Handling Kicks

Going to continue to talk about how to kick with the heel. Now in tai chi as we know there's a lot of mind intent involved it's not just physical movement. So where do we put our mind in the body as we're doing these movement. So as I'm drawing up I'm thinking that everything is drawing into my center. Drawing into my dan tien so I'm gathering in, gathering in, gathering in and then just like a sun exploding outward, that sun moves out, out, out, out, out. So everything ends at the same time. However, we have to be very careful, what's very common when we do a kick is that we loose our root. So that when, if we kick with our root, if we kick the person that we are kicking will not move. We will bounce backwards just as we would with push. So when we are doing this motion of expanding outward, we have to also be thinking we're expanding down, we're expanding back, we're expanding up, it's like a ball or I like to see it as a sun exploding outward. So I'm gathering in, gathering in, gathering in and then out, out, out, out, out from the center. So it's kicking outward, this comes out and that comes out, and that goes down all at the same time.

Give Up and Follow

Ask yourself, if someone grabs your arms, how do you respond this? Most people may say they would pull the arms back quickly, with yelling and kicking randomly, as a common reaction.

However, in Combat Tai Chi, to handle this, the response is to give up the arms, follow his pulling and then strike him. It seems to be VERY dangerous as I am closing to the opponent instead of escaping from the opponent, but by the use of borrowed force from the opponent’s pulling, a Tai Chi fighter can easily approach him and attack him badly.

This principle applied is one of ultimate Combat Tai Chi principles especially for anti-catch and hold, which is called Giving up and Following. It requires a Tai Chi fighter with a great courage and “hearing” skills as he needs to give up part of his body controlled, follow the opponent’s movement and move as close the opponent as possible to strike him.

In order to be able to apply this principle in various fighting situations, first of all, we need to know two 3-sections (San Jie Jin) in our body, from where internal powers can be generated.

Wrist, Elbow and Shoulder

If my wrist is controlled by an opponent, I use my elbow and shoulder to against the control.

An example as below:


If wrist and elbow are controlled, I may use shoulder and hip to release myself:


If my left shoulder and left arm are both twisted behind, I will use trunk and right leg to handle this:


Upper limb, Waist and Lower limb

However, if my waist is bear-hugged, I use both upper limb and lower limb to release myself.

First example, anti-front bear-hugging:


Second example, anti-rear bear-hugging:


If one of my thighs is controlled, I utilise upper limb and waist to tackle it:

All and all, to give up myself and follow the opponent is an ultimate Tai Chi fighting principle, particularly in anti-catch and hold.

In the 18th Century, Wang Zongyue, one of great Tai Chi Masters, said it in his The Treatise on Tai Chi Quan: “fundamentally, it is giving up yourself to follow others” as “the opponent doesn’t know me, I alone know him”.

Remember, never struggling to get rid of your opponents, you should calm down, give up the part of your body controlled, follow him, and then borrow his force to against him, this is She Ji Cong Ren.


Master Xiaotong Huang
Unlimited Tai Chi Group (UTCG), Sydney
E-mail: hxtagf@gmail.com

A Powerful & Unpredictable Weapon – Shoulder

How often do we use our shoulder as a weapon for fighting? Why are shoulders such powerful and unpredictable weapons in Combat Tai Chi. In order to answer these questions, we first need to look at our shoulder structure.

As we know, the shoulder joint is one of strongest joints in our body after the hip joint. There are four aspects to a shoulder: the top (acromion), the side (greater tubercle of humerus), the front (lesser tubercle of humerus) and the rear (spine of scapula). In Combat Tai Chi, each of these aspects is a powerful weapon.

How then do we use a shoulder as a weapon? The answer is with the shoulder knock. Traditionally, it is called Jian Khou in Chinese. It is one of the eight basic methods of Tai Chi, and it is an explosive strike delivered at close range.

Shoulders knocks are usually applied to targets on weak or soft areas such as the sternum, rib cages, elbows, or face. The combat outcome can be significant after effectively “knocking” these areas – indeed potentially decisive.

However, we can only apply these shoulder knock techniques effectively after we master its principles including timing, body integrity and footwork. Specific training on shoulder knock is required as well as solid foundation from Tai Chi practice.

However, we can only use these shoulder knock techniques effectively after we have mastered the shoulder knock principles of timing, body integrity and footwork. Therefore specific shoulder knock training is required as well as a solid foundation from practice of the Tai Chi forms.

Well, now I would like to give a few examples of how to apply the Tai Chi shoulder knock when fighting.

Using the Top of Shoulder to Knock

In the movement of Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar (Jin Gang Dao Zui), when someone throws a right punch toward my face -

1. I quickly use two hands to draw a circle to redirect the punch, and then right step forward between his legs.

2. meanwhile, I bend my upper body forward to protrude my right top of should to knock his rib cage or stomach promptly and heavily

This is a typical example of using the top of shoulder to conduct a shoulder knock.

Using the Side aspect of Shoulder to Knock

The side of shoulder is applied very often in Combat Tai Chi, it can be used in different situations including anti-holding and catching.

One of my favourite movements is from Move and Hider with Elbow (Ban Lan Zhou).

When a right straight kick is coming toward my groin or stomach, I use two hands to make a downward arc to and borrow force through deflecting his righ leg. Simultaneously, I step leftward quickly and utilise left aspect of shoulder to knock his right rib cage or stomach.


Another example is from the movement of White Crane Spreads Its Wings (Bai He Liang Chi).

When a person uses his left leg kick my right thigh, I quickly move my right leg backward to form a empty stance, simultaneously, I use right hand to direct his kick move rightward pass over my right leg, and then I quickly step my right foot forward as close him as possible, at the same time, I use my right aspect of shoulder to knock his left rib cage heavily.


Using the Front aspect of Shoulder to Knock

In this example, the movement I chosen is from Walk obliquely and twist step on both sides (Xie Xing Au Bu).

Still if a right punch toward my face, I use my right hand to bring his right arm down and quickly I make a right step forward to close this person. At the same time, I quickly move right hand along his right arm toward his neck and also hold and bring his neck toward my right shoulder side. Simultaneously, I turn my right front aspect of shoulder forward and knock his face with pulling his head forward using my left hand.


In addition, I often use front part of shoulder to against chest grabs. If someone grabs my chest by the use of his left hand, I use left hand to hold his hand on my chest, and then quickly I make a right step and use right front shoulder to knock his left elbow firmly.



Using the Rear aspect of Shoulder to Knock

A very interesting application example for the use of rear aspect shoulder is from Tai Chi Form Two - Cannon Fist. Its name is Wrap Crackers (Guo Bian Pao). In this movement, I twist and shake both side of rear aspect of shoulders to knock a person who bear-hugged me at the back.

Power can be generated by constantly twist and shake the shoulders to hit the person’s chest even face. This movement, Wrap Crackers, is very effective to against rear bear-hugging if it is applied timely and appropriately.


Shoulder knock is a unique and special offensive technique in Combat Tai Chi. It is a very practical, explosive and unpredictable short range weapon, and it can cause serious injury. It should be applied judiciously with wearing appropriate protective devices during a free sparring.

Master Xiaotong Huang
Unlimited Tai Chi Group (UTCG), Sydney
E-mail: hxtagf@hotmail.com

Tai Chi Fighting Is Like Kissing

Tai Chi fighting is like kissing”. Does that sound interesting? I certainly don’t like to kiss my opponent whilst fighting, so what does this mean? Why is Tai Chi fighting like kissing? How can we put this principle into practice?

Well, based on what I’ve found over the years, I would like to briefly make three points about my experience of practicing this old saying about “kissing” in Tai Chi fighting.

Point one: Force Borrowing

I am reluctant to use the word block when I contact an opponent physically for the first time. I prefer words like redirect or deflect. By redirecting or deflecting an opponent’s arm or leg, I can borrow force/power/energy from them, enabling me to move quickly toward them. Simultaneously, this borrowing action can also destroy their balance, draw their center of gravity forward, and shorten the distance between us. Now you can see we’re getting ready for kissing!

What makes force-borrowing possible? The answer is in the Tai Chi silk reeling technique. That is, the twisting rotation of the upper limb (hand and forearm) to generate shear force and friction.

If we think about what happens to a small stone when it’s thrown at a big rolling ball, it is redirected away at high speed. This is borrowing.

One example is the movement of Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar (Jin Gang Dao Zui):

1. First I throw my left arm upward using the silk reeling technique to borrow and deflect the opponent’s force/power while they are throwing a right punch at me;

2. At the same time, using the borrowed force/power, I quickly move right step forward to hit their groin area with my thigh;
3. I then thrust my right palm as an arrow toward their throat;

. Finally I bend my right arm downward elbowing their chest heavily as I lower my centre of gravity.

Point two: Position Occupation

Bringing people together face against face is essential for kissing. How can we achieve this? The key is to occupy the opponent’s space, in other words displace them and take up their original spot.

Another example is the movement known as Lazy Putting Clothes On (Lan Za Yi). Using my right arm to redirect and deflect the opponent’s front kick leftward, I borrow their force/power to quickly move my right leg forward meanwhile shifting my centre of gravity forward to achieve two goals:


1. My right leg/foot overtakes the opponent’s centre of gravity

2. My trunk works against their trunk.

Now our bodies are overlapped —position occupation is next. I continue to roll my right arm downward against their chest, shifting my body weight on their centre of gravity. What is going to happen? They will be squeezed out of their place and collapse. They’ll most probably also be shocked by the kiss-like invasion of their personal space. This is position occupation.

Point three: Combination

In order to occupy an opponent’s space, I need to combine all my force against them. This is very important. Again I’ll use the movement, Lazy Putting Clothes On (Lan Za Yi) as an example. I place my right leg/foot close against their rear leg/foot, my right hand against their right shoulder and my elbow against their left ribcage. This means there are now three points (my right leg/foot, hand and elbow) that have control over the opponent, and it is time to conduct a combination process. In Chinese, we call it “Liu He”.
I try to combine:

• my right hand and right foot together
• my right elbow and right knee together
• my right shoulder and right hip together

Please remember there is still a person in between while I am carrying out the external combination (Wai Liu He) process, and it acts as a sort of scissor movement by which the opponent is cut, as it were, in half.

All in all, the old Tai Chi saying “Tai Chi fighting is like kissing” is a general fighting principle. It explains a lot about Tai Chi fighting in a very plain and simple way. When you practise Tai Chi, especially Chen style Tai Chi, you will find there are many movements that imply this principle. Remember, if you feel you haven’t used much effort to overcome your opponent, you have surely mastered the “kissing” principle.



Master Xiaotong Huang
Unlimited Tai Chi Group (UTCG), Sydney
E-mail: hxtagf@gmail.com