Recommended book by Michael DeMarco

My former teacher has a new book, an inspiring dissertation on things Martial Arts, presented in an entertaining and compelling way. Here's a review article from the Santa Fe New Mexican:

 

Embrace Tiger, Return to the Mountain

 

January 2022. Covid year three. At least we have Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, and Duo. I may have mentioned that I studied the Yang Long Form (Xiong Style) when I lived in New Mexico near Santa Fe. Moving to the Midwest, I found no one nearby teaching the 103 Long Form. I have nothing against the Professor’s Short Form or the Beijing 24 Form, both provide the Essentials and have the advantages of a shorter execution time in less space than the 103 Form. But, as a former teacher said to me after watching me perform a newly learned Sun Style Form, “That's nice but it won't help you with your form.” This month begins instruction in Parts One, Two, and Three of the Yang Family Traditional Long Form using Zoom (including Qigong, Essential form, Straight Sword and Saber) by Yang Chengfu Seattle  http://yangtaichiseattle.com/classes. The classes are free (with registration) and videos of previous Zoom sessions can be viewed on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/ycfseattle/videos.

So I am finding myself Returning to the Mountain to refresh the form I think of as “my form.” I’m starting in the middle with section two as I am fairly proficient in section one. I have practiced section one often but have not remembered much of section two (short term memory loss extends to muscle memory, I suppose). Last night the class began with Embrace Tiger, Return to the Mountain.

This follows from Cross Hands, the ending of section one and involves turning, circling the hands as they open, a brush knee and palm strike. If you think of the Cross Hands position as facing north, then this movement turns you toward southeast. Your weight, evenly distributed in Cross Hands, ends in a Bow Stance with about 70 percent on the right foot which has stepped out during the movement.

 

Sounds simple, but there is a lot of subtlety here. To quote Yang Cheng-fu, “Coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body. The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics say ‘the motion should be rooted in the feet, released through the legs, controlled by the waist and manifested through the fingers.’ Everything acts simultaneously. When the hand, waist and foot move together, the eyes follow. If one part doesn't follow, the whole body is disordered.”

 

From Kungfu Magazine’s forum thread on Embrace the Tiger, this snippet:

 

“The move is applied as if someone is attacking from the rear with strike and/or kick.The description of application offered in Yang Cheng Fu's 'Essence and Application of Yang Style Taijiquan' explains that the opponents hand and foot attack is fast and you can only brush them off which is followed by their counter-attack. As they counter, you move into Lu (Roll Back) which is stable and secure.”

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?44081-Embrace-Tiger-Return-to-Mountain

 Lineage:

Chen

Changxing

(1771~1853)

Yang

Luchan

(1799~1872)

Yang         Yang

Banhou      Jianhou

(1837~1890)    (1839~1917)

Yang           Yang

Shaohou      Chengfu

(1862~1930)      (1883~1936)

 The Four Energies

Our International Tai chi Alliance has been doing a hybrid form possibly called “The Four Energies.” I asked if there was a source video for this. There was, once upon a time, on a Turkish web site no longer inexistence, I guess. For me, it is an interesting as a way of concentrating on some of the essentials without the distraction of learning the whole form…even abbreviated versions like Yang 8. However, I have to keep asking myself, why not just practice getting “Grasp the sparrow’s Tail” right. All these “energies” are in it except a shoulder strike (which follows in Yang forms such as the Long Form or the Short Form. The Four Energies are Peng (ward off), Lu (roll back), Ji (press), and An (push). There is also Kao (shoulder strike). Yes, I know, that’s five, but ward off happens in this form as part of roll back and press. As I said before, Grasping the Sparrow’s Tail has most of this but in a sequence: ward off, roll back, press, push. The Four Energies separates each energy as individual moves and adds lateral movements between each, turning the person 180 degrees in a square. Sorry I can’t point you toward a video of this. I did find a nice explanation of the Thirteen Postures (8 energies and 5 steps) on Cathryn Lai’s Tai Chi & Qi Gong Studio web posting: http://cathrynlai.com/pdf/13%20Tai%20Chi%20Essentials.pdf

Of ward off Lai says, “the nature of this movement is expansive. It seeks to occupy space and bounce off obstacles.” Concerning roll back we learn from her that, “It creates a vacuum or an absence. It can draw the opponent in, or with very little effort, parry, yield and disappear from the opponent’s attack.” With press, “It is best used close in, as a way to gain some space from an opponent who is smothering you.” And, “ ‘Push’ grants you more physical space than press, often resulting in your opponent hurtling out of your space while losing his or her footing....It also reminds you to yield in the midst of tension, so that you can neutralize negative energy and turn it around for your betterment.” Of the shoulder strike Lai says, “It is the energetic pair of the ‘elbow’ gate. It is used for the tightest of spaces, when you have no room to chamber for a hand strike or kick.”

More of interest on the energies can be found on Tim Cartmell’s Shen Wu Martial Arts web site, http://shenwu.com/taichi.htm. Quoting him on the energies of the Eight Techniques: ward off, roll back, press, push, pluck, split, elbow and body stroke (peng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kao), we read that:

“In its broadest sense, ward off energy can he applied to the whole body. It is the energy resulting from proper alignment and relaxation which gives the Tai Ji Quan fighter the elasticity and springiness necessary to fight. In a stricter, technical sense, ward off is the energy which supplies buoyancy and supports weight (as soft and flexible water is able to support a massive ship). Roll back is energy which moves incoming force past one's body toward the rear (as a revolving door gives way and pivots around its center). Press is the force which rebounds from the ground up in a pulse and bounces the opponent away from the body (as a rock bounces off the taught head of a drum). Push is a force which puts pressure downward (like the force used when you lift your body out of a pool by pressing the palms down on the outside deck).”

Of Kao (shoulder strike) Cartmell says, “Body stroke is whole body ward off power channeled through some part of the torso, usually the shoulder (think of breaking a door down by leaning into it with your shoulder).”

That is what I have found in writing about the Four Energies as we practice in this hybrid form. Perhaps we will move on to practice cai, lie, zhou,  and kao in a further version.

 

Essential Books on the Tai Chi Classics

I’m recommending some published works on the Tai Chi Classics: early writings about the essentials of Tai Chi Ch’uan. These have been translated various times by different authors and can be taken as poetry, as inspirational sayings, as a guide to the essential elements of the form(s), or as an introduction to Chinese literature, especially to the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching. I have referenced one of these before, The T’ai chi Classics, translated with commentary by Waysun Liao. This is one of my favorite books, giving historical background on Tai Chi, explaining in detail the concepts of Qi and Jing, translating and commenting on the classics, and finally illustrating and describing the Yang Long Form with emphasis on breathing and meditation while moving.

 

Recently I picked up a copy of The Essence of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, The Literary Tradition by Benjamin Lo. Lo was a student of Cheng Man-ch’ing and gave many workshops in the Professor’s Short Form. His translation is presented as poetic and includes a chapter by Cheng Man-ch’ing called “Song of Form and Function”. The Professor’s writings are always worth delving into and here, talking abut the Thirteen Postures, he is both poetic and eloquent, for instance, “The body is like a floating cloud….The whole body is a hand and the hand is not a hand. The mind must stay in the place it should be.”

 

On my want list is The Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation by Barbara Davis and Chen Wei-Ming. The blurb says, “…this book explores the fundamental ideas and what they mean to practitioners, students, and scholars. It also incorporates newly discovered sources that address the history of taijiquan and newly translated commentaries by Chen Weiming.” Sounds like a must-read to me.

 

What are the classics? There are three treatises by Grand Master Chang San-feng, Master Wong Chung-yua, and Master Wu Yu-hsiang. The first dates to around 1200 CE, the second to around 1600 CE, and the third to the 19^th Century. In addition, in Lo’s book are “Song of the Thirteen Postures” and “Song of Hand-pushing”, both by unknown authors, and two treatises by Li I-yu and one by Yang Cheng-fu.

It is from these classics that the 13 essentials are derived. More about that is the next blog entry.

 

 

Tai Chi in the Age of Covid

Well, this being Wisconsin, our sessions in the park along the lakefront have been curtailed by weather and the earlier setting of the sun. Still, in the age of covid, close quarters are not recommended for group practice even though we all (all of us, right?) have been vaccinated against the virus. Therefore, embracing the current age of technology, we meet as dancing electrons on computer screens. In a word, Zoom. As covid closed in on us many venues for Tai Chi found solutions in online instruction. A quick search via Google will yield for you various links. While not as desirable as in-person teaching, it has the advantage over videos which do not allow for two-way conversations. Our group, The International Tai Chi Alliance, is small enough for all of us in our little boxes to fit on the screen simultaneously. The teacher can watch the progress of each student and, with the aid of the more advanced students, split off beginners into “breakout rooms” for individual training. The only difficulty I have found is my own lack of indoor space; my living room is too small to allow for a full-length image of myself. I have my laptop hooked into my large screen television monitor so I get a nice sized view of the class. Yet I wish for a larger space and I am considering rejoining our local health club where there is a big room used for workout classes. They do have wifi and a large monitor. Stay tuned to this blog to follow my future adventures.

I read several facebook groups on Tai Chi Cuan and have noticed a recent trend toward analyzing photographs of past Tai Chi masters. This sometimes entails the drawing of lines over the photos to show alignments and to determine weight distribution. I am obsessed as much as the next person with “doing it right” but I have to question the process of ferreting out the “rightness’ of a three (four?) dimensional event using two dimensional tools.

Photography has a history of being used to analyze position and motion that is as old as photography itself. The classic example is Eadweard Muybridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadweard_Muybridge (1830 - 1904) who was an English photographer working in the American West. He is most famous for producing numerous studies of people and animals in motion using a series of cameras to capture successive stages of the body in motion through space.

In 1981 I wrote a book on animation called The Shoestring Animator, in which I used one of Muybridge’s motion studies, one called “Man Walking at Normal Speed,” as an aid to developing a hand-drawn animated “walk cycle.” It is thought that several early animation artists studied Muybridge to originate their own techniques. I pointed out that Thomas Eakins, a painter contemporary to Muybridge who used photographic studies in his own work, felt Muybridge’s panels were flawed since each successive camera viewed the action from slightly different position. I went on to say that the photos were close enough (for government work).

Animation is not Tai Chi, although there is a relationship in that both involve bodies in space and motion. The facebook posts analyzing Tai Chi reminded me of my own use of photos to create animated films. I often utilized a technique called “rotoscoping” in which live action cinema frames are traced and then rephotographed. To paraphrase one of my fellow filmmakers, Mary Beams, you can learn a lot about the universe by tracing live action. One thing you learn is that motion picture film doesn’t accurately reproduce motion. Here is why.

Because film is a series of still pictures taken one at a time, there is movement in between each exposure that is not recorded. Also, the frame rate of motion picture photography is 24 frames per second allowing a certain amount of blurring of the moving subject. Animators know this and exaggerate key positions of their drawings to make them more “life like.”

I think I blogged previously about the difficulty in using videos to learn Tai Chi. I remarked that the camera angle often hides or distorts some of the action. Since videos are not the best way to study motion, how can it make sense to use a still picture to learn Tai Chi? Photos of Cheng Man Ching and others were not taken as they moved. They were posed. Perhaps they were posed to display an emphasis on weight distribution or alignment at a particular time during the form, but I suspect these illustrations have to be taken as instances of the spirit of the movement and not written-in-concrete icons of the art. Can you photograph Chi? Can you diagram it? I think exploring the examples of the great masters through photographs is rewarding and enlightening but should be approached cautiously. I think of the book, The Da Vinci Code, and how searching for hidden code in the painting of the last supper really distracts from the ascetic enjoyment of a great work of art. I hope we don’t over analyze Tai Chi in the same way.

 

Grasp the peacock's Tail

I read somewhere that when Cheng Man-Ch’ing (the Professor) was asked which movement or posture he felt was the most important he answered that it was Grasping the Peacock's Tail, which consists of Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push. It is the most frequently occurring movement in the Yang Style Long 108 Form and is found in the 37 posture short form, the Yang 24 Bejing form, and is included in the Yang 8 form which we have been studying lately.

The Chinese name for the movement is Lǎn Qùe Wěi. Its parts are called Peng, Lü, Ji and An. In the Yang Long Form and in the Professor’s Short Form this follows the Beginning, starting with forming the so-called Tai Chi ball. The is a Ward Off with the left hand (except in Yang 8), then a turn to the right with a Ward Off with the right hand while the left follows. To visualize the next part, the Roll Back, imagine an opponent is throwing a punch at you; your hands are in a position now to guide the blow away from your body, and using your opponent’s momentum, to “pull” them forward. This is followed with the Press, placing the palms together and facing directly to the right. Shifting the weight back again, sinking, rooted, the hands spread apart and push outward, roughly at the height of the opponent’s chest. In the Yang 8 Form we execute Grasp the Peacock’s Tail to the left and to the right and then proceed to the Closing.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan, a Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health & Self Defense by Cheng Man-Ch’ing, North Atlantic Books, Berkley, has a nice section of photos of the significant postures and explanations of the movements. Here is an interesting article on stress reduction using this movement: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail. A 5th - 6th Grade Lesson Plan by Michael P. Garofalo. http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/gtst.htm

 

 

Yang 8 and all that

Attending a beginners’ class in the Yang 8 Form, I was looking to recapture the first-time experience of learning Tai Chi I once had as well as to obtain inspiration for “getting back into it” as my hiatus had been way too extensive. Well, the “just like riding a bicycle…you never forget” syndrome set in almost immediately. I did, however, learn. I learned that errors can be remembered in a sort of muscle memory kind of way. This is a good thing because now you can correct mistakes. Remembering not to rock as you shift your weight, not to straighten your arms or legs…maintaining the “bow” shape to insure softness and the potential for following an aggressor’s energy.

Why the particular postures in Yang 8? Our teacher Ron talked about the 13 Essentials of Tai Chi. That sounded familiar. I have a fairly good library of books on Tai Chi, so I dug out my well-worn copy of T'ai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao. And I googled. Beware of the Internet (The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!): this is the age of misinformation and misinformed information. But I found many references to the 13 Principles, the 13 Postures, the 13 Etcetras. Most made sense.

I have always enjoyed exploring Michael P. Garofalo’s web posts on all things Taijiquan. At https://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/powers13.htm

he comments on the 13 Principles and I quote:

“The Thirteen Postures (8 Gates and 5 Steps) are referred to in various ways by T'ai Chi Ch'uan authors.  Some call them the ‘Thirteen Powers = Shi San Shi.’  Others call them the Thirteen Postures, the Thirteen Skills, the Thirteen Entrances, the Thirteen Movements, or the Thirteen Energies.

The first Eight Gates or Eight Entrances (Ba Gua or Pa Kau) can be divided into the Four Primary Hands (Ward Off, Pull Back, Press and Push) and the Four Corner Hands (Pull Down, Split, Elbow and Shoulder). 

The first eight (Pua Qua or Ba Gua) of the Thirteen Gates are often associated, for mnemonic or esoteric purposes, with the eight basic trigrams used in the Chinese I Ching: Book of Changes.  In the order of the first Eight Gates (Pa-Men), the eight I Ching trigrams are Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Lake, and Mountain.”

And so we have:

1.  Ward Off - Peng

2.  Roll Back - Lu

3.  Press - Ji

4.  Push - An

5.  Pull Down - Tsai

6.  Split - Lieh

7.  Elbow - Chou

8.  Shoulder - Kao

9.  Advancing Steps - Jin

10.  Retreating Steps - Tui

11.  Stepping to the Left Side  - Ku

12.  Stepping to the Right Side - Pan

13.  Settling at the Center – Ding

 David Bao in his posting at

https://davidbao.com/2017/01/06/thirteen-principles-of-tai-chi/ explains that “The first eight principles are subtle energies/forces applied while practicing Tai Chi. They are known as the Eight Gates. The first four are the Four Main Directions while the other four are the Corners. …The last five principles are the five steps (footwork) which are based on the Five Elements. This five steps move the person’s body around smoothly and with stability.”

So we have:

Eight Trigrams 八卦

1. Peng 掤 – Outward Expansion (South/Heaven)

2. Lu 捋– Roll Back (North/Earth)

3. Ji  挤 – Press Forward (West/Water)

4. An 按 – Push Downward (East/Fire)

5. Cai 采 – Pull Down  (SW/Wind)

6. Lie 挒– Split (NE/Thunder)

7. Zhou 肘- Elbow Stroke (SE/Lake)

8. Kou 靠– Shoulder Stroke  (NW/Mountain)

 

Five Elements 五行

9. Jin Bu 进步 – Step Forward (Metal)

10.  Tui Bu 退步– Step Backward (Wood)

11. Zuo Gu 左顾- Look Left (Water)

12. You Pan 右盼 – Look Right (Fire)

13. Zhong Ding 中定 – Central Equilibrium (Earth)

 

Returning to our discussion of Yang 8 we can point to all of the above. In Reverse Reeling Forearms we see looking forward and backward (and in Repulse Monkey we have stepping backward as well). In the second movement, Brush Knee, which is done to the left then to the right I see Pressing Forward, Pull Down and Split. Parting the Horse’s Mane is also called Ward Off and we find that in the First Gate. And so forth.

In all Tai Chi movements we should apply these principles: sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, relaxing the chest and sinking the Qi down to the Dan Tian (centering energy), lifting the head, and using the mind to move the body instead of using force. Stillness in movement. Smooth and even flow in turning and stepping. In short, connecting the mind with the Qi.

 

So we were talking about the Yang 8 Form of Tai chi 

 Yang 8 was developed as an introduction for beginners who would later transition to the Yang 24 Form. The 8 movements are repeated, doing them to the left and to the right of the beginning position, which gives a nice foil to the right-handed/left-handed syndrome that often prejudices us in the weight we give to any given movement. 

 List of movements for the Tai Chi 8 Form: 

Commencing. 

Reverse reeling forearms. 

Brush knee push. 

Part the wild horse's mane. 

Wave hands like clouds. 

Rooster stands on one leg. 

Kick with Heel. 

Grasp the peacock's Tail. 

Cross Hands. Ending. 

Commencing is pretty standard in all Tai Chi forms so we'll skip over that for now. The "Reverse reeling forearms" can be found in the 24 form's Repulse Monkey, except one does not move backward in Yang 8. Here is a nice diagram of Repulse Monkey I stole from the blog, "Sekedar Blog Just another WordPress.com weblog" at https://nikitompil.wordpress.com/:

 Long Absence from the form. What's my excuse. An easy beginners' form, Yang 8

Hard to believe it's been so long since I added to this blog! I've had two different fights with cancer, the first a diagnosis of prostate cancer, and the second cancer of the parotid gland, the large salivary gland in one's cheek (the same cancer that Roger Ebert had). Both episodes involved 8 weeks of daily radiation treatments, the parotid having been removed surgically (including the major facial nerve, leaving my face partially parallelized). So don't let anyone tell you that Tai Chi prevents or cures cancer. Sorry, but it doesn't.

After the  surgery there was a long recovery time, mostly because they removed material from my thigh to stuff into the hole that was left in my face. The leg put me in a wheel chair, then a walker, then a cane. And yes, I did go through as much of my Tai Chi Yang form as I could, and yes, it helped me recover. So don't stop doing it.

I had been teaching the Yang 24 form at a local health center...Rocky's Gym. That lasted one month as people disappeared one by one until only two were left. It was the most productive time for me as I practiced one heck of a lot in those days. But the big C had other ideas for me.

I had not been to a class for several years and had not been going through the Yang Long Form as usual. I'd get through the first section and stop. Maybe not do it at all. I forgot more than I knew. I was in Spain for an art seminar and tour when the leader and I talked about Tai Chi. We must do some, she said. (this was before the second cancer). We were at a villa in Catalonia and went to a nice spot. She knew the Short Form which I had studied but had mostly forgotten. I tried to follow her and was extremely embarrassed at my performance. This should have, but did not inspire me to resume taking classes.

This week I did began again. From the beginning. One of my former teachers, Ron Pfeiffer (www.TaiChiRon.com) has been giving lessons for beginners  in nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, about 20 minutes from my house in Delavan. He uses, as an introduction, the Yang 8 form which is easy to learn and based on the traditional Yang form. Here is a link to a demonstration of Yang 8. It is nicely symmetrical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBv7m2_wpcI

Some New (Old) Videos and Thoughts on Style

Here is a link to what is reportedly a rare video of Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing performing Yang style Tai Chi Chuan. The "Professor" is older than in other videos available of him, but his form is still impeccable and exquisite.

Chen Man-Ch'ing Short Tai Chi Form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsDPy7zMrA4&playnext=1&list=PLB7516DBF4556861B&feature=results_main

I also "discovered" this posting on Youtube of equally rare footage of Master Xiong Yang He.

熊公養和太極拳架教學_Master Xiong Yang He's Taiji_Part 1.mp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2409jKm5Myc

熊公養和太極拳架教學_Master Xiong Yang He's Taiji_Part 2.mp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfGPXfE589Q

This marvelous man was my first teacher's teacher and it is his style that I try to adhere to in my own pursuit of Tai Chi. In these clips, he is older and obviously cannot kick very high. Yet if you watch him carefully, you will see everything that the Form entails.

I have recently started teaching. It took many long walks in the woods, as they say, before I agreed with myself to do this. I have studied with several teachers and attempted several different forms, but when I am on my own, I work in the tradition of the Xiong Yang He lineage that was my first experience in learning Tai Chi. I have read, watched and participated in classes and workshops (and continue to do so) and I like to think I am building upon the foundation you may see in these clips, if you watch carefully. I've also been greatly influenced by the tradition of the Cheng Man-Ch'ing lineage.

For my own teaching I have chosen to offer instruction in the Yang Simplified 24 Posture Form, which was developed in the mid 1950's and is sometimes called "The Beijing Style." I've modified it slightly with regard to "style" and hopefully have not only kept, but enhanced the "form" along the lines of Xiong Yang He.  There are some obvious differences that are not important, and some subtle ones that are.

A word or two about the difference between "style" and "form." Think about a suit of clothes. It may have wide lapels or narrow ones, cuffs or no cuffs, buttons or zippers, be tight fitting or loose: these are matters of style. It will be functional in terms of form, as it is shaped to the body: arms, legs and torso give its form. Certainly the elements of style are important and should be followed in their particulars as we seek to achieve "proper" form. They are the essence of discipline and help to define our actions. But they are metaphors for the underlying Form and should not be confused for it.

I see the Beijing Style as it is practiced today as an exhibition form, with nuances that can be elaborated in athletic, even gymnastic manners. But sometimes, as I watch videos, I am apprehensive that the meaning of the movement has been muddled as the emphasis is shifted toward acrobatics. How high can you kick? How low can you bend? How far can you extend your stance? It all looks very impressive, but is it Tai Chi?

Now I'm not saying that I wouldn't kick higher if my tendons would allow me to, or that I don't appreciate the dexterity and pageantry of the modern performers. Nor am I saying that it's OK to make up your own version of the Form. There are those who argue that the old masters would be kicking up over their heads if they could (and may have when they were younger and hadn't been filmed yet.) But style must not be confused with form.

I've written elsewhere about the drawbacks to learning from watching videos. I think it is good to watch them and compare them. Yet the issue can be confusing, especially to a beginner who might be prompted then to say, "So-and-so doesn't do it that way in his video," or "I took a class where whatamacallit did it differently." Then where do we go to look for evidence of the One True Form?

Shall I repeat it? The energy (Qi) is rooted in the feet, develops in the legs, is governed by the waist and expressed in the fingers.

One turns to the Tai Chi Classics for knowledge, to the writings of the Masters, Yang Chenfu, Cheng Man-Ch'ing, Fu Zhongwen, T. T. Liang, W. C. C. Chen, etc., for inspiration, to one's teachers for example and to one's own experience through diligence and practice for understanding.

Tai Chi Warm-up Exercises

It may seem silly, even spurious, to perform a series of exercises in preparation for…exercise, but most Tai Chi classes begin with a series of “warm-ups” such as those which I describe below. There are many such warm-ups, and you need not do them all nor do them in any particular order, but here are some of my favorites (the Salute not being an exercise but a sort of formal, and respectful, punctuation mark to any class).

1. Fist Salute
Standing with feet together, present the right arm in front of the chest, making a fist. Cover the fist with the palm of the left hand, fingers together. Bend the thumb down.
The fist is for strength; the hand with fingers covering the fist is for friendship (we come together to help each other); the thumb is bent over symbolizing humility

2. Cleansing Breath
Move feet a comfortable distance apart (usually shoulder width) and bend at knees very slightly. The arms begin from a relax position along the sides to rise up in an arc like a bird opening its wings, tracing a circular path until the hands nearly touch above the head. Breath in deeply as the arms go up. From their position above the head, the hands, with palms facing down, travel downward in a linear path past the face and chest and stop just below the navel. Bend at the knees slightly as the hands come down. Breath out as the hands travel downward. Repeat this movement three times, breathing in and unbending the legs as the arms go up, breathing out and bending the legs as the hands move down. Visualize pushing bad energy out of your body.

3. Shake Hands
Hands are held at chest level with palms inward, then the arms are quickly thrust forward and the hands uncoil so that finger tips point forward. Repeat rapidly many times.

4. Wave Arms
Standing with feet spread approximately the distance of the shoulders and legs slightly bent, the arms are dropped along the sides, then the torso turns left and right as the arms swing, following the motion of the waist. The arms do not move of their own accord, they are like willow branches in the wind. Repeat many times.

5. Flex Ankles
Standing relaxed, shift weight to left leg and move right foot forward in a half step so that the ball of the foot barely touches the floor. Rotate the foot around the ball of the foot as an axis, flexing the ankle. Repeat many times. Return foot to standing position, shift weight to right foot and flex left ankle in the same way.

6. Heel, Toe, Inside, Outside
As in Flex Ankles, shift weight to left leg and move right foot forward, touch down on heel. Raise right foot slightly and touch down with toe, Repeat three times. Return to standing position, shift weight to right foot and do the same Heel/Toe routine with the left foot (three times).
Return to standing position, shift weight to left leg and move right foot forward, this time touch down (gently) on the outside edge of the foot, lift and touch down on the inside edge. Repeat three times. Return to standing position, shift weight to the right leg and do the same Inside/Outside with the left foot (three times).

7. Punch With Step
From standing position, rest both hands (made into fists) at the hips. Shift weight to right leg. Raise left foot so that it is weightless and step forward with the left leg, touching down heel first, then lowering the toe as the weight slowly shifts to this forward leg. The knee should not extend beyond the toe and the body’s weight is distributed approximately 70/30 percent between forward and backward legs. As the left foot steps out, the right arm makes a forward punch nearly, but not completely, straightening the right arm. Breath out during the punch. Return to standing position and do the same stepping routine with the right leg and left fist. Repeat three times.

8. Punch With Kick
From standing position, rest both hands (made into fist) at the hips. Shift weight to right leg. Raise left foot so that it is weightless and continue, bringing knee upward to a comfortable level. (The height you will be kicking should be determined by your own ability to balance and flex and should not be forced. A very shallow kick is adequate.) The kick is performed very slowly by unbending at the knee after the foot is raised off the ground, rather than swinging the whole leg outward. It is helpful to sink slightly on the opposite leg (bend at the knee) to stabilize the body. As the left leg kicks, punch outward the right fist. Return to standing position, repeat routine kicking with the right leg and punching with the left fist. Repeat three times.

9. Make Ball, Turn at Waist
Standing double weighted on both feet, hold the hands in front of the body, arms only slightly bent at the elbows such that they form a gentle curve. Bring the right hand up and the left hand down, palms facing each other so that it appears they are holding an invisible ball of a size bigger than a soccer ball but smaller than a basket ball. Turn to the right from the waist, not moving the hips, until the ball is positioned about 45 degrees over the right hip. Turn back to the left, reversing the position of the hands until they reach about 45 degrees over the left hip, left hand now on top and right on the bottom. Repeat several times doing the movement slowly and turning only from the waist. Do not move the arms, let them follow the turning of the upper torso.

10. Parting the Horse’s Mane Variation
This movement is similar to the Tai Chi movement called “Parting the Horse’s Mane” except that there is no movement of the torso or legs, only an expansion of the arms. Start, as in the precious exercise, by making the Tai Chi Ball with the right hand on top. The right hand moves down and slightly over to end just along side the front of the right hip as the left arm arcs up and to the left, keeping the elbow slightly bent and the palm rotating counter-clockwise about 70 degrees so that it faces the position of the right hand. The left hand will end at a position only slightly higher than the left shoulder and in front of it. This movement is done slowly while breathing out. The hands then move back to the ball-holding position but with the left hand on top and the right below. Breath in while returning the hands.
The movement is now done in the opposite direction, moving the left hand down and to the left hip while the right arm arcs up and to right in a mirrored position of the first movement. Again, this movement is done slowly. Hands then move back to the ball-holding position in front of the body. The hands always rotate during the movement of the arms, not before or after, so that they arrive in the correct orientation at the end of the movement.
This routine is repeated three times, each time extending the hands a little further than the previous time. By the second Parting the Horse’s Mane the upper hand will stop more or less even with the shoulder and the lower hand even with the hip. By the last time the both hands will stop behind the body but not so far as to strain the joints. The purpose is to exercise the range of motion and stretch the limbs. During the movements extending the arms, the head turns at the neck to follow the movement of the upper hand. The torso does not turn.

11. Shoulder Rolls
Hands at sides, roll back shoulders three times. Roll forward shoulders three times.

12. Neck Roll
Standing position, very relaxed, slight bend to all limbs, hands at sides. Rotate head on neck counter-clockwise many times, then revise and rotate clockwise many times. You should be totally relaxed by the end of this exercise.

An Introduction to 24 Posture Yang Tai Chi

What we practice today, called Tai Chi, or Taijiquan (Supreme Ultimate Fist) is often thought of as merely an exercise routine imported from China one of the few imports not resulting in the loss of jobs. In fact, Tai Chi began as a method of martial arts combining ancient movement and breathing routines and spiritual meditation. It is concerned with, among other things, the movement through the body of Qi (Chi), which can be translated as "life force" or "energy."  It is said : "The internal energy, c’hi, roots at the feet, then transfers through the legs and is controlled from the waist, moving eventually through the back to the arms and fingertips." (Waysun Liao translation)

Historians of the Taijiquan (Tai Chi) forms credit Chen Chang Xing (1771-1853)  with developing the first  of the publicly taught Tai Chi styles called Old Frame, or Chen style. He taught this Chen Style  to Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872), who then developed what we know as the Yang Style of Taijiquan.  Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936), the grandson of Yang Lu Chan, popularized a somewhat modified version of the  Yang Style, and this is the form we practice today as the Yang Long Form. Traditionally, it has 108 postures, although there are many variations.

I have read that the Cultural Revolution in China came close to ending the tradition of Tai Chi practice. It would be interesting to research the political upheavals concerned, but that is for another time, another discussion. By 1956, however, the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China undertook to standardize and simplify many versions of Tai Chi, perhaps recognizing the value of exporting Tai Chi as a health and exercise activity. Taijiquan Committee Chairperson, Professor Li Tian Ji  (1914-1996,) led the development of the 24 Taijiquan Form and many other standardized Taijiquan forms such as the 32 Sword Form.  He has been called the father of modern Tai Chi.

The Standard Simplified Beijing 24 Taijiquan Form eliminated some of the movements found in the Yang 108 Long Form, keeping the most essential ones, reducing the number of repetitions of some and "mirroring" others (performing, for example, Grasp the Sparrow's Tail symmetrically to both the right and to the left). Basic principles of Tai Chi are followed, with slow, flowing movements. The form lasts only about 8 minutes, compared to 15 to 20 minutes for the Long Form, is easier to learn and less difficult to perform. The travel is only about 10 feet in a linear direction, making it perfect for large groups in limited spaces. Thus, it has become the most popular and widely practiced form worldwide.

Names of the Beijing 24 postures:
1. Beginning (Standing & Raising Arms)
2. Parting the Wild Horse's Mane (3 times) (Ward-off Left, Right, then Left)
3. White Crane Spreads its Wings
4. Brush Knee and Twist Step (3 times) (Left, Right, Left)
5. Play the Lute
6. Step Back and Repulse Monkey (4 times)
7. Grasp the Sparrow's Tail - left (Ward-off, Roll-back, Press & Push)
8. Grasp the Sparrow's Tail - right (Ward-off, Roll-back, Press & Push)
9. Single Whip
10. Wave Hands Like Clouds (3 times)
11. Single Whip
12. High Pat on Horse
13. Kick With Right Heel
14. Strike Ears With Fists
15. Kick With Left Heel (Turn 180 degrees and Kick)
16. Snake Creeps Down (left) and Golden Cockerel Stands on left leg
17. Snake Creeps Down (right) and Golden Cockerel on right leg
18. Fair Lady Weaves the Shuttle (right and left)
19. Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
20. Fan through Back
21. Deflect Downwards, Parry and Punch
22. Apparent Close Up
23. Cross Hands
24. Closing Form

A good companion book for learning the 24 Form while taking a class is "Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 Postures with Martial Applications" by Liang Shou-Yu. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/Tai-Chi-Chuan-Postures-Applications/dp/1886969337/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

For an internet reference I recommend Mike Garofalo's web site, "Cloud Hands." http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/index.htm .  It is an incredible collection of research into Tai Chi, Qigong, Martial Arts and related themes. His description of the 24 Yang Form is at http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/short.htm#Descriptions

My first investigation into Tai Chi (well, that looks easy...I can do that) resulted in my purchase of a DVD with which I intended to teach myself Tai Chi. That didn't exactly work and I realized early on that taking a class was the proper approach. But the DVD just happened to be Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi The 24 Forms, which  I now find is an excellent reference for learning the 24 Form. It is still available on his web site, http://usa.taichiproductions.com/

Standing Still: The First Posture

There is a story about Sun Lutang, the developer of Sun Style Tajiquan. Sun had gone to learn Xing Yi Quan from a famous martial artist, Li Kui Yuan. For the first year, Sun was only allowed to practice the standing posture. After about six months, Sun Lutang began to feel “as though his chest and stomach were full and his feet had roots.” At the end of a year his teacher, wishing to test Sun Lutang, came up behind him and struck him with a palm strike. His posture was unaffected, as if he had not received a powerful blow at all. Seeing this, the teacher agreed to teach Sun Lutang the fighting form of Xing Yi Quan.

How do we begin? With a single step, the old adage would have us believe. But that notion is indicative of Western culture: always in a hurry to get somewhere. No, the longest journey begins, not with a single step, but with standing still. In some instruction books, those written by the great masters such as Fu Zhongwen, the first posture is called “Preparatory.”

Fu describes this posture as standing, legs comfortably apart with the feet  spaced approximately at the width of the shoulders and with the toes pointing forward. The arms hang loosely at the sides, the shoulders themselves are relaxed and drooping, the wrist loose. The spine is straight but not rigid, the head is held high as if suspended by a thread, and the eyes gaze forward. He references the treatise by Yang Chengfu on “The Ten Essentials of Taijiquan Theory.”

1. An intangible and lively energy lifts the crown of the head.
2. Contain the chest and raise the back.
3. Relax the waist.
4. Distinguish insubstantial and substantial. (be aware of where the weight of the body is placed.)
5. Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows.
6. Use consciousness, not strength.
7.Upper and lower follow one another. (ie., “it is rooted in the feet, issued by the legs, governed by the waist, and expressed in the fingers.”)
8. Internal and external are united.
9. Linked without breaks. (“move the energy as though drawing silk from a cocoon.”)
10. Seek stillness in motion.

For the beginning student of any of the Tai Chi forms, this first posture, standing still, may be overlooked as an essential and important part of the form. It is not just standing around waiting to start¾it is the beginning, and, since the form is a continuous circular flow of energy, it is also the ending.

From The Tai Chi Classics we learn:

The abdomen is completely relaxed, enabling the ch’I to penetrate the bones; the spirit of vitality is at rest and the body is tranquil, permitting you to heed the intent of your mind.   ¾The Mental Elucidation of the Thirteen Postures, Wang Chung Yueh, Ming Dynasty, trans: T. T. Liang

From The Song of the Substance and Function of the Thirteen Postures (trans: T. T. Liang):

Pay special attention to your waist at all times. When the abdomen is completely relaxed, the ch’I will soar up (and circulate through the entire body).

When the lowest vertebrae are plumb erect, the spirit of vitality reaches to the top of the head. When the top of the head is held as if suspended from above, the whole body feels light and agile.

How do you start to start? Many versions of the Form begin by standing with the feet together. There is a slight turn towards the right and the body’s weight is put unto the right foot. The left foot is now at an “empty stance,” and is lifted slightly and moved out to the left, the toe touching down first. Then, he heel goes down and with a slight turn back toward a centered position, the body’s weight is again equally distributed between both feet. This allows you the find the proper spacing of the feet and to “distinguish the insubstantial from the substantial.”

A good technique when standing still is to breath slowly, deeply and fully, to start with the top of head, relaxing the neck and shoulders, then mentally work down the body, relaxing it until you reach the feet. Try to imagine that your feet are “rooted” in the ground and that your head is suspended from above and virtually weightless. The weight of your body is evenly distributed between your two legs (double weighted). This is one of the very few times during the form that this will be true.

More advanced students may wish to investigate W. C. C. Chen’s writings on what he calls “the three nails.” This refers to, on each foot, the big toe, the big toe “knuckle,” and the heel. These three “nails” are the means by which you root yourself to the ground. You can become aware of the function of the three nails as you move throughout the form, shifting your weight back and forth and taking the Form’s characteristic stances.

The Journal of Asian Martial Arts: a Golden Resource

I haven’t written for this blog for a while. I have an excuse: I took some time off to finish my first novel (!) All The Way By Water is now available at Amazon.com as a paperback and on Kindle, so please check it out!

My mentor, Michael DeMarco, who introduced me to the Yang Long Form 11 years ago (has it been that long?) is the publisher and inspiration behind the Journal Of Asian Martial Arts. He conceived this as a scholarly journal to attract expert and informative writing on the subject of the martial arts. Recently, and sadly, the Journal has ceased publication, but, like the phoenix, it has been reborn.

Asian Martial Arts

The first event was a new book entitled Asian Martial Arts, for which 36 authors contributed original articles reflecting the depth and diversity of the subject and mirroring the tradition of scholarship of the Journal.. The scope of the book is enormous, covering history, techniques, philosophy, anecdotes, specific demonstrations by masters in each discipline. Tai Chi is well represented, as well as Judo, Wei Kuen Do, Bajiquan, Wing Chun, Baguazhang, Sambo, Goju-rye Karate, Mantis Boxing, and on and on. Sorry, the pre-publication discount has expired, but the book sells for $24.95 and is well worth it.

The second event was the redesign and repurposing of the Journal’s web site: http://journalofasianmartialarts.com/ . The web site is now an archive for over two decades of in-depth discussions of Asian Martial Arts traditions. The various articles are organized under major subjects such as Asia, China, Japan,  Korea and South East Asia and Other Styles, and each of these areas are subdivided into special interests such as Taijiquan Chen Style or Weaponry, Sword Arts, etc. Articles can be printed for your own use for 15 cents per page. I call that a bargain.

In this day and age when the internet has become the major source of research for everyone from grade school children writing their first term paper to semi-retired adults testing the waters of a new hobby by watching youtube, it must be noted that we live in what will someday come to be called “the MISinformation age.”  I’ve probably contributed to that phenomenon myself with opinionated spiels on subjects I haven’t researched properly, or by quoting some authority whose half-knowledge is based on supposition or modern myth. So it is important to support and utilize projects of genuine thinking and experience that are, essentially, juried with an attitude toward excellence in scholarship.

Book published!

I am proud to announce that my first novel, All The Way By Water, has just been published. It is available on Amazon.com as a paperback (and soon on Kindle). Here's the link:

All The Way By Water

Open The Door and Step Through

There are pitfalls we all experience when learning. These are the little errors and mistakes we adopt for one reason or another, that stay with us and become increasingly more difficult to “unlearn” as time goes by. Even in a class the need for the correction may not be noticed and the error may become engrained through habit. Those of us who have left the structure of a class and study on our own are even more at risk to perpetuate “incorrectness.”  Where does it come from? How do we get rid of it?

One day I convinced my new Tai Chi instructor, who taught Sun Style, to let me show him my Yang Long Form. After I finished he asked, “Why are you pointing down with your index finger in that one move? Don’t you know you are providing a ‘handle’ for an opponent to grab?” I hadn’t realized I was making the hook for Single Whip wrong, extending my finger instead or curving it inward to touch my thumb. Since I hadn’t practiced the Long Form in the context of a class for a year or two, no one was available to offer a correction until now.

Even within the context of a class you can adopt an bad habit. Early in my studies I was practicing the movement called Brush Knee. Another student came up to me and told me I was doing it wrong. “Think of it this way,” they said. “You open the door, then you step through it.” By this catchy phrase I was to remember to sweep my hand down and across my thigh and then take a step forward, pushing out with my other hand. I began doing Brush Knee this way and the catch phrase worked well ---to reinforce the incorrect sequence of the move. It wasn’t until years later in another class that my instructor stated a simple principle: “Always set your feet in position first so that you can use the muscles of your waist and upper thighs to direct the motion of the rest of your body,” or something to that effect. It made me think about the Brush Knee movement and I suddenly saw, then in practice felt, the correct sequence: step, set your stance, then sweep your hand across (brushing aside a kick or a low punch), twisting and pushing out with your other hand (energized from the hips).

The person who had given me the bad advice had most likely learned it that way in an earlier class taught by a different instructor. So bad habits can be infectious. It is also the kind of mistake you can only correct by feeling the corrected way of doing it. Kind of a vicious circle. I have to come up with a better catch phrase. Maybe something like, “Step on their toe and then hit ‘em in the groin.” Of course, the movement (or posture, as some people call it) is more or less one continuous action but it is often taught by breaking it down into components, thus, the linear, 1-2-3-ness of it to our inquiring minds. Here is a video that illustrates Brush Knee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geLkg3kboDU


Not bad, huh? I have to say, though, that I don’t exactly step heel first, leg straight and use the heel as a hinge for shifting my weight. I’ve seen that in a lot of videos, so I have to think about it, but it seems like it emphasizes the heel as a fulcrum a little too much. No matter. Notice the way he turns at the waist. This is more than a simple turn: it is a transfer of Chi from the Dantien. The Kua (inner thigh and hips) are the “movers and shakers” here. In fact, the movement is sometimes called Brush Knee Twist Step. I think of this whenever I watch professional baseball: the pitcher does not throw with his arm; he throws with his Kua! At any rate, remember to step through, and then open the door

I am (not) Bruce Lee

The other night I watched the documentary, I Am Bruce Lee, on Spike TV which followed a broadcast on that same channel of Enter The Dragon. Fans of Bruce Lee will enjoy the documentary which has a lot of “never before seen footage,” and many interviews with his wife, Linda, Kobe Bryant, Shannon Lee ) Bruce Lee’s daughter), and others, some to praise and some to criticize the praise in devil’s advocate style. It covered the well known biographical data, offered numerous clips, including interviews with Bruce Lee speaking about his philosophy. And so, ya, it was worth the watch. But I guess you either idolize the guy or you don’t.

What intrigued me was learning about Lee’s early life in Hong Kong (he was born in san Francisco but raised in Hong Kong) and his study of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan and Wing Chun which he learned under Master Yi Man. This plus the real life experience of street fighting led him to develop his own style of martial arts which he called Jun Fan Gung Fu (Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu), which he later evolved into what he termed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of Intercepting Fist) and which supposedly influenced, if not gave birth to, the phenomena called Mixed Martial Arts (A.K.A. kick ‘em in the groin, the face, anywhere--- there ain’t no rules!)

Wikipedia has a good entry on Wing Chun and I won’t go into it here except to point out a few of the similarities between Wing Chun and Tai Chi, similarities that may stem from some neighboring branches of the martial arts family tree. The origin story of Wing Chun involves a maiden who observes a crane fighting a snake--- sound familiar? Fundamental to Wing Chun is softness, relaxation, centered stance and good balance. The concept of simultaneous attack and defense is similar to Tai Chi’s sticking and following where you are never left in a vulnerable position but can flow with the energy of your opponent.

Wing Chun punches are Fa Jing: short bursts of energy where tension comes only at the end of the extension of the strike.Arms are held close to the body for the most part and kicks are also similar to those found in the Tai Chi form(s). So, although Tai Chi Chuan is characterized as an “internal art” and much of the other Kung Fu forms are “external,” there is something the student of Tai Chi can gain by observing the Wing Chun form(s). This also gives a certain perspective to watching those Bruce Lee films or old episodes of Green Hornet. The Wikipedia mentions a popular culture icon in the person of Donnie Yen. He played Yip Man in a recent movie:

Donnie Yen has also caused tremendous impact in the martial arts world through his various films. Yen is widely credited by many as the person responsible in popularizing the traditional martial arts system known as Wing Chun. Donnie Yen played the role of Wing Chun Grandmaster in the 2008 movie, Ip Man, which was a huge box office success, re-defining the genre of action films. This has led to a tremendous increase in the numbers of people taking up Wing Chun, allowing hundreds of new Wing Chun schools to be opened up in Mainland China and other notable parts of Asia. Ip Chun, the eldest son of Ip Man even mentioned that he is grateful to Donnie Yen for making his family art popular and allowing his father's legacy to be remembered. ---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun

Here is a clip from that movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN4Qsdr51U&feature=related

Another part of the Bruce Lee legend that intrigues me is the story of his fight with Wong Jack Man in 1964. Lee was teaching his style of Wing Chun. Lee was part Caucasian and the local Chinese community took exception to his teaching non-Chinese students in the Chinese martial arts. Supposedly, Wong Jack Man, a student of Ma Kin Fung and a master of Xingyiquan, Northern Shaolin, and T'ai chi chuan, was sent to challenge Lee to a fight which, if he lost, he would consent to refrain from teaching non-Chinese. And shut down his school. From Wikipedia:

Individuals known to have witnessed the match included Cadwell, James Lee (Bruce Lee's associate, no relation), and William Chen, a teacher of T'ai chi ch'uan. Wong and witness William Chen stated that the fight lasted an unusually long 20–25 minutes. According to Bruce Lee, Linda Lee Cadwell, and James Yimm Lee, the fight lasted 3 minutes with a decisive victory for Lee. "The fight ensued, it was a no-holds-barred fight, it took three minutes. Bruce got this guy down to the ground and said 'do you give up?' and the man said he gave up" – Linda Lee Cadwell

One last thing about the documentary, it pointed out that Lee admired Muhammad Ali and studied his fighting style by viewing numerous films. He wanted to fight Ali but never got the chance. Well, he wooped Chuck Norris, so, you never know!

Swashbuckling!

Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac

The other day I watched the movie, Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), with Jose Ferrer in the title role. (The trailer is at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1352663321/  and shows just a little of the fencing from the movie.) It made me think about the many “swashbuckler” movies I watched as a youth: those with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone dueling up and down the castle stairs, jumping over tables, cleaving the tops of candles with a swoop of the sword; movies where the hero fights off a veritable mob of antagonists who conveniently line up to be skewered one at a time. Hollywood movies are, they tell us, about “suspending disbelief,” so that we accept whatever farfetched lunacy is thrown at us. But did Errol Flynn know how to fence, I wondered. I had recently purchased a book about swords called, appropriately enough, By The Sword, written by Richard Cohen, a five time United Kingdom saber champion and four time member of the British Olympic fencing teams. In it is a delightful chapter entitled, of course, “Swashbuckling.”

Cohen’s book traces the history of sword fighting from gladiator times through the present and touches (no pun intended) on many cultures with the unfortunate exception of the Chinese. There is a brief mention of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but little more about Chinese swords and sword fighting than there is about Star Wars and light sabers. He explains that the scope of the book had to be limited at some point and he may be forgiven for this particular omission since he examines in great detail the evolution of foil fencing and therein lies the interest of the book.

Many of my questions about fencing scenes in movies were answered by the “Swashbuckling” chapter. Everything I mention from this point on comes from Richard Cohen’s well researched and insightful book. Fencing in the movies is more or less as old as the cinema itself, at least dating to the early Twentieth Century and epic films like Quo Vadis? Of course, the many versions of The Three Musketeers (over thirty), The Prisoner of Zenda, Zorro, numerous pirate movies, Shakespearean dramas and so forth featured individual fencing matches between heroes and villains as well as battle scenes. In the individual fights, realism began to emerge as a desirable element.

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

Douglas Fairbanks Sr. popularized sword fighting in early silent films and started the long lineage of The Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan films. As Cohen states: “Of all the actors who have fought with swords the best actual athlete remains the five-foot five-inch Douglas Elton Ulman --Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Yet he made all his swashbuckling movies after the age of thirty-five.” The fact that Fairbanks did his own fencing in the films set a standard other actors would need to follow, and follow they did, taking fencing lessons or training with fencing masters.

Early actors who fenced included Ramon Navarro, Rudolph Valentino and John Barrymore. But as the trend toward realism, the advancement of cinematic techniques and the studios’ paranoia that actors could be injured led to the use of doubles, a new breed of actor was born: one rarely mentioned in the credits or seen in close-ups ---the trainer/doubler. Cohen profiles several important individuals who took on this role, such as Fred Cavens, who taught and doubled for a long list of cinema swahbucklers, including Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Jr., Errol Flynn, Louis Hayward, Cornel Wilde and Basil Rathbone.

Errol Flynn in The Seahawk

So was it just a lot of clanging together of swords or did these actors present a fairly good style and technique? Rathbone, Cohen says, was “a good club fighter”. He probably did most of his own fighting and was paired with Fred Cavens, doubling for Tyrone Power or Errol Flynn (although Flynn wasn’t doubled that often when he fought Rathbone) in films like Captain Blood, The Mark of Zorro and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Flynn was “athletic, looked the part and remains the most convincing swordsman ever to have appeared on film,” but hadn’t studied fencing to the extent that Rathbone or Fairbanks had.

Watch this fight between Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone from The Mark of Zorro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McDfLkLqJAE

Cohen mentions the 1956 film, The Swan, in which Louis Jourdan is a fencing instructor to Grace Kelly. He describes: “During a couple of lessons, naturally conducted without masks, we see Kelly performing very proficiently --a long lunge, a beat attack, then parries in prime, seconde, quarte, and octave, finishing with a doublé.” Then again, there are foibles: Stuart Granger, making Scaramouche, fell during a duel and was knocked out. He also ended that film with twelve stitches in his leg and a shoulder injury. No doubling here!

And watch this sequence from The Court Jester with Danny Kaye battling Basil Rathbone. Rathbone said Kaye was so energetic after only three days of fencing lessons that he, Rathbone, couldn’t keep up with him! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3oURsGzs9o&feature=related

Although the list of actors and actresses is a long one, those individuals who arranged the fight scenes and trained the actors, also doubling for them is short. Cohen mentions four from before the 1950s that were noteworthy: Fred Cavens, Henri Uyttenhove, Ralph Faulkner and Jean Heremans. Faulkner was the best, competing in the Olympics and acting major roles in various movies in the 1930s.  When Stuart Granger took fencing lessons for Scaramouche in 1952, it was from a British couch, Bob Anderson. Part of Anderson’s career included playing Darth Vader in the laser sword fight with Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back. (For some reason, I always thought the laser swords were computer generated which, now that I think of it, would have made the dueling sequences very difficult to choreograph. They were actual swords made of carbon fiber coated with reflective paint.)

Cohen more or less bemoans the advent of high-tech cinema, giving Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as one example. Too easy to lop off arms and legs in the editing room or fly actors on wires, bouncing them up walls and across roof tops. The old timers, the Fairbanks and Flynns, were actually striking metal against metal, he argues. The language of the cinema (a.k.a. special effects) was secondary to skill and prowess and acting ability. Although we have come to take for granted spectacular computer graphic effects and yearn for more, more, more… it is also true that the traditional fighting skills embodied in fencing and other sword oriented martial arts are grist for the mills of the entertainment industry in ways that cars chases (and crashes) could never be. Something fundamentally human resides in the romantic, exotic, exhilarating combat of long gone ages that is so compelling, it has endured since the advent of cinema to today. The clash of metal on metal!

The overall attitude presented by Richard Cohen in his chapter, “Swashbucklers,” in the book, By The Sword, seems to me to be a purist belief that skillful and accurate fencing should be the goal in the portrayal of sword fighting in the movies. This notion appeals to my own snob sense. I do think that although the viewer may be uninformed about the nuances and rules of foil fencing, watching the real thing is always going to be more rewarding than experiencing the gratuitous, exaggerated mimicking we sometimes see in films. However, (there is always a however), it may be appropriate to end this dissertation with a little gratuitous exaggerated mimicking: the fight scent from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhCHw0Ovqf4