SEQUENCE: Single Whip單 鞭 dān biān is repeated 1 time in the form.

POSTURE: Traditionally first seen as posture number 3 in the Long Form.  The sequence follows ‘Grasp the sparrows Tail’.  See video 004.  This sequence is performed with 5 breaths;

IN BREATH 1: ‘Throw Down’.  Let go of all flexing sitting back turning your waist anticlockwise.  At the same time transfer the bouncy springy sensation to the left leg.   The right thumb turns in rotating the palm to face down in a throwing down motion.  The left thumb turns out rotating the palm to face across the front of the body.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as pressing or gently planting a seed into soft soil.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied to unbalance, deflect or throw an attacker.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the right hand and left leg.  ROOT: ‘Throw Down’ is related to the element EARTH and the trigram lui – Roll Back, Receiving calmly.

OUT BREATH 1: ‘Double Handed Push’.  Let go of all intention and flexing.  The waist turns clockwise as the body moves forward transferring the bouncy springy sensation back to the right leg.  The right hand floats up.  The right thumb turns out rotating the palm to face the body.  The left hand follows behind the right hand as the thumb turns in rotating the palm to face the right hand.  The posture ends with the right palm facing the body and the base of the left palm pressing the right wrist.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as a double handed push or press.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and could be applied as a strike with the left hand that is hidden by the right hand and directed through the right wrist.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the left hand and right leg.  ROOT: Single Whip is associated with the element WATER and the trigram chai – Press - The sinister, unorthodox, hidden.

IN BREATH 2: ‘Pulling Silk Thread’.  Let go of all flexing.  Sit back transferring the bouncy springy sensation to the left leg.  At the same time the hands separate.  The thumbs turn in rotating the palms to face down.  The base of the palms then sink down as the fingers of the hands lift, this further flexing the arms.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as pulling the delicate silk thread from a silk cocoon with steady and continuous movement.  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied as deflecting away the hands of an adversary.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the right arm and left leg.  ROOT: Pulling Silk senses, adheres and deflects an incoming force so relates to the element EARTH and the trigram lui – Roll Back, Receiving calmly.

OUT BREATH 2: Push ‘the Old Transit Van’.  Let go of all intention and flexing.  The body centre of gravity moves forward transferring the bouncy springy sensation back to the right leg.  The thumbs of both hands turn out rotating both palms to turn in.  The elbow remain bent so the resulting flex in the arms turns the elbows inward and the hands spiralling with an upward lift.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as pushing an old broken down vehicle (Showing my age here or rather the length of time I have been teaching.  Not sure if that make of vehicle is still around.  Also you don’t see people push starting broken down vehicles these days).  The martial application must be applied with compassion and would be applied as an uprooting push with the intention of the flames of a fire roaring up.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the left hand and right leg.  ROOT: Push the Old Transit Van is associated with the element FIRE and the trigram an – Push, Upward raise.

IN BREATH 3: ‘Turn to the Corner and Sit Back’.  Let go of all flexing and relax the wrists.  Turn the waist clockwise as you sit back transferring the bouncy springy sensation to the left leg.  Lift the toes off the ground on the right foot allowing a further flexing or sinking down into the spring in the left leg.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: ‘Push to the Corner’.  The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as ‘sitting back’.  This is not the same as leaning back, the coccyx is tucked under and the head floating up.  Your centre of gravity or your abdominal area called the ‘Dandien’ sits back.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the right hand and left leg.

OUT BREATH 3: The right foot turns anticlockwise on the heel turning the waist and shoulders.  The thumbs of both hands turn in as the fingers lift to face the palms away diagonally.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as the turning body ‘pushing to the corner’.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the right hand and left leg.

IN BREATH 4: Let go of all flexing and relax the wrists.  Sit back transferring your centre of gravity so the bouncy springy sensation moves to the right leg.  The thumbs of both hands have a relaxed turning out.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as ‘sitting back’.  The cross lateral action / intension is through the left hand and right leg.

OUT BREATH 4: The waist turns the shoulders clockwise flexing or sinking down into the spring of the right leg.  The thumbs of both hands turn in as the fingers lift to face the palms.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as the turning body ‘pushing to the corner’. The cross lateral action / intension is through the left hand and right leg.

IN BREATH 5: Let go of all flexing.  Step up by momentarily lifting the left foot allowing the right legs clockwise flex to unwind taking the hips and shoulders anticlockwise.  Place the left toes lightly on the ground keeping all your weight to the right leg flexing or sinking down into its spring.  At the same time the left thumb turns out rotating the palm to face you.  The fingers of the right hand gather gently around the right thumb to form a ‘beak’ shape to the side of your body.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of the shoulders flexing forward opening the shoulder blades.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as lightly stepping or floating up. The cross lateral action / intension is through the left hand and right leg.

OUT BREATH 5: Let go of all intention and flexing.  Maintaining the bouncy springy sensation in the right leg step back or diagonally behind you placing the left heel down.  You then roll the left foot down transferring the bouncy springy sensation to the left leg.  You should then be able to comfortably lift the toes off the ground on the right foot and turn the right foot anticlockwise inwards on the heel and place it back on to the floor.  The turn of the right foot turns the waist and shoulders.  At the same time begin to turn the left thumb inward rotating the palm to face away.  At the point the bouncy springy sensation is reached in the left leg the right thumb makes a sharp inward turn flicking the ‘beak’ to flex towards the floor.  When the hands are in the correct position this movement has the sensation of flicking or flexing the shoulders back closing the shoulder blades opening the chest.

INTENTION: The Embodied Tai Chi soft intention can be thought of as practicing the posture 'Single Whip' we flex the shoulder blades back connects both hands through the shoulders so that: 'If we consider the hook hand to be the handle of the whip and the opposite hand to be the strike, and follow the direct path across the shoulders from one hand to the other, we can achieve the same [cracking a whip] rolling wave of energy, and with the stepping and waist turn even add a little more to the strike.' (Eaton 2025).  As Tai Chi Beyond Health (2025) suggest that this during whole body integration 上下相随, Shàng Xià Xiāng Suí: ‘Every joint acts as a conduit. The movement of one finger elicits a response from the entire organism.' This is achieved through the correct spiralling chan ssu chin (缠丝劲) sensation we practice with springy bouncy legs, open spine and flexed shoulder blades.  So one interpretation of the name Single Whip may be the beak hand makes a small downward flicking movement like a whip that transfers along a single connected pathway through both arms via the shoulder blades to the open relaxed front palm.  The martial application must be applied with compassion.  Paul Brennan's translation of Xu Yusheng (1921) explanation of Single Whip: 'When your front hand moves forward, your rear hand must put energy through the arm to assist it, and there is a slight intention of striking downward from above.'  The cross lateral action / intension is through the right hand and left leg.  ROOT: It is possible to see Single Whip as WATER and chai, Press - The sinister, unorthodox, hidden.  The press with the left hand hides the active cross lateral action between the left leg and right ‘whipping’ hand.  However, I would suggest there is also an element of li THUNDER within this posture.  We may see a horisontal movement as the break flicks away or Splits from the turning left palm in much the same way as the larger upward and downward diagonal Split movement in the posture Throw the Frisbee / Slanting Flight.  A whip cracking.