Whip12-07

Nine Section Whip Pt 12

In the twelfth installment of the Nine Section Whip seminar series, Grand Master Tse started with a lecture on different aspects of Chun Yuen Quan
In the twelfth installment of the Nine Section Whip seminar series, Grand Master Tse started with a lecture on different aspects of Chun Yuen Quan. First he discussed why the legs are closed in the beginning of the form and how this is to bring up the energy. Second, in Chun Yuen Quan there are big movements which means that it is a quite physical skill and that it uses the whole body and makes you fit and healthy. He then talked about how less people study the skill nowadays, probably as young people don’t want to work as hard as they used to. The fourth topic was the long tassel which is mainly for performance but in the past it was also used as a weapon and how its softness contrasts the hardness of the sword. Topic five was how there are many weapons. There are hard and soft, long and short, blunt and sharp, and that all these different types should be trained as they train different aspects, even if you have one main weapon. In this way you can make use of whatever is at hand as a weapon. The sixth and last topic was which movements are for performance and which for fighting, and here it was clear that some movements in the forms have direct applications whereas some stationary postures – on one leg for instance – are for performance.
 
Additionally, at the end there were a few questions like why do we face sideways in the beginning of the form and GM Tse replied that this is for fighting and that your focus is more intense on the opponent this way and you are a smaller target. Another question was how the energy in Chun Yuen is different to that in Tai Chi, and here Chun Yuen is more mechanical in a sense with all movements coming from the Dan Tian whereas for Tai Chi, the energy sinks down while the upper body is light and relaxed.
 
After a break, GM Tse then continued with the Nine Section Whip form. As it had been a long time since the last seminar, it was very good to go over the previous parts of the form and be able to ask questions and practice in the break-out rooms. To make the form more balanced, certain movements were repeated on both sides. The new part was particularly interesting and challenging and involved winding the whip around the neck and then unwinding it again. A lot of practice will be needed to get that one right!

Student Comments

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Thank you for this seminar Sigong. A much needed session to catch up with details of movement. Some parts flow much better than others that need a lot of polishing. The last move is really challenging!
Michalis A

Another great and long awaited 9 section whip seminar. The description and explanation of what makes Chun Yuen different compared to other systems like Wing Chun and Chen Tai Chi was enlightening. The new “addition” to the form is gonna take some practice to say the least. Thank you again Sifu for another great seminar.
Andrew O

I found myself wondering a lot this time what my empty hand is supposed to be doing, a lot of the time it just trails around! Great fun and challenging form but I am spotting new things all the time. Thanks Sigong for passing on this gem!
Lee B

It was lovely to train the Nine-Section Whip outdoors today – no worries about smashing anything in the flat and plenty of room. A very different feel working with the metal whip than the line and tennis ball. Looking forward to next time. Thank you Sigong.
Peter Hogg🙏🏻

Nine Section Whip has got to be one of my favourite forms, but it’s also one I have quite a lot of trouble with! The form is very fluid and requires listening to and feeling the momentum of the whip, being slightly off with positioning or timing can abruptly disrupt the flow. The switching of hands to the left early on, has revealed an unexpected difficulty, and changing the latest part to the original way has presented a completely new challenge. I’m absolutely enjoying it all!
Sam P

Good to be working with whip again. I can feel it needs regular attention to stay smooth.
Thank you, Sigong.
Paul Hogg