concepts:- footwork
- spine
- sideways
- spacing
- transitioning
- hands
- 64 palms, 2-person forms
64 palms, 2-person forms
we began with palm 7, also known as the palm that involves the monkey stance. we did a number of iterations with this, with Sifu observing us doing sides A & B solo in line, and then doing them as a 2-person form. he made a number of comments on this:
- footwork--observing our problems with side A's rotation from rhinoceros looks up at the moongreen dragon bends its body (people were either having trouble remaining upright or directing the kick forward), Sifu pointed out that the footwork was essential in providing stability. he noted that the front step in rhinoceros looks up at the moon, apart from being the ko step, can be placed deeper so that's already positioned past the line into the initial part of the turn. this step, which becomes the plant leg in the turn, is thereby able to be located more towards the finishing point of the turn, and thus helping preserve stability and direct the kick more towards the opponent.
- spine--side A requires use of the spine in green dragon bends its body. the movement, which involves the hands coming from behind the head down to the front of the abdomen, needs to be done with the spine flexing forward so that the entire body is contracting into the abdomen. Sifu said the torso is the source of the power in the movement, and not (as most people mistakenly believe) in the arms moving downward. he noted that the spine acts like a bow, and hence can serve to generate additional power.
- sideways--Sifu added that green dragon bends its body should not be done with the practitioner pulling the hands down while the back is turned to the opponent. the technique is done with the practitioner holding the attacker's hands, wrists, or arms, and so in some ways warrant the turn with the back to the opponent. but pulling down while your back is turned places your spine and torso at the point of least mechanical advantage, making it easier for the opponent to yank you off-balance. Sifu said that the downward pulling motion should be timed so that it occurs when you have turned sideways to the opponent, or have turned to face them. a sideways or face position places your spine and torso in a point of maximum mechanical advantage, increasing the likelihood that you can control the opponent.
- spacing--for both side A & side B, it is imperative that spacing be close. monkey is a very closed, very drawn in, very protective stance. as a result, it is effective at close range. in addition, however, in palm 7, monkey is used to transition in and out of white ape presents the fruit, which is present in both sides. this technique is a close-in strike, with both palms going up the opponent's leading arm into their face. Sifu noted that this is often very easy for the opponent to block. as a result, this requires that white ape presents the fruit is done close to the opponent, so that it is hard for the opponent to see in time to block.
- transitioning--discussing both A & B, Sifu added that white ape presents the fruit can actually be done with the expectation that the opponent will block it. if this happens, you can transition out it, with one of the hands occupying the opponent's block, and the other extending into a strike against the opponent's head and neck. Sifu demonstrated this with Phunsak, showing how he could employ it to draw Phunsak's block, and then transition into big bird to throw Phunsak on his back.
i have to say that i can't help but identify palm 8 as a singular (i.e., strangely unique) palm, even more so than palm 7. both involve rather strange, decidedly non-intimidating names (e.g., monkey, big bird as opposed to palm 4's lion or palm 6's dragon). but unlike 7, where i think of any generic monkey, every time i think of 8 i think of big bird...as in Big Bird...as in Sesame Street. with all the other palm changes i can refer to any number of examples and images in the world. but with palm 8, there is no such thing as "big bird" in Western scientific terminology--at least not anything identified with the term being a proper noun. the only thing in Western culture is the Big Bird of educational public television. and it doesn't help that the stance, with its upraised arms, very much reminds me of the Sesame Street Big Bird trying to fly by flapping his wings.
this wouldn't be a problem, except that my understanding is that visualization is a fundamental ingredient in yi (or intent), which in turn is crucial to successfully applying the correct form necessary to generate the required mechanics that exploit the physics of techniques...in which case, is the Sesame Street Big Bird really the best visualization for yi? i don't know. i only know it's distracting. especially when i visualize the nasally voicing counting out the techniques in palm 8. it only makes me hear the Sesame Street theme song--in the middle of a martial arts class...it's quite an effort not to giggle.
we managed to make it through palm 8 without too many problems. however, Sifu pointed out that palm 8--and he added, also palm 7--needed more integration of the waist when turning into the opening and closing movements, since this adds power into the techniques. he noted that we were a bit deficient in doing this.
i should note here that Sifu had made some comments about palm 8 to me outside of this class, back when he'd observed me practicing 64 palms at UCLA. while he didn't repeat these comments to this Saturday class (or, to my knowledge, anytime we'd learned palm 8 before), i will include them here for the sake of edification:
- sinking in and sinking out--Sifu had noted that palm 8, side B (and incidentally, palm 7, both sides A & B) requires sinking into the kwa (i.e., the hip) when going into white ape presents the fruit, since this is a technique meant to receive and divert an opponent's attack, and hence is a yin movement that absorbs and controls the opponent's power. conversely, when going from white ape presents the fruit into great peng spreads its wings, you're supposed to step forward and rise slightly from the legs, so that you drive into big bird, thereby injecting power into the movement.
- alternative applications--palm 8, side A's phoenix spreads its wings is used as a strike to the head or neck in the 2-person form. however, Sifu showed me an alternative application, with the movement being an act of na jing to position you along an opponent's leading arm in a way that allows you to then control it. essentially, you begin in big bird receiving the opponent's strike, initiating ting jing, you step into phoenix spreads it wings, leading to hwa jing, then execute phoenix spreads its wings, which is na jing. however, in this situation, your forward arm is no longer extended as a chopping strike like it is in the 2-person form, but instead is a slightly more contracted and more relaxed, so that it can make a brushing, controlling contact with the opponent. when you have done so, you are free to initiate a number of actions, any of which are fa jing--Sifu showed me a transition into tai chi's pull down, or an arm bar, or a joint lock.
No comments:
Post a Comment