Yang Jian Hou Style Single Whip application

[TaiChiTJ]

The tip of the elbow crashes into the muscle of the attackers arm! There is also a lateral action where the attacker is pushed off to one side by the action. The hand can tilt the head back for the hook hand to swing in. Wicked stuff if it can be pulled off. A previous clip by this teacher shows more typical applications of single ship most of us have seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGvY9eiIW2w&feature=related



Here is a lifelong practitioner doing the first part of the form:

 

[Xue Sheng]

Intersting, but heres the thing, Yang Jianhou did not teach that many people and as he got older he started sending everyone to his sons Yang Shaohou and Yang Chengfu. So although it is intersting at this point I doubt it is from Yang Jianhou. And although some bits of that look viable others don't if you are looking at it from the POV of "I'm being attacked, NOW!!!".

Also some of those apps that are allegedly from single whip can be found in Brush knee and twist step, Block Parry and Punch, and Repulse Monkey and they are less complicated.

 

[mograph]

When striking with the hook hand, isn't there a risk of breaking the wrist? Why not straighten the wrist and strike with a fist?

 

[Xue Sheng]

When striking with the hook hand, isn't there a risk of breaking the wrist? Why not straighten the wrist and strike with a fist?

My experience and training use it as block not a strike so I have no idea why they are using it in that manner. Not to mention it looks REALLY awkward and appears to go against to flow to use it that way

 

[TaiChiTJ]

I am going to get together with a friend I work on TC with. We'll play with it and I'll let you know what I find out.

 

[mograph]

Without commenting on the fellow in the first video, I've seen a few people make up applications that don't exist. Either they think that every outward expression is a strike, the application of the move (to the opponent) is always at the end of the move or the move was taught to them in such an odd manner that the original movement and application has been lost.

By the way, it's likely that the teacher in the Zhan Zhuang videos did not learn it by oral transmission from a Chinese person.

 

[East Winds]

I have to agree with Xue Sheng and mograph about the hook hand in single whip. I have no doubt there are several applications for the hook hand, but the one I was taught and still teach is that it is a blocking and trapping mechanism and the strike is with the left hand.

Best wishes

 

[TaiChiTJ]

Without commenting on the fellow in the first video, I've seen a few people make up applications that don't exist.

I love the way you said that.