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.

How to Do the Pon Technique in Tai Chi

Well that's about it for Aikido, at least the useful stuff anyway. Now I'd like to segue into a useful combination of block, counter, light attack, and finishing attack I've found to be both simple and useful. It's from Tai Chi Chuan, the whole series is called Pon, Lu, Ji, Ang. I'll be posting one of these moves each day for the next four days. I hope they're helpful, or at the very least entertaining.

Tai Chi that we know today is actually a short form for the phrase Tai Chi Chuan. It is a very old form of Chinese martial art whose founder is unknown. Because of its age multiple schools of Tai Chi have inherited separate styles of the same martial art. It is what is called an internal martial art in that its movements are fluid and circular, seeming to flow rather than move. This is opposite to external martial arts which use direct and abrupt movements. Most people know Tai Chi as the slow movements people perform in parks and yards. These are actually the training forms of Tai Chi Chaun; the fighting style meant to be used in actual combat is much faster, though it is comprised of the training form moves. It is so prevalent because many people believe that practicing the training forms is effective in promoting good health and longevity. It's also effective as a form of mental focus or meditation. There are four main techniques or styles of attack and defense: Pon, Liu, Ji, and Ang. A Tai Chi martial artist can pass from one style to the next depending on the situation he/she finds him/herself in. This guide will teach you how to use the Pon style.

Using The Pon Technique
Step 1:
Begin by taking a half step forward with your left foot just as an opponent throws a direct punch or kick aimed to the face or chest. Put your weight on your forward foot. Your hands should be at your sides to start with.

Step 2:
Draw your right hand straight up to shoulder height as you step. At the same time begin to pull your left hand up and forward. Your left hand should be horizontal at all times, making a flat bar with your lower arm. Remember in Tai Chi movements of the hands and arms appear to begin with the wrist, as if it were pulling the rest of the arm along. This creates a flowing look that is the hallmark of Tai Chi.

Step 3:
Bring your left arm up horizontally to block, at the same time pull your right hand down so that your palms brush each other before taking their finishing positions. From the attacker’s point of view it will appear as if your arms create a framework. You will have correctly completed the technique up to this point if you appear to have made this framework.

Step 4:
Your left arm should deflect an opponent’s strike upward, while your right fist sits about a half foot behind the other arm. This gives you the immediate opportunity to block a follow-up attack, or to counter. Because all your body’s weight is on your forward foot you also have the opportunity to strike your opponent in the knee or shin with a short kick from your rear foot.

Tips & Warnings
To make sure you have the movements right, 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. The literal translation of Pon is frame. This is a defensive technique reliant on countering an opponent's strike. It takes its name from the manner in which the user's hands move apart, creating the appearance of a framework or picture frame. 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.

How to Perform a Kokyunage Against a Hook Punch

Did an especially long series on the Kokyunage given how useful, easy to perform, and versatile they are. Hope you like it.

Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach you and begin to swing his fist toward the side of your head.

Step 2:
Step inward toward your opponent and turn to the side so that you begin to move past him/her. You will want to move to forward and to your left if your opponent attacks with his/her left fist and move forward and to the right if your opponent attacks with his/her right fist. As you step in and turn grasp your opponents arm with both hands. One hand should be latched on above the inside of the elbow, and the other below.

Step 3:
Switch your grip as your opponent finishes the swing and begins to be drawn around following you so one hand is grasping his/her elbow and the other is on the top of his/her opposite shoulder.

Step 4:
Pull your opponents arm inward toward your waist and push his/her shoulder out and away from you continuing the momentum of your opponent’s hooking punch. The corkscrew spin you’ve pulled your opponent in will drive him/her down to the mat unharmed.

How to Perform a Kokyunage Against a Bear Hug in Aikido

Performing A Kokyunage Against A Bear Hug

Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach you from behind and wrap his arms around your upper body, pinning your arms to your sides, locking his hands together at the center of the chest.

Step 2:
Raise your lower arms to pull on your opponent’s arms slightly and take a quick step forward. Your opponent’s hold will be weakened and he will be pulled forward and off balance.

Step 3:
Take an open stance with your right foot back and your left foot forward, forcing your opponent to face your back at an angle and loosening his hold while bending him forward.

Step 4:
Plant your feet and twist back with the right side of your body, arm, and shoulder. Conversely twist forward and downward with the left side of your body. This motion will force your opponent dangerously off balance and cause him to fall or roll off to your left side. You can aid this fall by swinging your left arm inward and forward to pull your opponent’s arms along too.

How to Perform a Kokyunage Against a Lapel Grab

In Aikido there are many forms of attack and defense, a common one being the Kokyunage. Kokyunage literally means “Breath Throw”. It is a defensive throw involving many unrelated techniques that depend entirely upon the position of the attacker and his chosen method of attack. Aikido is loosely translated as “The Way of Harmonious Spirit” and is considered a grappling form of combat. Aikido is a form of Japanese Martial Art developed in the early 1900s by Morihei Ueshiba, also known as Kaiso, meaning “founder” or Osensei, meaning “Great Teacher”. Morihei Ueshiba originally based his martial art off of Jujitsu, but did not like the fact that the many throws and joint locks that Jujitsu used did serious permanent harm to the person subjected to them. He instead created a martial art which was designed primarily for unarmed self defense which did as little harm to the attacker as possible while still disabling him. He came up with a form of combat that allowed one to redirect the energy and momentum of an opponent’s attack and use it against him. In this guide you will find instructions on how to perform a Kokyunage against a lapel grab by an opponent.

Things You’ll Need:
Practice Space

Attacker

Defender

Soft Mats to Cushion Falls

Performing A Kokyunage Against A Lapel Grab
Step 1:

Allow your opponent to face you and grab you by the front of the shirt or uniform with one hand.

Step 2:

Take a sharp step back with the foot corresponding to the side of the body that has been grabbed. Simultaneously bring up hand outside of your opponent’s arm and press the top of your wrist below the thumb into your opponent’s wrist. This will trap the arm and pull him forward, raising his center of gravity.

Step 3:

Sweep the wrist of your other hand down following the line of your opponent’s shoulder down to the junction of his elbow. Press down hard just below the junction of the elbow with your forearm while pulling your opponent off in the direction he is facing. This will be either to your left or your right.

Step 4:

Hold onto your opponent’s arm with both hands and guide him across and down. He will roll forward and land in his back. You should still have a hold of his arm, putting you in a position to subdue your opponent if he attempts to continue fighting.

Tips & Warnings
In Aikido the one initiating contact is known as Uke and the one responding to contact is known as Nage. Thus most of the techniques in Aikido include the term Uke or Nage to indicate whether the move is used as an attack or a response to an attack. All of Aikido’s teachings involve the interplay of Uke and Nage, similar to Yin and Yang.

In sparring matches it is the responsibility of the person completing the lock or throw to ensure that his/her opponent lands safely and unharmed. For that reason it is important to follow through with each throw and guide your opponent all the way down to the mats rather than dropping him/her.