Step 12: 手挥琵琶 (Hand Strums the 'Pipa')

1. Keep both palms in the same position as before; left palm just above the left knee facing down and right palm at chest level facing the front.
2. Shift your body weight onto the left leg so that you can lift up your right heel, then the whole right foot and pull it forward to gently touch your left heel.
3. Next stretch your right foot half a step back and land on the toes.
4. As you start to shift your body weight backwards onto your right leg, slowly lower your whole right foot. At the same time, lower your right hand onto the side so that the right hand is completely lowered to coincide with the time your right heel touches the ground (your right sole completely flat on the ground).
5. Continue to shift your body weight completely onto your right leg.
6. When your left foot is completely 'weightless', lift it upwards by bending slightly at the knee; raising both hands forward at the same time. Keep your whole body at the same height throughout. Do not be seen as bobbing up your head or lifting the whole body.
7. Then land your left foot on its heel gently, and time both your palms to stop at your chest/tummy level with a final tilt at both wrists upwards so that the fingers point to the front and slightly upwards. The left palm should be slightly higher and further out than the right palm.
8. At this juncture, sink deep at the hip (胯)and continue to emphasize your body weight on the right leg, behind. The pose of your hands is exactly like 'strumming the Pipa' - left palm holding the neck of the 'Pipa' and right fingers strumming.

Step 11: 左搂膝拗步 (Brush Left Knee and Pivot Step)

1. Sink back on the right leg, turn the left heel clockwise using the left toes as pivot. This will lead to turning your waist (and therefore the whole body) clockwise too. As you turn, effortlessly, you will feel your left arm being raised and the lower left arm turned in a clockwise manner until the palm is facing the right. At the same time, the whole of your right arm is lowered, also effortlessly, beginning with your right shoulder loosening, then your right elbow being lowered and then the whole right arm is relaxed onto your right side with the fingers pointing to the ground.
2. While you turn, you should continue to look to the front. Do not turn your head with the body.
3. After turning your body about 60 degrees, stop and turn anti-clockwise instead, again by first turning your left heel (still with pivot on the left toes) followed by the waist and body. This turning back will cause the right lower arm to be lifted (the right upper arm remaining still) and circle in an anti-clockwise direction using the right elbow as pivot until the right palm is facing to the front, at chest level, ready to push forward. At the same time, your left hand will be lowered, also drawing a circle and brushing above your left knee and stop just next to and above the left thigh with the left palm facing downwards.
4. Next, lightly lift up your left leg and take half a step diagonally forward and to the left. Land first with the heel, toes pointing straight to the front and then step down with the whole sole. Shift more weight onto your left leg so that you can turn your right toes anti-clockwise (using right heel as pivot) until the right foot is pointing 45 degree to the right and front.
5. Sink the hip deep down and invoke the recoil or 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) in your right leg starting with the achilles, up the hip then the back of the body to the shoulders and then right elbow and manifested as a push forward of your right palm. Do not push your right palm forward by straightening the right elbow. It should come naturally as a result of the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿).

Step 10: 白鹤凉翅 (White Crane Spreads its Wings)

1. Check that your left thumb is still touching your right shoulder while your right last finger is touching your right thigh.
2. Sink back onto your left leg, allow the left knee to bend further so that it points downwards. Shift more weight back onto your left leg, sit back and sink your hip down so that you can straighten your right knee at the same time. Do it such that it does not appear as if you are shifting your whole body backwards.
3. Balance yourself on your left leg, so that you can lift your right toes and turn them together with your body, anti-clockwise 45 degrees, pivoting on the right heel.
4. As you put down the right toes, shift more weight onto the right leg. Continue to sink onto your right leg and turn your body anti-clockwise while you lift your left heel and turn it anti-clockwise using the left toes as pivot. As you turn, feel the whole right arm rotating anti-clockwise until the right palm is facing inwards and then being raised. As it is being raised, the right elbow also starts to bend. Simultaneously, the left palm folds down onto the right upper arm just below the shoulder, before brushing over the whole of the right arm, and over the right palm. The two palms should cross in front of your chest.
5. Stop when you have turned 90 degrees.
6. Still balancing all your weight on the right leg, reverse and turn your body clockwise and at the same time, lift up your left foot and keep it barely an inch above the ground and keep it in the air and turning together with your whole body.
7. After turning clockwise for about 60 - 75 degrees, stop and reverse the turning of the whole body again, until you have turned a complete 90 degrees to the left (the original left facing). The continued turning of your body should automatically and effortlessly lower your left arm in a sweeping manner, downwards and leftwards across your left knee and stop when it is about 6 inches in front of your left thigh.
8. Simultaneously, you will also feel your right shoulder being lowered, bringing the right elbow down and turning your right palm up in a clockwise direction until the right palm is at your shoulder level, and slightly to the right of your body, as if to stop an opponent's fist coming.
9. Time it precisely to land your left foot lightly on the toes at the end of this move, feeling the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect gracefully manifesting through the spreading of both your palms.

Done gracefully, this step resembles how the white crane spreads its wings.

Step 9 : 右靠 (Lean Forward)

1. With more weight on the left leg, turn your whole body anti-clockwise to face the 'original left'. You will be turning your right toes anti-clockwise with pivot on the right heel. At the same time, lower both your hands slowly down to the sides. Land your right sole completely down. At the pause, both feet should be parallel and pointing to the 'original left'. Using your 'Yi', sink your body down evenly on both legs. Relax your shoulder joints which will lead to both your elbows slightly bent. At this pause, both palms should be facing backwards and fingers pointing to the ground with the feeling of 'Qi' (气) flowing at the finger tips.
2. Again, by using your 'Yi', loosen the shoulders, shift more weight onto the left leg and turn your body clockwise to face the 'original front', turning the right toes clockwise, pivoting on the right heel. This turning will bring about movements of both arms as such: it should raise your left arm up across the chest - starting with upper left arm, and fulcrum being at the left shoulder and continuing with the lower left arm bending up (with fulcrum now at the left elbow) until the left thumb touches your right shoulder joint. At the pause, the left palm should be facing right with the left wrist bent. For the right arm - turn your right palm clockwise very slightly so that it will face your left. At the pause, the right last finger should be touching your right thigh. Remember to curve your right elbow slightly too so as to relax and let the 'Qi' flow.
3. At the end of this move, you should be facing the 'original front', sank deep down at the hip and check that you are completely balancing on your left leg, right toes lifted and right heel barely touching the floor.
4. Stabilise your whole body on the left leg and pull your right foot inwards to tiptoe very lightly on your right toes.
5. Then stretch your right foot far out straight in front of you, landing first using the right heel and then the whole right sole. Shift more weight onto the right leg and advance your whole body forward, with no change of positions of both your palms.
6. Use your 'Yi' to invoke the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿), stiffening your left calf, then feel the 'Qi' flow up the thigh, through the waist, up the back to the shoulders and to the finger tips.

Step 8: 提手上势 (Raise Hands and Step Forward)

1. Transfer more weight onto your left foot, as if you are pushing forward. Your right ankle will be raised slightly too. At the same time, lower your left palm till the lower left arm is horizontal and all the 5 fingers are pointing forward. Simultaneously, unclench the right fist and flatten the right palm.
2. Still balancing on your left leg, turn your body (at the waist) in a clockwise direction using your right toes as pivot till you are about 60 degrees to the 'original front'. Feel as if you are 'elbowing' someone at the back of your right side.
3. Just before you stop turning, twist both your palms inwards to face each other (the yin-yang of Taiji is in play again), like holding onto a very big ball. This twisting will also provide a 'drilling' effect at both the elbow tips.
4. Balancing properly on your left leg, lift your right foot and sweep it inwards to land it gently on the right heel. Do not be seen as you are jerking up.
5. Still balancing on your left leg and the right heel very lightly, turn the body (at the waist) anti-clockwise a little. This will bend the left elbow and raise your left palm while it lowers the right palm because the right elbow is straightened a little instead.
6. Then turn the body clockwise and sink deep down at the hip (胯). At the same time, loosen your shoulders (沉肩), fold your left arm inwards and downwards with fulcrum at the left elbow while you raise your right palm with fulcrum at the right elbow. At the end of this step, bend your left wrist down while you bend your right wrist up*.

* If you are holding your opponent's arm - your left palm holding his lower arm and your right palm holding his upper arm - this action will either lift him up into the air or will snap his elbow joint.

Step 7: 单鞭 (Single Whip)

1. With your two hands relaxed in front of your body, lower arms horizontal and palms facing the ground, use the 'Yi' or mind intention to transfer more weight onto your left foot, lift up your right toes and using your right heel as fulcrum, turn your whole body in a anti-clockwise direction to face the 'original' front, always initiating the turn from the waist/hip (胯).
2. When your right foot has turned about 90 degrees and the right toes are pointing to the 'original' front direction and by now, at right angle to the left foot, land the whole right foot down.
3. Using the 'Yi', transfer more weight from the left foot to the right foot and continue turning the body in the same anti-clockwise direction for another 45 degrees.
4. At the pause, again use the 'Yi' to transfer more weight back to the left foot and at the same time, initiating from the waist/hip, turn the body in a clockwise direction now. Relax your shoulders and as you turn, you will feel the right elbow being pulled in and down. You will also feel as if your right palm is being lifted higher (while the right palm remains facing down). Your left arm will be lowered, turning your left palm in a circular direction outwards and downwards until the left palm is facing up, exactly below the right palm. It is as if you are holding a balloon now; left palm below and right palm on top with the body facing about 45 degree between the original front and right.
5. Using 'Yi' again, transfer more weight back to the right foot. Feel the left heel being lifted up.
6. Using the left toes as pivot and initiating from the hip (胯), turn the body anti-clockwise. For the hands - twist the right wrist in a small circular manner while you close all five right fingers to touch each other as if like picking up a small object. All other parts of the right arm remains. The turning of the body will also pull the left arm as if like 'fanning' your left arm upwards and in a anti-clockwise direction, until lower left arm is vertically upright, left elbow point to the ground and left fingers pointing to the sky.
7. When you stop turning, you should be facing 45 degrees between the 'original front' and left (i.e. 'north-west' facing). With all the weight placed on the right foot, pull your left foot back such that the two heels almost touch each other, then open up and place it such that the left toes are now pointing to the 'original' left ('west' facing).
8. Sit and using the 'Yi', sink the body equally onto both feet. Maintain both your hands in the same position as before.
9. Transfer more weight to the left foot until you are able to lift up your right toes, then turn your body in a anti-clockwise direction to face the 'original left' (west) together with your right toes using the right heel as pivot. Put down your right toes when they are pointing 'north-west'.
10. Check and sink down, tucking in the hip (胯), especially on the left side, body upright and you are facing the 'west' direction.
11. Sink further onto your right leg to invoke the recoil or 'Gong Tui' (躬腿). Feel the 'qi' rising from below the sole of your right foot, stiffening your right calf, through the hip, back and shoulders and pushing through both your arms and fingers - turning your left palm outwards to face the front and also stretching your right fist outwards slightly.

Step 6a: 棚,挤,按 (Ward off, Press and Push down)

1. Relax your left leg by bending at the left knee.
2. Then turn the waist anti-clockwise. This will straighten your right leg at the knee as if like you are sitting backwards. As you turn, both your hands will also be moving in a coordinated manner - the left hand will be lowered slowly towards your left side with the left palm turning outwards as the left arm is lowered. When it stops (momentarily), the left palm will be facing the front. At the same time, the right hand, moving at a slower pace, will be stretching slightly towards the front of the body, starting with the straightening of the right wrist. At the momentary pause, the right fingers should be pointed straight in front of the body with the right elbow bent and pointing to the ground.
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. At the same time relax the shoulder joints and this will sink both elbows and lift both palms up. Invoke the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) and the recoil up through the left leg will propel both palms to turn outwards and push out.
9. 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. 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.
10. At the end of this move, you should be facing right, sit 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.
11. Sink down and at the same time, relax your shoulder joints.
12. 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.
13. Sink more weight on your left leg, bending it further down at the left knee and straightening your right knee by tucking deeper in 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.
14. At the pause, both lower arms should feel extremely heavy, yet soft to the touch, even though they are held horizontally.
15. Next, sink more weight to the front, onto the right leg. But do not be seen as shifting your body forward.
16. At the same time relax the shoulder joints and this will sink both elbows and lift both palms up.
17. Invoke the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) and the recoil up through the left leg will propel both palms to turn outwards and pushes out.
18. 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.
19. 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.

Step 6: 拦雀尾 (Grasp the sparrow's tail)

1. Using the 'Yi', sink more weight onto the left leg, yet not leaning forward, and feel your right heel being lifted up.
2. With most of the weight on the left leg, and pivoting on the right toes as fulcrum, turn your whole body clockwise (to the right), initiating the turning at the hip (胯). While turning, relax both arms and feel your left palm turning inwards and downwards slightly whereas your right palm turns clockwise while it is still next to your right thigh.
3. When the whole body stops turning, you should have turned about 75 degrees, balancing heavily on the left leg, very lightly on the right toes and both palms facing each other, like holding a very big and elongated balloon diagonally across your body, left palm at chest level and right palm next to your right thigh.
4. Continue to sink more weight on the left leg so that you can lift up the right leg effortlessly to land your right heel down where your right toes previously.
5. Sink further, with more weight to the right leg now, with the right toes pressing down until the right foot is completely flat against the floor.
6. As you sink further, you will feel the left palm continue turning inwards and downwards while the lower right arm flexes up (fulcrum at the right elbow) simultaneously. When they stop, both palms should be right in front of your chest, right palm facing inwards, right wrist slightly bent, as if holding a mirror and left palm facing down and out (also diagonally) with the middle left finger pointing to the bottom of the right wrist. At this stage, both your elbows should be pointing down.
7. Sink more onto the right leg so that you can turn your left toes clockwise, pivoting on the left heel until the left toes are at a 45 degree facing to the left. Check that your body must be facing the right, by sinking the hip joint (胯) further deep in.
8. Continue sinking the whole body and you will feel a recoil up from your left sole through your left leg {the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect} to turn your waist clockwise, turning your whole upper body further to the right.
9. At the end of this move, your upper body should have turned 10% - 15% further to the right, with both hands staying in the same posture - left fingers pointing at the right wrist joint.

Step 5: 上步左棚 (Step Forward, Ward with Left Palm)

1. Sink the whole body and shift more weight to the right foot. Do not lean forward, but keep the body upright.
2. You will feel your left leg getting lighter and your left heel being lifted up.
3. Balancing on the right leg and pivoting on the left toes as fulcrum, slowly turn your whole body anti-clockwise towards the front, initiating the turning from the waist.
4. Throughout the turning, ensure the body is always upright and not twisted. Maintain your hand positions as before (still holding the Taiji ball) while you turn.
5. Until you are facing the front, and is able to balance all your body weight on the right leg, lift up your left leg and place it forward gracefully(do not jerk or be seen as suddenly stepping down as if you are off balance) landing your left heel first, on the spot where your left toes used to be. Step the whole left foot down completely.
6. Sink the body down and using your 'Yi', direct more weight to your left leg until you are well-balanced on both feet. Then continue to direct more weight to the left so that your right leg becomes lighter. Raise the right toes slightly and pivoting on your right heel as fulcrum, turn them anti-clockwise towards the front until the right foot is pointing 45% between the front and right facings.
7. Using the 'Yi', sink the whole body down a little further, with both hands still holding the Taiji ball. Check that the body is upright, facing the front and comfortably balanced by ensuring that the (胯) hip joint is sunk deeper too.
8. Continue to sink the body further, concentrating on both heels and feel the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect pushing up through your legs. This will activate both the hands simultaneously as such - left lower arm rolling outwards and upwards until it is parallel to the floor until the left palm is right in front of your chest (palm facing inwards), while the right palm presses downwards until it is by the right side of your body. When it stops, the right shoulder should be relaxed, the right elbow too, but slightly curved, and the right palm facing backwards with all 5 fingers pointing to the ground, opened and relaxed.

Step 4: 转右抱极 (Turn Right and embrace Taiji Qi)

1. Using the 'yi', slowly sink the whole body lower and shift more weight to the left.
2. When you are ready, turn clockwise to face the right, turning only the right foot using the right heel as pivot. Keep the right toes lifted while you check that the whole body (from the hip upwards) has made a full right turn (90 degrees) and is upright, with both hands relaxed at the sides of the body, palms facing backwards.
3. Sink down the whole body further, tucking the right hip joint (胯) further downwards.
4. Bend the right knee downwards and front-wards. At the same time, feel the right leg also bending lower at the right knee and the 'magnetic' force lowering the right toes down too. When the right foot is completely flat on the ground, the right knee should be exactly straight above the right toes. Do not allow this action to be seen by an outsider as if you are moving your whole body forward to the right facing.
5. Sink further at the hip and direct the 'yi' to concentrate more on both the bottom of the heels. The repelling feeling will give you the 'Gong Tui' (躬腿) effect - the elastic force pushing up through your legs to the back of your waist and up further your body. This will raise both your hands up.
6. Continue to allow both hands to float up, applying the 'running focal point' concept, until they are about 45 degrees to the floor.
7. Relax both the shoulders, leading to both elbows bending downwards.
8. Allow the right elbow to continue bending down with the right palm facing down while you roll the left palm downwards and inwards, as if like rolling around a big ball.
9. When the two palms stop, they should be facing each other, as if like holding a big ball. The 阴阳 (negative/positive or black/white) of Taiji is in place. The left palm should be facing up and the right palm facing down. Feel some subtle force pulling and pushing both your palms. Check that both your elbows are pointing towards the floor and not to the sides.