play the lute and lift hands

[Anonymous]

month 7 was quite confusing for me: brush knee, twist steps, play the lute.
I couldn’t see the difference between play the lute and lift hand, despite watching many times the videos where Bruce talks about them.
the movements are brush knee and play the lute. What is twist step?

[Anonymous]

Hello there- I think you’re looking for 4 moves, when there are (as I understand it) 3 moves, “Brush knee & twist step” is a move, and “play the lute” vs “lift hands”…

The twist step is to emphasize how it isn’t so much a fwd (feeling) step, as not only the brush ‘over the’ knee (if try and do the move “balanced” and palm going right across top of knee- that requires a certain level as well as way that the hips twist- different than a fwd stepping move).. as well as a rotation of the torso-cylinder that has a twisting feeling that is different than other moves…

In ref to the distinguishing “Play the lute” (there are a few different translation/names for that “guitar” pipa, and a couple other not sure at the moment) is more of a reach fwd with arms, and then a squeezing ‘almost’ hugging, but more like playing an accordion- grabbing a big squishy beach ball between palms&forearms- and squeezing the entire forearms towards each other-pressing.
Contrasting to “Lift hands” (which could be Lift, and then Falling, Hands).. is more of a driving the shooting the arrow from spine (actually the entire “bow” crown to heel) not only pushing through one leg, which goes fwd, and up.. and exactly likewise arms- fwd and up-out….. leg then down- but still aligned- until foot on ground presses… thus structure foot through ‘bow’ — through the arms.
— then the entire structure drops-roots a bit..

I thought this was explained explicitly in some of videos- you mention watching many times- not sure if you rewatched all the videos in the lesson, or just some (I don’t recall which one’s as I saw-did this lesson a while back).
-it might be in video Taichi_20_14 Breathing in ‘Play the Lute’ (vs ‘Lift Hands’) -just from a note I had.. anyways- good luke…

(I think Bruce mentioned there is a third movement that looks a bit like it also.. many of the movements might look similar if snapshot-pictured at a moment in them (espec at the end-pt ‘finish’).. but how move into it (the path of movement)…. but the real issue on all these, is what is the quality…. watch the video that breaks down the int’l components of the movements (the Peng,Lu, An, Ji)… how and when they are done.. if change those up, then the “movements” are totally different (espec if not have them)… not just how the outward arms-legs move.

best of luck

[Anonymous]

it can be a little hard to make a solid association between some of the posture names and the movements. I understand twist step to be the footwork of making the brush knee motion. Do you know what I mean? Maybe someone else will jump in here.

[Anonymous]

One other thing. There’s a very different intent in play the lute (closing and locking your opponent’s elbow and/or shoulder) and lift hands, which has peng energy. Though they look the same, the inner qualities are very different.

[Anonymous]

Angelo,

Your confusion is very understandable.
The difference between “Lifting Hands” and “Play the Lute” is very subtle (if not non-existent).
The differences may be in the deployment of the energetics of
Peng/Lu/Ji/An

In Month 5
Session 9 focuses on “Lifting Hands”
Session 15 focuses on “Play the Lute”
although Bruce discusses both in both Sessions.

The subtle differences are really at an intermediate level.

As a beginner just focus on the gross sequence of movements.
8. Single Whip
9. Lifting Hands
10. Shoulder Stroke
(not manifested in most New Style Yang Long Forms)
11. White Crane Spreading Wings
12. Brush (Left) Knee and Twist Step*
13. Play the Lute

* Twist Step is part of Brush Knee

The foot work is flip-flopped in 9 and 13.
9. In Lifting Hands the weight eventually falls on the Left Leg and the Right Heel is empty
13. In Play the Lute the weight eventually falls on the Right Leg and the Left Heel is empty

The Hand positions are also flip-flopped.
9. In Lifting Hands the Right Hand is up high
13. In Play the Lute the Left Hand is high
(but not as high)

The confusion stems from the fact that energetically the function of both movements is nearly the same.
Both movements are places in the whole
Form when the energy of the head is balanced with the energy of the Feet.
See Lesson 9 at 9:15.
Bring the energy at the top of the Head down to the Feet,
and the energy of the Feet up to the Head
SIMULTANEOUSLY

You gotta listen to Bruce very carefully on this.
In Lifting Hands, 2 Pengs join to create an upward action
(3:40) and a rising and a lifting up (4:56).

In Play the Lute (Session 15 at 2:58) there’s Peng going up and Ji going out the finger tips and then back down with more An
Bruce says: Split (Lieh), then An then Peng (then more An)
and probably a little final release of An energy (relax, whew).

I see Lifting Hands as having more Peng
and Playing the Lute as having more An.

Bruce doesn’t emphasize the martial arts differences.
(there are so many ways to apply either move)

But generally
In Lifting Hands
you catch the right arm of your opponent with both of your arms.
Your Right Arm goes to his/her right elbow,
and your Left Palm goes to his/her right wrist
and lift up

In Play the Lute
the movement is usually seen as an arm bar.
Your Left Palm/Hand is on or above your opponent’s elbow sorta compressing in and up
your Right Palm is on or grabbing his/her wrist
sorta compressing in and down
in effect you are snapping your opponent’s elbow
(or jamming his/her arm into his/her shoulder)
Ouch!
Don’t try this at home.

As a beginner just do the gross Movements.
Years later play with the subtle internal energies.

Good luck and
smile to your lifting hands.
Let your lifting hands smile to you.

Smile to your compressing hands and inner arms.
Let your compressing hands/arms smile to you.

Bob

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help. I feel better now.

[Author]

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