days 141 & 142: videos & push hands

concepts:

• touch
• sensitivity
• listening
• random circles
• arms, wrists, hands, fingertips
  

forms:

• yang long form

this week was a dichotomy in content, with the focus of Tuesday and Thursday being entirely different.

day 141

Tuesday was taken to help everyone review their own performance from the midterm using videos. Sifu intended this as an aid, so people could see what he meant in his comments in terms of their own respective movements, and thus get a better sense of what they needed to correct individually.

we gathered as a group to watch videos of each student, and then provided comments so that the person receiving the feedback could relate the comments to what they saw themselves doing. this took the entire class, since everyone needed a chance to review their own performance.

day 142

Thursday was divided evenly between the long form and push hands. we spent the 1st half of class doing several repetitions of the entire long form (i.e., with both the section from winter quarter and the section from this quarter together), so that everyone could familiarize themselves doing the entire form all the way through.

the second half was devoted to push hands. Sifu began with the basics from last week, but then began showing some additional variations. last week we had done simple push hands with stationary feet, and single-arms moving in vertical circles. today we progressed to 2 arms in vertical circles, and then horizontal circles. Sifu also had us experiment with doing these drills using shifting (albeit not stepping) feet.

Sifu stressed that we focus on light touch between partners, and try to rely less on visual observation and more on sensitivity in our arms and hands. he said the goal was to try and listen to our partner's movements using only the sensitivity of the arms and hands. essentially, we're supposed to be gaining signals as to the other person's intent and actions from our limbs.

Sifu pointed out that push hands could be done with not only the arms, but also the wrists, hands, and fingertips. he had everyone do the push hands drills shifting between each of these.

everything seemed to go fine, up to the point he asked us to try integrating random circles. from what i can tell, this is basically calling upon the movements from cloud hands, and were the basis of the bulk of his random circles DVD. this seemed to give everyone problems, and so Sifu stopped class here to help everyone practice random circles individually, so that they could visualize the patterns that were supposed to be used in the 2-person push hands form.

class ended with this, for the week. Sifu announced that we'd be finishing the quarter next week, before final exams, and so ordered everyone to prepare for the class' final exams, which he wants to hold next Thursday.