Unfolding the Tai Chi Postures 

An Embodied Tai Chi interpretation of the Yang Family Long Form in 169 Breaths and 26 Sequences

SEQUENCE Brush Knee and Press repeated 6 times and includes;

POSTURE: Traditionally first seen as number 6 Brush Knee and Press with Inverse Stance also translated as ‘Left Brush Knee and Push 左搂膝拗步 Zuǒ lōu xī ǎo bù’.  It can also be seen in the sequence ‘Brush Left and Right Knee’.  This sequence is performed with 1 breath;

IN BREATH 1:  In ‘make a ball to the side’ the bouncy springy sensation is in the right leg.  The right thumb turns outward rotating the palm of the hand upward as the hand sinks spiralling down to support the bottom of an imaginary ball.  The left thump turns inward rotating the palm of the hand to face down as the hand spirals floating up to rest on the top of an imaginary ball.  You should feel the shoulders being flexed forward by the rotating hands when they are the correct distance from your body.   The hips turn the shoulders clockwise flexing the spring in the right leg.  The leg and arms flex synchronising together but stop before any flex becomes tension.

(INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention is to open the fingers to support a large beach ball rolling it between the palms of the hands in a clockwise motion.  ROOT: Ball to the side is related to the element EARTH and the trigram lui – Roll Back, Receiving calmly.)

OUT BREATH 1: In ‘Step forward into your box, brush knee and push’ we let go of the in breath flexing posture.  The released hips flex turns the shoulders anti clockwise.  The released flex in the right leg propels the body in a diagonal step forwards.  As you step forward place the left heel down first then roll the rest of the foot to the floor transferring the bouncy springy sensation the left leg.   The flex in the arms is released.  The ball unrolls anti clockwise allowing the left hand to roll off the top and sink diagonally downward across the front of the body.  The right hand rolls up and is propelled forward by the hips turning the shoulders.  The movement comes to a conclusion as the anti clockwise turning of the hips increases the flex in the left leg.  The left thump then turns inward as the hand lifts to rotate the left palm to press down and away from the body.  The right thumb also turns inward as the right hand lifts to face forward pressing to the front.  The correct position results in the shoulder blades being flexed back.  The leg and arms flex synchronising together and stopping before any flex becomes tension.

(INTENTION: Soft intention can be thought of as the left hand is sweeping a curtain to the side so the right hand can press through.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied to sweep the left hand across the front of the body deflecting a blow away from the advancing left knee.  The force of the blow is transferred to the right hand.  ROOT: Brush knee and press is associated with the element WATER and the trigram chai – Press - The sinister, unorthodox, hidden.)