury I have received in the classroom came from an unfortunate knife-fighting incident that almost cost me my thumb.

In my former career as a bouncer, I successfully took on bikers and gangmembers. Today I was defeated by a mouse.

Why is my Taijiquan Form Lopsided?

I get this question a lot, and not just in Taijiquan. "Why is my form lopsided? Some movements are only done on one side."

Answer 1 (Glib):

It isn't lopsided.

Answer 2 (Useful):

A form isn't necessarily a drill. In a drill, you perform your moves on both sides. A form is designed to hold the information necessary to reconstruct a system.

A lot of systems have forms that are also drills, in that each move is performed on both sides, but this is not a necessary feature of a form.

You are supposed to take each movement from the form and practice it independently, generally on both sides.

Answer 3:

The reason  lot of movements in, for example, the Yang form are practiced only on one side is that the Yang family system defaults to a left lead. You are constantly trying to return to your fighting stance. Therefore, you are less likely to perform Single Whip on the other side.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't practice it on both sides.

Push Hands... Isn't.

Most people think that the core of a martial arts system is its forms, but in fact the core of any sophisticated martial art is gong to be its sensitivity drills. This is where all the pieces of technique become fused with your instincts in a useful way.

In the Daoist arts, which tend to specialize in structural manipulation, the drills are usually called Tui Shou, of "Push Hands." In these drills, you are learning to find the weak points in your opponent's structure and defenses, usually their centerline, in order to offbalance or break them. (This is called "Breaking the Circle," and is one of the sources of my school's name.)

In the art of Taijiquan, we aren't actually doing this. At least until we reach the higher levels (much higher than most practitioners ever reach), we are focusing on the other half of the equation: redirecting our opponent's straight line so it doesn't affect our centerline. So we're not really practicing pushing: Our partner is certainly pushing, but that's when it's "our turn" to practice our yielding.

Personally, that is why I don't participate in Push Hands competitions: They focus on the wrong part of the training. I think the established rules inhibit good practitioners from responding with yielding to the aggressive, double-weighted attack style that often wins these tournaments.

The Five Hammers of Yang Taijiquan, Part 2: The Straight Hammer

1.
正捶
Zhèng Chuí
Straight Hammer

The Straight Hammer thrusts forward in a straight line.


Examples of movements with Straight Hammer in them:

Step Up, Deflect, Parry, and Punch


Examples of applications:

Face push:

Pushing the head backward destabilizes the spine.









Arm drag:

Pulling the elbow behind the spine destabilizes the upper body. The punching mechanics help to break the opponent’s structure.








Hip push:

Pushing on the hip folds the body.









The next installment will outline the Horizontal Hammer

The Five Hammers of Yang Taijiquan, Part 1

The Five Hammers are an important part of Yang Family Taijiquan that are often overlooked. Every time you see a fist in the public form, you are seeing an opportunity for one of these techniques. This is the first in a series of articles outlining the Five Hammers.


The Five Hammers are:

1. 正捶
Zhèng Chuí
Straight Hammer

2. 横捶
Héng Chuí
Horizontal Hammer

3. 栽捶
Zāi Chuí
Plant Hammer (“Plant Punch”)


4. 降捶
Jiàng Chuí
Dropping Hammer


5. 提捶
Tí Chuí
Lifting Hammer


There is a whole form devoted to learning these techniques, called the Wise Hammers form. I'm releasing a book on this form in a few days, available from Lulu.com and my website, and there is also a VCD of the Imperial Yang version of this form. Plum Publications sells it under the title "Wisdom Fist." (I have no financial connection to Plum Publications, but I love what they offer. Google them.)

It’s important to understand that while on the surface these seem to be simple punches done at different angles, they are actually much more than this.

The word “Chuí” is a word commonly translated as “punch.” However, it includes a number of techniques that we wouldn’t consider to be punches, such as hammer fists. It also doesn’t include a number of techniques that we would consider punches, such as jabs. What’s the difference? This word means “to hammer,” or “to pound into.” A “Chuí” technique is one that uses striking mechanics, but hits with enough force to move whatever it hits. Jabs, for example, work by trauma to the nervous system: They aren’t designed to physically move the opponent.

So the purpose of a “Chuí” technique is to use the mechanics of striking to move something. That’s a deeper understanding, but there’s more. While each of these techniques is shown with a fist, they don’t have to be a punch. A lot of them are much more likely to be done with the elbow or the palm in a real fight.

On an even deeper level, they don’t even have to strike anything. This will be explained further on in the series.


The next installment will outline the Straight Hammer.

The Syllabus of the Indoor Yang Style, Part 2

Here is the first part of a more detailed list of the main forms of the Indoor Yang Style.

1. The Large Frame Form, 大架拳 (Dà Jià Quán)

This is the first form you learn. It is composed of much larger movements and is focused on training your body for the art.

2. The Old/Medium Frame Form, 老架拳 (Lăo Jià Quán)

It is said that this was the original form that Yang Luchan practiced. Who knows? This form is the skill training form. It is smaller than the Large Frame and more detailed.

3. The Small Frame Form 小架拳 (Xiăo Jià Quán)

This is the combative frame. It is much smaller than the Medium Frame, and the movements look the way they might in a fight. The Wu style seems to be built from this frame.

4. The "Long" Form, 太极长拳 (Tàijí Cháng Quán)

This is the form that teaches us to break free from the structure of the forms. Each of the movements is designed to dovetail into each of the others. Focus is on using the movements in new and unusual ways: Doing Lu with Cai energy, for example.

5. The Post-Heaven Methods, 后天法 (Hòu Tiān Fă)

This is actually more of a Xingyi (Hsing-I) form. It teaches explosive strikes that can be used after the yielding entry that is the style's specialty. A lot of people get angry when they see Xingyi and Bagua in Yang Style, but Yang Luchan was a comprehensive martial artist and saw the need for a complete style.

6. The Little Nine Heavens Form, 小九天 (Xiăo Jiŭ Tiān)

This is the escape form of the system. It's mostly a Bagua form. It deals with fast footwork and "Seven Stars", or clashing.

7. The Wise Hammers/Wisdom Fist 智捶 (Zhì Chuí)

This form is a more direct, combative, almost "short" form that focuses on the 5 Hammers.

8. The Pressure Point Striking ("Dim Mak") Form

This form is usually taught last of the eight main forms. Not because it is "secret", but because it requires learning all the pressure points and their relief points. The form itself simply teaches quick chops and thrusts that can be inserted within other movements. It doesn't have the same importance that pressure points have been given in some other schools. Dianma (Dim Mak) doesn't mean "Touch of Death." It means pressure point.