Dragon Spring Taiji

Duo Taiji allows you to work with the 4 principles of Rooting, Sticking, Yielding, and Natural Action in direct relationship with another person. It can help us to understand our habitual reactive behaviour patterns in other relationships in life. Being able to observe them in this safe environment of a class gives the opportunity to release their grip on us so we can become more free and spontaneous; responding to, and moving with life more appropriately.


SINGLE PUSH HANDS is the foundation of all other Duo Forms taught in this school.

Single Push Hands is very simple but not necessarily easy. It may take a few minutes to really understand this practice, or it make take many years: it depends on what is in the way and how willing you are to let go of unhelpful patterns.

In this practice we work with the Yin qualities in pushing and receiving; becoming more aware and able to see/feel the results of our actions which can have a deep and positive effect in the rest of our life. Amongst other things, it is a training in sensitivity; becoming more alive to what is happening.


WA PU uses the Yang qualities in pushing and receiving. It uses both hands/arms to push and receive in a circular sequence.

There is also a moving step version of this practice.


DOUBLE PUSH HANDS
The principles in Double Push Hands develops on from the work above by using all four of the Yin and Yang qualities - riding the dynamics of the oncoming force to receive, join, neutralise and reply.

There is also a moving step version of this practice.


DA LU
The next step uses moving postures from the solo Forms, i.e. Roll Back, Shoulder Stroke, Punch etc. A Da Lu (which translates as Large Roll Back), is a set sequence containing a number of postures (usually somewhere between four and ten) in a continuous stepping pattern. As with the Push Hands Forms, each move has a counter move that neutralises, then replys. So each "attacking" move/posture is neutralised, or dissolved, by your partners move/posture. For example, Shoulder Stroke is countered with Roll Back.

We use four different Da Lu's. Each has a right and left hand side, and each can link to any of the others without stopping the flow of movement.


SAN SHOU is a Two Person Form. It is a set pattern like Da lu, only much longer - 35 postures for each person. San Shou acts as a link between Duo and Solo practice - being a non-repetitive sequence, it feels like a solo Form but you remain in contact with your partner throughout. All of the above principles are involved in this Form.


TWO PERSON SWORD FORM
This continues the work of San Shou combining it with the principles of Sword Form


FREE STYLE is exactly what it says: all of the above principles with no set sequence. No Form, simply free movement - "question" and "answer", push/receive/reply. Sometimes stepping, sometimes not; flowing with what is required. The thinking mind is not engaged in this process, it would be far too slow. The experience is quite meditative even though the physical movement can become very fast. It can feel like white water rafting while the mind remains calm and clear.