10/25
One problem I have is running out of room, extending myself too far and consequently not being able to do anything when I get there. This always happens with Yang Qing-feng, who is apparently made of rubber. One way to avoid this, though, is to lower my stance even more to get that extra bit of leverage.
Contrary to my assumptions, Teacher Xu told us not to react immediately to an attack. “See what it’s all about first, then implement your strategy,” he told us. I can see how this would work in learning tuishou, but I’d be hard pressed to keep myself from reacting as quickly as possible in one of the tuishou bouts I see on TV here. But then again, I’m not entirely sure that that stuff is actually real tuishou and not just wrestling with a few airs added in.
Some international tuishou competition was held here over the last week, and the lack of uniforms is the only thing that allows me to differentiate what I’ve seen from professional wrestling. Perhaps everything is happening too quickly for me to see. Teacher Xu said that, in China, the southern schools tend to be more violent and dependent on raw force, training with heavy stones, while northern schools concentrate on softer, more internal methods. “More of the judges in Taiwan come from the south,” he explained. “So they’ll award the win to southern methods through sheer numbers.” Through sheer force, in other words.
But I’m still learning, so I will try to react at an appropriate speed. “When your opponent attacks, let him drive for a bit, then take over. It’s the same car, though, just with you driving,” Teacher Xu told us.
