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Therapeutic Exercise
Patient Education
Instructor Training

Rokukan Tai Chi - Movement #5

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THE FIFTH MOVEMENT
Double Ward Off

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Preliminary Considerations

1. DOUBLE WARD-OFF - This is the same ward-off or pushing away as in the previous movement, although here the "trailing hand" is in a supporting position on the back of the warding-off wrist.

2. This movement imitates the "pulling back" from an assailant who has grabbed your right wrist and the subsequent "fixing" of the assailant's fingers to that wrist, followed by a "reversal" of direction and a double ward-off.

This movement is called "double ward-off" because there is a pushing away with both hands.

The movement is the same for pushing away from a grabbed wrist or for simply pushing away (for any reason) with the ward-off wrist supported for greater power.

3. In this particular movement, the disciple is still dealing with the first assailant.

The first assailant is the only opponent in this movement, which is the second of three linked movements.

4. This (#5) is the second motion in a complex action composed of three distinct motions known as The Triple Movement :

#4 - The disciple lifts the knee of the first assailant (who has tried to kick him) and throws him with a Right Ward Off to the East.

#5 - As the assailant falls back, he grabs the disciple's right wrist. The disciple holds the assailant's hand in place and performs a Double Ward Off, again to the East.

#6 - The assailant recovers and attempts to grab (choke) the disciple's neck - this is countered by a Roll Back and Push .

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The Triple Movement

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DOUBLE WARD OFF

(Still facing East).

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As the assailant falls back (in the previous movement #4), he grabs the disciple's right wrist.

The disciple holds the assailant's hand in place and performs a Double Ward Off, again to the East.

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The disciple shifts his or her body weight from the front foot on stepping stone #4 to the back foot on stepping stone #3 and then foward again to stepping stone #4.
The weight shifts from front to back to front.

(No Turning)

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The assailant has grasped the disciple's right wrist.

1. The disciple shifts his or her weight back (over stepping stone #3), pulling the assailant along.

2. The disciple then locks the assailant's hand in place (with the left hand) on his or her own right wrist . . .

2. . . . and then shifts his or her weight forward (back again over stepping stone #4), while performing a Double Ward Off.

As the assailant falls back, he recovers and comes in another time, attempting to grab (choke) the disciple's neck - this gives rise to (the next) movement #6.

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Common Mistakes

1. Being in a hurry to ward-off and not shifting backward enough to pull the assailant off balance.

2. Making little extra gestures or movements with the left hand.

The left hand simply moves back a little and then moves directly forward to support the right wrist (and incidentally locking the assailant's fingers in place).

3. Wrapping the left fingers around the right wrist.

The right wrist is merely supported with the left fingers that press directly ahead.

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You may wish to tell your patients that :

A) The key to this movement lies in pulling the assailant off balance and then reversing direction.

B) The assailant must be pulled in close before the double ward-off is performed.

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