Tai Chi Long Form - Grasp Sparrow’s Tail

26 Aug 2024 Grasp Sparrow’s Tail

  Your left hand turns up as you shift your weight to the left leg. Your right hand moves, palm down, over your left forearm (as your left arm is moving backwards), and circles to the front. You are now in a 60/40 stance (a back stance) with the weight over your left foot, your left hand is chambered at the left side of your torso, your right hand is forward acting to check an opponent coming from 4:30. Turn your hips to the left allowing your left hand to move in a tight circle in preparation for wardoff. Move your right forearm back towards your body as you move your left palm forward into wardoff. Finish by shifting your weight forward onto your right foot into a 60/40 stance (still facing 4:30). The rest of the move is the same as Grasp Sparrow’s Tail – cross wrists, shift weight back, pull hands to tan tien, fingers point up, shift weight to the right foot, both palms push forward and up.

From Boonchai

  “Off to the side. Shoulder level. Then down. Down to about the rib. Then in. And forward to the front.  Front of shoulder. And then press down. Again. Little bit forward. Out to the shoulder. And down. And then up to the shoulder. And press down. Again. Up. Out. Down. In. Up to the shoulder. And press down.  Do you notice there is a circle?  Again. Up out down and then up again. Don’t go straight lines go circular lines. 

  Let the arm be straight when you finish. Again. Go to the left. Move to the left. Up, and turn right. Then palm slowly rotates in and stretch almost straight. Again. Go to the left. And then turn right and then straight. So. When you finish the left palm is facing the right. The left is much easier. I’ll give you the names later. Each move has a name. You’ve finished the first one. This is the second. Both hands move differently. Practice the right first, then the left, then combine together. Out to the left. Turn right.

  Turn right. Good. So the right goes to the outside sinking down. Bring to the front again. The right hand.  Again. Move hands to the left. Move the right toward the right. Then sink the right. And go straight up and then press. Remember the one we did in the beginning? Again. Move to the left. Then turn right and the right hand goes to the right and down and up. And press. Now again. Move hands to the left turn right, right hand goes down and up. And press. Again.

  Now point this out. Good. Put the left foot up here a little bit let the toes be the same line lean forward lean left a little bit. Hand is in front of the shoulder. this one comes to the front keep the elbow out a little bit. Put more weight on the left. Good. 

  Just watch. Don’t do. First move hands to the left turn out the right at this time we move the hands to the right and lean to the right and then run the right hand run a circle down when it’s finished, I step to the left point the toes to the corner don’t be too small. Because when you lean it’s not clear which the weight is on make it bigger if you could. Lean and at the same time cross. The hand is pointing out. We want to turn it this way so when I cross, I press the right down and at the same time I lean. At same time I bring my left forward I put my right hand down to hip level palm down. Fingertips forward. Palm in palm down. Right elbow bends more left elbow almost straight never really straight wrist is shoulder level.

  Watch don’t follow. Go to the right, turn out the foot weight is still on the left lean at the same time move the right more circle down step up try to be on the level don’t be too much back. Weight is still on the left. And lean left at the same time I cross and then I press the right and face the west. Always start facing the south. Up, circle down, step, cross and press.

  Get it? Practice.

  If you start here, you are supposed to finish here at the end. If your steps are wrong, you won’t finish where you started. When my teacher learned it, the school had the steps on the floor, so they had to follow the steps. Of course they were young they could do. He was in his early 20s; try to follow and do it right. If you can’t it’s ok, you don’t have to really match it. But if we go out to demonstrate and we line up straight and we finish with people not in the same line it’s not good looking. When I step up to the parallel try to do it. Because we have to step after. If the first is wrong all the others will be too.