Step 18: 拦雀尾 (Grasp the sparrow's tail) ------------ Step 18a: 棚,挤,按 (Ward off, Press and Push down)

1. Sit back on your left leg, shifting more weight onto it while you straighten your right knee. When you sit back, feel your right elbow bending, flexing your right lower arm up until the right palm is about 1 foot in front of your chest (and facing inwards, as if holding a mirror for you to look into). At the same time, your left arm is being lowered effortlessly, palm facing down. By the time your right palm is in front of your chest, your left fingers should be momentarily pointing at the right wrist, on its continued move down.
2. At this instance, turn your body anti-clockwise towards your left, initiating the turn at the waist, while your left hand continues to be lowered by the left side of your body. Your right palm should remain protecting your chest.
3. Continue sinking more weight on your left leg and the recoil will now cause the waist to turn clockwise instead, towards the right again. Feel your right knee bending as you start to shift some weight onto your right leg. At the same time, feel your left lower arm flexing up in a clockwise manner (with pivot at the elbow joint but no movement of the upper left arm) such that the left palm circles 270 degrees to land on your right lower arm which is folding in towards your body (pivot being at the right elbow joint and the right palm turning to face upwards).
4. At the end of this move, you should be facing right, both knees bent and balanced on both legs (right foot in front, right toes pointing straight to the front, left foot pointing 45% to the left) with the two arms folded in front and touching your chest, meeting at the wrists. The left arm is above the right, left palm facing down and right palm facing up. The two elbows should be pointing to the ground and there should no gap at the wrist area.
5. Sink down and at the same time, relax your shoulder joints. The sinking will invoke the recoil and this 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect from the sole of the feet up through the shoulder joints will instead lift up both arms slightly, roll both your folded arms upwards and outwards, keeping the two elbows pointing to the ground, until the left palm is facing outwards, right palm facing inwards and the two palms lightly holding the two arms.
6. Sink more weight on your left leg, bending further at the left knee and straightening your right knee by tucking deeper in at your hip joint (胯) at the right side. At the same time, continue to relax the shoulders, loosen the holding of both palms, tilt the right fingers downwards (at the right wrist) on the outside of the left arm and at the same time, roll the left arm up and outwards to the outside of the right arm. Feel both lower arms opening out with the hinges at both elbow joints until they are parallel to each other and staying horizontal. Both elbows should continue pointing to the ground and both the upper arms are not lifted at all.
7. At the pause, both lower arms should feel extremely heavy, yet soft to the touch, even though they are held horizontally.
8. Next, sink more weight to the front, onto the right leg. But do not be seen as shifting your body forward.
9. At the same time relax the shoulder joints and this will sink both elbows and lift both palms up.
10. Invoke the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) and the recoil up through the left leg will propel both palms to turn outwards and push out.
11. Sit down, again sinking more weight on the left leg, bend more at the left knee and tuck in deeper your hip joint (胯) at the right side and straightening the right knee.
12. Simultaneously, relax the shoulders, lower both the palms (still facing outwards and down) with the hinge being at the elbows, until both lower arms are horizontal and parallel to each other.