Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wu style Taiji Demonstration


I was looking for a video clip I once saw on YouTube, of the Gatekeeper of the Wu style, Eddie Wu, doing the basic stepping exercise, which I mentioned in the previous post. Well, I haven’t been able to find it yet. What I DID find is a preview of a DVD produced by his school.

In the teaching method of the Wu style, a student if first taught the “square form” or “standard form” where the movements are broken down into a segmented step by step fashion. The purpose is to help learn the proper sequence and performance of each movement. This helps keep the quality control up. Afterwards, as a more advanced study, this “square form” becomes the basis of the “round form” which is performed in the flowing manner that comes to mind when we think of taiji.

If you keep an eye on Sifu Wu, you’ll notice how he goes from a fully weighted rear leg to a fully weighted front leg. This is specifically what drilled, along with keeping the rest of the body relaxed, in the basic stepping exercise.



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