8 Pieces of Silk - #9



Reach out to the left with your right fist

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oday’s posture from the 8 Pieces of Silk routine appears to be the most martial in that it involves a sei ping mah (4 point horse stance) and a punch to the side.

The posture is an important one. If nothing else, it displays the close connection between Chi Kung practise and martial arts.

Let’s delve into this part of the routine right away –

31.  Following the last part of the neck stretch from side to side, please step out sideways into a sei ping mah ( 4 point horse stance) again. As in the earlier “bow and arrow” posture, reach out to the left with your right hand (fist lightly clenched). Imagine grasping the string of a bow.

Place your left hand (fist lightly clenched) on your left hip.

As you slowly pull the bow string back toward you, punch out to the side with your left fist. Draw your right fist to your right hip as your left fist reaches its imaginary target.

The left fist is folded with its palm down. The back of the fist is in a straight line with your shoulder. Please ensure that your shoulders remain relaxed throughout.

The palm of your right fist at your right hip faces up.

Breathing – inhale very slowly through the nose as you punch out to the left.



Slowly punch out to the left with your left fist

 

32.  Now reach across from left to the front with your left fist.

Breathing – exhale very slowly through the nose as you reach across from your left side to the front.

Reach out to the right with your left hand. Imagine grasping the string of a bow.



Reach across to your right with your left fist



As you slowly pull the bow string back toward you, punch out to the side with your right fist. Draw your left fist to your left hip as your left right fist reaches its imaginary target.

The right fist is folded with its palm down. The back of the fist is in a straight line with your shoulder. Please ensure that your shoulders remain relaxed throughout.

The palm of your left fist at your left hip faces up.

Breathing – inhale very slowly through the nose as you punch out to the right.



Slowly punch to the right with your right fist



I’m sorry to say but I have just one more post left on the entire routine! Our demonstrator, Sifu Greg Magwood, has authored a DVD containing the 8 Pieces of Silk. I’d like to upload the DVD to this blog and make it available to everyone. But being technically inexpert on the finer points of uploads and downloads, I’m going to have to learn how. So please allow me some time to accomplish this!

Sifu Greg Magwood can be reached at Magwood Martial Arts on Facebook.