How to Do the Ang Technique In Tai Chi

Using The Ang Technique
Step 1:
Begin in the final position of the Ji technique. You should be in a typical fighter’s stance with your off foot forward. Your body should be leaning forward. Your hands should be out in front of you as you have finished the Ji attack. Your main hand should be flattened into a knife pointing to the left or right with the thumb on the top of the hand and back of the wrist facing your opponent. Your off hand should be vertical and pressed to the back of the wrist of your main hand to reinforce it.

Step 2:
Begin to rock back onto your heels while pulling your hands, side by side, up and back in an arc. When your hands come down from the arc crouch downward slightly and bend a little more at the knees. Your hands should reach and press against your lower chest or upper stomach at the same time your body is all the way back. Raise the tip of your forward foot so only that heel is touching the ground and your body weight is on the back foot.

Step 3:
Push off with your feet to rock your weight forward again with as much force as you can muster. Straighten the knees and uncrouch as if you were jumping to transfer the strength of your legs into the blow. Drive your hands forward and up in a side-by-side heel punch aimed at the opponent’s upper chest. Your hands should be open and the heels of your palms should be the points of impact. The force of the impact will drive your opponent back a few feet or possibly knock him down. This is the time to decide whether you or your opponent wishes to continue the fight. If so, you now have more room to move and the opportunity to attack an opponent who is off guard or stunned.

Tips & Warnings
To make sure you have the movements correct, perform these techniques slowly and increase their pace when you're comfortable with them. Practicing in front of a mirror can help you perfect your form. All the instructions are for a right hand dominant individual, for a left hand dominant individual simply reverse the placement of the hands and feet. The literal translation for Ang is drive. It is the fourth technique of series of four, Pon, Liu, Ji, and Ang. This is a final strike and the moment where you switch from defense to offense. The previous attack was meant to imbalance and disorient the attacker, the fourth is a leisurely but powerful double handed strike meant drive your opponent back and allow you more room to formulate a strategy of attack.

How to Do The Ji Technique In Tai Chi

Using The Ji Technique

Step 1:
Begin in the final position of the Liu technique, the Liu technique’s predecessor. Your feet should be in the typical fighter’s pose, with your off foot forward. The final pose of the Liu technique requires you to rock your weight back on your heels. So start leaning backward. Your main hand and forearm should form a horizontal bar in front of your midsection. The hand should be a flat knife with your thumb at the top and fingers pointing to your side. Your off hand should be cocked back at your side slightly below the level of your shoulder. It should be held flat and your fingers pointing upward.

Step 2:
Push off and forward with your feet, though do not move them from their places on the ground. Rock your body forward as hard and fast as you can.

Step 3:
Bring the flat of your off hand to press firmly against the inside of your main hand’s wrist. Drive both forward sharply aimed at the opponent’s throat or face, keeping your main hand in the same position with your thumb on top. For this move to work you hands must come together and snap forward in one smooth movement. The back of your main wrist should slam hard into your opponent’s face or throat. This is a short strike, with not much range, but is deceptively powerful because it uses the weight of your body as you rock forward and the reinforcement of your off hand to help follow through.

Tips & Warnings
To make sure you have the movements correct, perform these techniques slowly and increase their pace when you're comfortable with them. Practicing in front of a mirror can help you perfect your form. All the instructions are for a right hand dominant individual, for a left hand dominant individual simply reverse the placement of the hands and feet. The literal translation for Ji is push, it is the first offensive strike utilized as the third move in a series of four: Pon, Liu, Ji, and Ang. Remember to follow through with this strike. Don’t just impact and pull back. Push or drive through the target. That’s what this is called the Ji (push) technique.

How to Do The Liu Technique In Tai Chi

Step 1: Begin in the final Pon block position. You should be leaning forward with your off foot forward in a standard fighter’ pose. Your right hand and arm should form a horizontal bar forward of and crossing your upper chest. Your left hand should be back, about four inches lower and slightly to your left so your elbow is cocked and ready to deliver a strike. In this stance you would’ve just completed deflecting your opponent’s punch upward with your right forearm.

Step 2: Rock backward as your opponent begins to throw a follow up punch to your midsection as your upper chest and face are guarded.

Step 3: Bring your right arm down so that the flat palm of your right palm impacts with the incoming punch along the opponent’s forearm. Push the punch down and to the side so your opponent’s arm is crossing his body, this will make a follow up strike with his other arm difficult. You also have the option of blocking with a clenching hand to hold or immobilize your opponent’s arm instead of deflecting it. It’s your choice. Your left hand should not have moved up until this point.

Step 4: Make your left hand into a knife, palm down to the ground. Drive your left hand forward into your opponent’s eyes as he continues by the deflection of his punch. Stop short of your opponent’s face if this is a competition or sparring match. This counter strike could permanently blind a real opponent, so it should only be used in life or death situations.

Tips & Warnings
To make sure you have the movements correct, perform these techniques slowly and increase their pace when you're comfortable with them. Practicing in front of a mirror can help you perfect your form. All the instructions are for a right hand dominant individual, for a left hand dominant individual simply reverse the placement of the hands and feet. The literal translation of Liu is carry. This works in concert with the Pon technique. While the Pon technique is a block in which the user drives forward, the Liu technique pulls back and carries and opponent’s strike inward to slow and stop it. Because of this the Liu technique block and counter strike is used as a follow up to a Pon block.