Internet-based Lessons |
Chen
Family style Tai Chi Chuan - beginners |
Tools - Tai Chi
bang - |
In our classes
the tai chi tools have three purposes: (1) they act as a
transition from externally static |
practices such as
standing or sitting to more dynamic practices such as actually
doing a set |
(2) they re-prime
the body and brain after a break for a snack or water without
going back through |
all the warmups
(3) for students with stiffness or other mobility challenges in
their fingers, hands, |
wrists or
forearms (all too common in many types of cerebral palsy, alas)
the tools provide extra |
stretching. I,
sadly, do NOT have much information about the history of the tai
chi bang. |
One legend is the
great Chen Fake was inspired by his wife's rolling pin. I have
tried to confirm this. |
There are three
key concepts to start with: (1) contact is with a circle of
points in the palm |
(2) focus on the
center of the bang itself (3) be mindful of level with
respect to the floor |
and your
centerline. Start in wuji standing. Turn the right foot on the
heel (tai chi chuan |
always turns on
the heel) out 45 degrees. Step the left foot straight forward so
the left heel |
is in line with
the tip of the big toe of the right foot. Level the bang
parallel to the floor. Center |
the bang on your
centerline (in this case the frogs on my top). Note that the
hands are cupping |
NOT clenching NOT
gripping NOT grasping the bang. Soft contact but firm
intention. We |
now want to
rotate the bang 135 degrees (one and a half right angles) by
simultaneously |
moving the left
hand in an arc up and across the centerline while the left hand
moves down |
and across the
center line. As in many movements of tai chi try not to move the
center. In this case |
the center of the
bang. Inhale as the bang rotates. Any discomfort in your wrists
or forearm STOP. |
Pause two
seconds. Then reverse the rotation while exhaling. Repeat three
times. Then switch feet |
and do it 4
times on the other side. The bang shown is made of bird's
eye maple by Charles Tauber |
|