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Weapons practice is an indispensable part of any complete martial arts system such as Taiji Quan. Historically, weapons were more useful in everyday
life than they are today. As a result, martial arts practitioners devoted more time to weapons practice in the past. In traditional Taiji Quan training, the
major weapons are Dao, which is a saber or board sword; Jian, a straight double-edged sword; Gan, a staff; and Qiang, a spear. Dao and Jian are
short weapons that are most often wielded by one hand. Gan and Qiang are long weapons that are usually held by two hands. Although each weapon
has unique features, it is generally believed that if one understands and masters these four weapons, one can easily and quickly understand and
become proficient in other weapons (except special weapons). Training in these four weapons provides a foundation for training in many others.
Weapons practice is also very important for complete Taiji Quan training because it can increase one’s understanding of martial arts principles and
develop abilities that are difficult to learn from empty hand practice alone. Jian practice, for example, can increase internal feelings about how to
integrate spirit, mind, and movements. Spear training can help improve Qi control and refine skills for changing from one technique to another. In this
article, we will describe some basic training methods for Gan in Taiji Quan.
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1. Taiji Zhan Gan – Taiji Sticking Staff
In most Chinese martial arts schools, the staff is called Gun, and it is usually about five to six feet long. In Taiji Quan practice, however, the staff is
called Gan, and often the sound “er” is added, so that the word is pronounced “Ganer.” It may also be called Da Gan Zi, which means long staff or
pole. The length of a Gan depends on the height of the practitioner, but it usually exceeds seven feet. The bottom end of the staff is bigger than the
tip. The staff is made of wood called Bei La or white wax, and the complete trunk of a single tree is used to make each staff. When a white-wax tree
grows to sufficient height, it is cut down and given a special treatment to increase its toughness. The wood has a naturally springy quality and a lot of
tensile strength. Because of this characteristic, even a hard strike to a staff will not cause noticeable vibration in the hand of the person holding it.
When a staff is used for a long time, its color gradually changes from white to a shiny, dark brown because of the accumulation of sweat that soaks into
the wood from the practitioner’s hands. This makes the staff easier to manipulate and improves its overall effectiveness.
In Taiji Quan, long staff practice is commonly called Taiji Zhan Gan or Taiji sticking staff. It can also be called Taiji Nian Gan, which means Taiji
adhering staff; Taiji Zhan Nian Gan, which means Taiji sticking and adhering staff; Taiji Dui Zha Gan, which means Taiji stabbing staff; or Taiji Shisan
Gan, which means Taiji thirteen-skill staff. In the term Zhan Gan, Gan means long staff and Zhan means to stick or adhere. In Taiji Zhan Gan then, the
staff practice that follow Taiji Quan principles, a sticking or adhering skill is used to maintain contact between your staff and that of your partner at all
times.
In olden times, all famous masters intently practiced Zhan Gan daily and achieved a high level of mastery in sticking staff. The basic principles of Zhan
Gan are exactly the same as those of Taiji push hands. One can think of the long staff as simply making one’s arms longer. Although all push hands
principles and skills apply to staff training, the latter is more difficult than the former. Traditionally, people started to practice sticking staff only after
they were adept at Taiji form and push hands training. Sticking staff training not only increases one’s ability to use different kinds of internal force, but
also is beneficial for footwork skills and body movements, especially for learning to move the waist. Sticking staff training is the best way to understand
high-level Taiji Quan skills.
The long staff is a special weapon, and it has unique features. By tradition, thirteen key words are used to express its primary functions. They are: Kai
or open; He, close; Fa, launch; Beng, explode; Pi, chop; Dian, point; Zha, stab; Bo, move; Liao, raise; Chan, wind up; Dai, lead; Hua, slide; and Jie,
interrupt. The difference between Taiji staff skills and the staff skills of other styles is that all Taiji staff skills are based on Taiji Quan principles. So all
Taiji sticking staff techniques exemplify Taiji Quan concepts and derive from Taiji Quan principles. To master staff skills, you must understand the
differentiation and balancing of Yin and Yang. You must also understand the meanings of: Zhan, which is to stick upward; Nian, which is to adhere to;
Lian, which is to link; Sui, which is to follow; Ting, which is to listen; Yin, which is to lure; Hua, which is to dissolve; Na, which is to control; and Fa, which
is to launch. The meaning of traditional Taiji Quan injunctions, such as: “to know yourself and your opponent"; “to lure in and fall into emptiness”; "to
borrow force from your opponent and use his force to beat him back"; “to use mind rather than strength”; “to use softness to defend against
hardness”; "to use stillness to control motion"; “to yield yourself and follow your opponent”; "to launch later but reach first"; and “to use four ounces to
defend against a thousand pounds”, should be applied in all sticking staff applications.
There are many training techniques for sticking staff in traditional Taiji Quan groups. Solo techniques for gripping a staff and familiarizing oneself with
its characteristics are practiced first. Then, two-person fixed techniques are introduced to train basic skills, Finally, two-person freestyle techniques are
practiced to teach applications of each skill. Long and diligent practice is necessary for those who wish to acquire mastery in staff fighting skills.
Practitioners must know how to grip a staff correctly. Because staff skills are very fluid and versatile, your grip also has to be flexible. You cannot grip
the staff too tightly. Your hands should be able to slide freely along the length of the staff. At times, one of your hands may even be opened. Although
your grip may be light and somewhat loose, you must be fully able to control the movement of the staff. The need to maintain a flexible grip always has
to be balanced with the need to control the staff. Developing a feel for how to grip a staff properly requires considerable practice.
In the beginning of training, solo practice is necessary. There are many solo techniques that will help you understand staff practice. The most
important point in practice is to feel as though the staff is part of your body and that you can use it like an extension of your arm to do whatever you
want at any moment. You must be able too move your Qi and Jin, or trained force not only to the tips of your fingers, as in empty hand practice, but
also to the tip of your staff. This is very difficult because the staff is long. Each kind of Jin used in Taiji Quan, such as Peng Jin and Lu Jin, has a staff
application. You should practice these applications separately in solo practice to make sure that you can do all of them well before proceeding to two-
person training.
Two-person fixed routines are the most important part of Taiji staff training and usually require the most time to master. Many routines have been
passed down from earlier generations, and groups differ slightly in their training methods. Usually single-skill routines are practiced first. In these
routines, one or two basic techniques are repeatedly practiced. Then, combination routines are added to the training regimen. As in push hands
training, the first goal of staff training is to increase the practitioner’s sensitivity. This allows him / her to feel from the touch point of the two staffs what
his / her opponent wants to do and how to defend against it. The basic skills for two-person practice are Zhan, Nian, Lian and Sui, as in Taiji push
hands practice. Most two-person staff routines are designed to develop these skills. In the beginning, you should devote a lot of practice to the basic
two-person routines. Only when you master them will you have a chance fully to understand the more complex staff skills and the Taiji Quan principles
from which they are derived.
When you can execute most of the basic techniques correctly, you should try freestyle practice. As in push hands training, even when you can easily
and freely use your skills and internal force, you must be able to keep your staff in touch with your partner’s staff, as though the two were stuck
together. This will allow you at all times to sense what your opponent is doing and even what he might be planning to do, and it will help you develop
your skills in much more detail.
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2. Ba Shou Zhan Gan
Ba Shou Zhan Gan or the eight-technique sticking staff form, is a two-person fixed routine, and it is the most important training method in traditional
Taiji sticking staff techniques. Because the eight techniques in this routine must be done smoothly and without interruption, it is the most difficult of the
fixed technique routines, especially in terms of body movements and footwork. In many ways, it is similar to Dalu training in push hands practice. If
given careful and detailed attention, the eight-technique sticking staff form can be a very effective preparation for freestyle training and real fighting.
The Taiji eight-technique sticking staff form includes four attack techniques, each done with a step forward and four defense techniques, each done
with a step back. The four attack techniques are:
Chop head while stepping forward
Point at knee while stepping forward
Stab shoulder while stepping forward
Cut throat while stepping forward
The four defense techniques are:
Raise staff to protect head while stepping back
Rotate staff and block down to protect knee while stepping back
Hold staff horizontally to protect shoulder while stepping back
Hold staff vertically and block side-to-side to protect throat while stepping back
This form should be practiced solo first and then with a partner. Solo practice will familiarize you with each movement and the basic function of each
skill. When you practice with a partner, you should pay attention to your body movements and steps, especially when changing direction and posture.
The touch point of the two staffs should be kept stable; that is, it should not slide up and down the staffs as the two partners move back and forth.
The most important aspect of your training in the staff form is to use your mind rather than your physical strength. You should also study how to
balance the need for nimbleness with the need for stability and develop internal force and sensitivity. You should know how to use your heart to guide
your mind, your mind to lead your Qi and your Qi to move your body. Your step changes should always follow your body movements. Also important is
the ability to move the staff so that it always covers your body. Finally, you should handle the staff so naturally that it moves as though it were an
extension of your body and as though its movements were coming straight from your heart.
Each movement in the eight-technique form is presented in the following sections. For purposes of describing the postures, the person on the left in
each of the figures will be referred to as A, and the person on the right will be referred to as B. First, person A will be shown doing the four attack
techniques, and B will be shown doing the four defense techniques. Then, B will be shown doing the four attack techniques and A, the four defense
techniques. A complete sequence of attack and defense techniques is usually called one cycle. Only one complete cycle will be described in this
article, but in your practice, you should repeat the cycle many times. You should change from attack to defense and then to attack again, and all cycle
should be done smoothly and continuously.
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In the descriptions that follow, Person A’s movements will be described in detail
and Person B’s movements, described only briefly. In actual practice, the
movements are the same for both partners.
Commencing Form:
A and B stand erect and face each other at a distance of about three to four
steps. Both A and B step out with their left foot and place it in front of their right
foot to form a high bow stance. Both hold their staffs with their left hand at or
near the middle of the staff and their right hand about six inches from the bottom
or thick end of the staff. Both push their left hand slightly forward so that it is in
front of their body at shoulder level. The right hand of each should be to the
right of his right hip. The front part of the two staffs should be crossed and
should touch each other. Each partner’s staff should be on the left side of the
other’s staff (Fig. 1).
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Fig1: A - gray clothes and B - black clothes
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Posture One: Chop Head While Stepping Forward
Technique Description: In this posture, Person A raises his staff and steps
forward to chop toward B’s head. At the same time, B raises his staff and pushes
it slightly to the right of his body, as he takes a step back for defense (Fig. 2).
Movement: Person A steps forward with his left foot and lets his right foot
follow, still keeping a high bow stance. At the same time, A raises his left hand a
little bit and then pushes forward and down. His right hand follows the movement
of his left hand. The movement of the hands, forward and down, causes the tip
and front part of A’s staff to chop toward the top of B’s head. The tip of A’s staff
should be higher than the top of B’s head. At the end of the movement, the nail
of A’s left thumb should be in front of his nose. Person A should look forward at
B’s face. When A steps forward with his left foot, his right foot should forcefully
press against the ground. Person A should imagine that his left foot is chasing
something hurriedly and that his right foot is pushing off so that his left foot can
move forward more quickly. Person A should focus his mind on the Ming-Men
point (at center of his back at waist-level).
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Fig 2
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As A steps forward, B should step back with his right foot and let his left foot follow to form a high sitting stance. At the same time, B should move his
body back and turn slightly to the right. Person B should also move his staff back and slightly to the side. He should raise his staff to follow the
movement of A’s staff.
As A steps forward, B should step back with his right foot and let his left foot follow to form a high sitting stance. At the same time, B should move his
body back and turn slightly to the right. Person B should also move his staff back and slightly to the side. He should raise his staff to follow the
movement of A’s staff.
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Posture Two: Point at Knee While Stepping Forward
Technique Description: In this posture, A steps forward with his rear foot and
moves his staff down in a circular path. Then, he points the tip of his staff at B’s
left knee. At the same time, B steps back with his right foot and turns his body
slightly to the right. He turns his staff down in an arc, following A’s staff and uses
it to protect his left knee (Fig. 3).
Movement: Person A steps forward with his right foot to form a right bow
stance. At the same time, he uses his left hand to move his staff to the left and
down and then slightly forward in a counterclockwise arc. This causes the tip of
his staff to point and stab at B’s left knee. His right hand holds the bottom of his
staff and moves counterclockwise and slightly upward at the end of the arc. His
right hand pushes slightly forward in front of his right shoulder. Person A should
look forward, to the right and slightly down. When A steps forward and turns his
staff to point at B’s knee, his body should sink slightly, and he should focus his
mind on the left Jian-Jing point (on his left shoulder). This causes his left
shoulder to sink down slightly in a dodging motion and his body to move nimbly
forward.
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Fig. 3
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When A steps forward, B should hold his staff so that it follows A’s staff, first to the right, then in a downward clockwise arc, and finally left to block A’s
attack. At the same time, B should take a big step back with his right foot. When the tip of A’s staff points to his left knee, B should turn his body to the
left and move his left hip slightly to the right. He should move his left foot back and use the toes of his left foot to touch ground to form a right sitting
stance. Person B should pull his staff back to his left hip with his left hand and push his staff slightly forward with his right hand.
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Posture Three: Stab Shoulder While Stepping Forward
Technique Description: In this posture, Person A steps forward with his rear
foot and at the same time, moves his staff in an upward counterclockwise arc to
stab at B’s left shoulder. At the same time, B steps backward with his right foot
and turns his body slightly to the left. He raises his staff horizontally to protect
his right shoulder (Fig. 4).
Movement: Person A steps forward with his left foot to form a left bow stance.
At the same time, he moves his staff to the right and up in a counterclockwise
arc and then rotates it slightly to the left. This causes the tip of his staff to rise
and stab toward B’s left shoulder. Person A’s right hand moves back until it is
slightly behind and to the right of his ribcage and then pushes his staff slightly
forward. He looks straight ahead over B’s left shoulder. His body should turn
slightly to the right when stabbing at B’s shoulder. Person A’s step forward
should be quick, and he should focus his mind on the right Huan-Tiao point (on
his right hip). When stabbing toward B’s shoulder, A should exert a small
downward force on his staff.
When A steps forward, B should step back with his right foot and let his left foot
follow. The toes of his left foot should touch the ground as he assumes a right
sitting stance. His body should turn slightly to the left. He should hold his staff up
horizontally at chest-level. His left hand should be in front of his left shoulder;
and his right hand should be in front of his right shoulder.
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Fig. 4
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Posture Four: Cut Throat While Stepping Forward
Technique Description: In this posture, Person A steps forward with his left
foot and rotates his staff to the left with his left hand. This causes the tip of his
staff to move from right to left, cutting B’s throat in the process. At the same
time, B steps back and moves his staff to an upright position to block the side-to-
side slash of A’s staff (Fig. 5).
Movement: Person A steps forward with his left foot and lets his right foot
follow to form a left bow stance. At the same time, he rotates his staff to the left
with his left hand. His left palm, which initially faced to the right, faces up at the
end of his staff’s leftward rotation. During the rotation, A pulls his staff slightly to
the left along B’s staff. This causes the tip of the staff to move across B’s throat
from right to left. At the same time, A’s left hand drops down slightly, and his
right hand pushes slightly forward as he looks straight ahead. Besides cutting
side-to-side, the movement of A’s staff should include a small, straight stabbing
motion and a slight force pressing downward. These additional movements keep
B’s staff under A’s control. A’s mind should focus on the Jia-Ji point (at the
center of his back).
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Fig. 5
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When A steps forward, B should first step back with his right foot. This allows his body to dodge back a little bit. Person B should raise his staff to ear-
level with his left hand and push it slightly forward. He should step back with his left foot letting only the toes of his left foot touch the ground so that he
assumes a right sitting stance. Then, B should move his staff to an upright position with his left hand and push it to the right. This causes his left hand
to pass in front of his face from left to right until the back of his left palm is opposite his right cheek. Person B’s right hand should follow the movement
of his left and drop down slightly as it moves to the side of his right hip. Person B’s staff should be held in a vertical position on the right side of his
body.
In the four movements just described, Person A uses attack techniques with steps forward and B uses defense techniques with steps back. In the next
four movements, A and B exchange skills so that B attacks with steps forward, and A defends with steps back. In these four postures, all of A’s
movements are the same as B’s movements were in the first four postures; all of B’s movements are identical to A’s movements in the first four
postures.
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Posture Five: Raise Staff to Protect Head While Stepping Back
Technique Description: In this posture, Person B steps forward with his left
foot and uses his staff to chop at A’s head. At the same time, A steps back with
his right foot and raises his staff vertically to defend against B’s chop (Fig. 6).
Movement: Person B steps forward with his left foot and lets his right foot
follow. At the same time, he raises his staff slightly with his left hand and then
pushes his staff forward and down to chop at A’s head.
When B steps forward, A should step back with his right foot and let his left foot
follow. About seventy percent of A’s weight should be on his right leg, and the
toes of his left foot should lightly touch the ground as he assumes a sitting
stance. At the same time, A should move his body back and turn slightly to the
right. To follow the downward chop of B’s staff, A should move his staff to an
upright position. He should follow the movement of B’s staff by moving his body
back, and then raising his left hand slightly until it is in front of his right shoulder.
His right hand should be beside his right hip. He should look straight ahead.
Even though A’s body moves back, his intention should be to move forward. His
mind should be focused on the Xuan-Guan point (between his eyebrows). He
should take care that the touch point does not slide up and down along the
staffs.
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Fig. 6
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Posture Six: Rotate Staff and Block Down to Protect Knee While
Stepping Back
Technique Description: In this posture, Person B steps forward with his rear
foot and at the same time, moves his staff down in a circular motion to point at A’
s left knee. Person A steps back with his right foot and turns his body slightly to
the right, letting his staff curve downward to protect his knee as it follows the
movement of B’s staff (Fig. 7).
Movement: Person B steps forward with his right foot to form a bow stance. At
the same time, he moves his staff to the left and down and then turns it
counterclockwise and pushes it forward. This causes the tip of his staff to point
at and stab A’s left knee.
When Person B steps forward, A should keep his staff in touch with B’s so that
he can follow the movements of B’s staff. To follow B’s staff, A should move his
staff first to the right, then down in a clockwise arc and finally to the left to block
B’s stab at A’s left knee. Person A should turn to the right and then slightly to
the left as his staff arcs downward. At the same time, he should take a big step
back with his right foot. When the tip of B’s staff points at A’s left knee, A should
turn his torso slightly to the left and his hips slightly to the right as he steps back
and
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Fig. 7
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to the right with his left foot to form a sitting stance. All of A’s weight should be on his right leg, and the toes of his left foot should touch the ground.
Person A should pull his staff back and to the left with his left hand until his left hand is slightly behind his left hip. He should push his staff forward a
little bit with his right hand. This causes the tip of his staff to move slightly behind and to the left of his body. Person A should look forward, to the left
and slightly down. His steps back should be quick and must be completed before B’s staff reaches his leg. When B’s staff stabs forward toward his left
knee, A should put his mind on the left Huan-Tiao point (on his left hip). This causes his left foot to move back nimbly and his left knee to rise up
slightly as he moves to the right. It also causes his waist to twist as his body turns to the left and his hips turn to the right. After A blocks down with his
staff, he should pull it back slightly. He should imagine that he wants to continue moving his staff clockwise in an upward arc and that he then wants to
throw it forward. While imagining these moves, he should focus his mind on the Tan-Zhong point (at the center of his chest).
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Posture Seven: Hold Staff Horizontally to Protect Shoulder While
Stepping Back
Technique Description: In this posture, Person B steps forward with his rear
foot and at the same time, rotates his staff counterclockwise to stab at A’s left
shoulder. Person A steps back with his right foot and raises his staff horizontally
to protect his left shoulder (Fig. 8).
Movement: Person B steps forward with his left foot to form a left bow stance.
At the same time, he moves the tip of his staff slightly to the right, then up, and
finally he rotates it a little bit to the left. This causes the tip of his staff to stab at
A’s left shoulder.
When B steps forward with his left foot, Person A should step back with his right
foot and let his left foot follow with the toes of his left foot touching the ground.
He will be in a right sitting stance. He should turn slightly to the left and move his
staff until it is at shoulder-level and in front of and slightly to the left of his left
shoulder. He should open his left hand so that his left palm is flat and faces up.
The staff should rest on his left palm. Person A should hold his staff with his
right hand and follow the movement of B’s staff until A’s staff is in the front of his
right shoulder and his right palm faces forward. This causes his staff to move to
an almost horizontal position in front of his chest. Person A should look straight
ahead.
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Fig. 8
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Person A should pay close attention to opening his left hand in time to avoid having his fingers hit by B’s staff as it stabs toward his left shoulder.
Keeping the touch point stable so that it does not slide up or down is also very important. When A’s body moves back, he should put his mind on the
Tan-Zhong point (at the center of his chest) and imagine that he wants to move his staff forward a little bit. Person A’s left hand can be slightly higher
than his left shoulder as long as the movement of his staff causes the tip of B’s staff to miss its mark on A’s left shoulder. Person A should imagine that
he wants to move to the left and forward, and he should focus his mind on the left Lao-Gong point (at the center of his left palm).
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Posture Eight: Hold Staff Vertically and Block Side-to-Side to Protect
Throat While Stepping Back
Technique Description: In this posture, Person B steps forward with his left
foot and rotates his staff to the left. This causes the tip of his staff to cut across
A’s throat as it moves from right to left. At the same time, A raises his staff
vertically to block B’s side-to-side cut (Fig. 9).
Movement: Person B steps forward with his left foot and lets his right foot follow
to form a left bow stance. At the same time, B rotates his staff counterclockwise
with his left hand. This causes the tip of the staff to cut A’s throat from right to
left. At the same time, B pushes his staff slightly down with his left hand while his
right hand pushes slightly forward.
When B steps forward, A should first step back with his right foot. This allows
him to dodge back a little bit. At the same time, A should use his left hand to
raise his staff to ear-level and push it slightly forward. Then, he should step
back with his left foot and touch the ground with the toes of his left foot as he
assumes a right sitting stance. At the same time, he should raise his staff to a
vertical position with his left hand and push it to the right. This causes his left
hand to pass in front of his face from left to right until the back of his left palm is
in front of his right cheek. His right hand should hold his staff and follow his left
hand by dropping down a little bit to the side of his right hip. The staff should be
in a vertical position on the right side of A’s body. Person A should look straight
ahead.
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Fig. 9
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When A steps back with his right foot, his hands should remain almost motionless. They should not move back as A’s body moves back because this
would allow B to follow the retreat of A’s hands and strike more easily at A’s torso or shoulder. Person A should push his staff forward a little bit until his
body has moved back and become stable. Only then should he move his staff to a vertical position. Person A should keep his mind on the Yu-Zhen
point (at the back of his head). Even before finishing his defense movement, A should feel that he wants to fight back. This causes his body to ready
itself to move forward in a counterattack. Person A should put his mind on the Xuan-Guan point (between his eyebrows).
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All of these movements can be repeated many times by A and B reciprocally. If
either wants to stop, he should step back instead of forward at the beginning of
posture one. This causes the touch point of the staffs to separate.
Closing Form:
Both Person A and B step back with their right foot. At the same time, each
brings his staff back close to his body so that his left hand is in front of his right
shoulder and his right hand is beside his right hip. Each partner steps back with
his left foot and places it next to his right foot. Finally, each lowers the bottom
end of his staff to the ground (Fig. 10).
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Fig. 10
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3. Sticking Staff Training Method
Eight-technique sticking staff form is not an easy skill, especially for beginners. Some points deserve particularly close attention in your practice. First,
you should make every movement of your body and your mind as precise as possible in solo practice. Practice until each move feels familiar and until
you have mastered each one down to its smallest detail. Then, devote a lot of practice to the whole routine cycle. This kind of training will make your
body movements more smooth, your footwork more flexible and nimble, and your relaxation more complete. After you can perform every skill correctly
and are familiar with the whole solo practice cycle, you should find a partner and begin two-person practice.
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It is very important not to use force when you touch your partner’s staff. Try to
touch it lightly but never to lose contact. Maintaining the touch point allows you
to feel even subtle changes in your partner’s movements. When you can
physically perform all the techniques well, you should focus on the meaning of
each technique as it applies to fighting situations. Do not try to beat your
partner, but use your mind instead to think about the application of each
movement. This will increase your feeling of how to execute the movement
correctly. Internally, you should always feel ready to use any staff skill but
externally, your demeanor should be relaxed and calm. Your goal is to feel as
though you can do anything you want to do at any time.
In the beginning of your training, all eight techniques are done in a straight line.
Both people should move only forward or back. When you have become
proficient at this practice, you and your partner can practice the techniques
while walking around the perimeter of a large imaginary circle. This training can
greatly improve the nimbleness of your footwork. It is also possible to practice
the techniques while moving sideways. Smooth and flexible footwork is the
foundation of all freestyle skills practice.
Eight-technique sticking staff training is a two-person practice, so you and your
partner should help each other. You are colleagues rather then adversaries.
There is no question of winning or losing, so competition should not be your
focus. You should always take care of your partner by working to improve his
skills as well as your own. If you feel, for example, that your partner cannot follow
you well, you should slow your movements down. You should coordinate your
movements with those of your partner so that you can follow each other and
improve your skills together.
Sticking staff practice is one of the most effective ways to improve your Taiji
Quan training. A traditional adage puts it well: “The way to attain high-level Taiji
Quan skills is to hold a staff in your hands everyday.”
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Grandmaster Wang Peisheng teaches Taiji Sticking Staff Application to the author
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Yin Cheng Gong Fa Association North American Headquarters
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==================================================================================================================
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Copyright © 2000 YCGF_NAH. All rights reserved.
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