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Showing posts from April, 2024

Ma Bu is not Kiba Dachi?

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  My office is in a building situated in a busy shopping centre. Among my neighbours there is a Chinese beauty salon run by friends of mine. Well... we say we are family... The owner's Aunt Hu came over to visit from Shenyang. When I drove back home one day I passed by the shop and found Aunt Hu practicing Taijiquan outside the salon. I think you can guess what happened next. Aunt Hu agreed to join me for a practice session that Sunday. While she showed me the 24 step Yang Set of Taijiquan I have shown her Qigong and a Wenhsiuquan form.  My warm-up starts in Horse Stance from where I stretch my calves and sink into a half-split. When I got into Horse Stance, however, Aunt Hu stopped me very quickly. What followed was a stern admonishment in Mandarin, but it was basically this: "No! This is not horse stance! Your feet is turned all wrong! Turn your feet to point outward like this! From here you can move this way, that way and that way!"  (accompanied by sweeping hand gestu