by Yeung on Sat Jul 09, 2022 6:43 am
Luo means to stroke, to tidy-up, to rub along the surface of something like skin, hair, fur, table, etc, In Taijiquan, it is simply medial rotation of the arm or inward rotation which is the opposite to Bing or Peng. So, combining Bing and Luo we have a repeated cycle of rotating the forearm from side to side like a monkey drum to experience the rotation and recoil from side to side. The inward eccentric block is retracting the forearm to block and follow up with a palm heel strike which is a Bing action. When the opponent will do the reverse to block and counter attack, we will find ourselves doing a single pushing hand duet. It is easy and simple when doing it with low intensity but not the same in high intensity, and even more complicated with two hand duets. Using too much concentric strength will stiff the arm to slow down and be less responsive in utilising the incoming force. It is expected that a good coordinated eccentric strike will produce a powerful strike and still maintain responsiveness to an encounter. The ability of “automatic release” in an eccentric strike is a must in performing the technique of “entice into emptiness” as one sort of resisting with maximum strength and letting go suddenly to overbalance the opponent. It just happens that it is easier and faster to release eccentric strength than concentric strength.
Maybe this is why Taijiquan practitioners can not do pushing hand duet when they fail to develop their eccentric strength and recoils in doing forms. The solution is to apply rotational stretch in doing forms to develop their eccentric strength, and I noticed some teachers emphasise stretching in every move in doing the forms while others just do it softly. It is difficult to promote Taijiquan as a martial art but why not. Restoration is difficult when damage is done by politics and commercialization.