Zhao's 摟膝拗步 (Brush Knee and Twist Step)

Zhao's 摟膝拗步 (Brush Knee and Twist Step) is a foundational movement for expressing peng, root, and whole-body integration. Let’s break down each point from both masters, analyze the biomechanical logic and internal theory, and compare it with classical Tai Chi concepts.

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🧑‍🏫 Master 1’s Explanation Breakdown:

1. “Sit back, your arm 盪 to the back”

• Interpretation: When you shift backward, the arm naturally swings or floats (盪) back, not pulled mechanically.

• This suggests relaxation, rebounding spirals, and following momentum, not using isolated muscular effort.

• Connected to the idea of “手隨身轉，身隨步移” – the hands follow the body, and the body follows the stepping.

✅ Reasonable? Yes — this is consistent with Tai Chi’s principle of sequential body mechanics. The arm moves because the torso shifts, not from shoulder movement alone.

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2. “When your hand goes up, it's because you 落胯 (sink the kua)”

• Interpretation: The rising of the hand is driven from the downward release of the kua, not the arm lifting itself.

• This represents 反向連動 (oppositional linkage): when the lower sinks, the upper rises — like a seesaw.

• Related classic:「其根在腳，發於腿，主宰於腰，形於手指。」

✅ Reasonable? Yes — this is high-level Tai Chi mechanics. The kua sinking (落胯) allows energy to drop to the ground and rebound through the spine to lift the hand effortlessly. This is different from muscular lifting.

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3. “When you push, think only whether any part is stuck and cannot relax”

• This is a mental cue to keep the whole body open, not just push with hands or arms.

• Suggests you don’t “push” with effort — you simply let the body move forward as a unified structure once tension is released.

• Similar to the classical phrase:「由着熟而漸悟懂勁，由懂勁而階及神明。」— The movement becomes refined once you remove internal resistance.

✅ Reasonable? Yes — it's a very internal approach, relying on letting go rather than doing.

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4. “Jianzhui (肩墜, shoulder drop) is expanded, Mingmen is pushing back, tailbone tucked in”

• Shoulder drop but expanded: Suggests relaxed shoulders but open chest/back — not collapsing.

• Mingmen (命門) pushes back: You keep the lumbar spine open, not collapsing inward — this connects with Yongquan and spine line.

• Tailbone tucks in: This creates pelvic alignment, engages the core, and connects Dantian to Mingmen.

✅ Reasonable? Mostly Yes — this matches the Tai Chi spine alignment theory:

• Tailbone down and inward

• Mingmen open and full

• Chest not collapsed

• Dantian engaged downward

However, over-tucking can become an error, which leads to the second master’s method…

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🧑‍🏫 Master 2: “You curl your tailbone more to engage the core muscles”

• This is a more intentional pelvic tucking, often found in modern biomechanical or martial arts training.

• By tucking, you activate the lower abdominal muscles, creating a pelvic lift that supports the spine.

• It can be useful for beginners to feel core engagement, dantian stabilization, and prevent excessive lumbar lordosis (arch of the lower back).

✅ Reasonable? Yes, with Caution

• It is correct as a training method, especially when people have a habit of overextending or sticking out their tailbone.

• However, over-tucking may break the “song” (relaxation) or restrict Mingmen if it's done with tension.

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📚 Classical Theory & Language That Supports These Ideas:

1. 「鬆腰沉胯」– Relax the waist, sink the hips.

2. 「尾閭中正」– The tailbone is centered and neutral.

3. 「命門要虛靈頂勁，尾閭要有涵胸拔背之意」– Mingmen must be suspended, tailbone gently rounded as part of hollow chest and lifted back structure.

4. 「氣沉丹田」– The Qi sinks to the Dantian, supported by slight pelvic tucking.

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🧠 Summary: Are both approaches correct?

Master’s Method	Principle	Suitable For	Cautions
Master 1 – arm swings back naturally, hand rises from kua sinking, tailbone tucks, open Mingmen	Whole-body connectivity, dantian-spine coordination, relaxed release	Intermediate and internal development	May be subtle for beginners to feel
Master 2 – tuck tailbone more to engage core	Core activation, posture correction	Beginners, structural rehab, modern body mechanics	Over-tucking can create stiffness or restrict qi flow

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✅ Final Advice:

• Let the kua sink naturally; don’t force the tailbone but gently let it round.

• Practice both ideas and feel: When does the movement feel smooth, connected, and light?

• Eventually, the internal force should feel as if rising from the ground, passing through Dantian, spine, Mingmen, and out to the hands — with no stuck points.