Liu Wancang’s Taijiquan skills

In the summer of 1967, the Cultural Revolution had been ongoing for a year. Martial arts practice locations in the city, such as Zhongshan Park, the Workers’ Cultural Palace, and the Tongzi River area, were all affected and disrupted. At that time, Master Wu Binzhi, who taught alongside Cui Yishi (Yang Chengfu’s student), also moved to the suburban Ditan Park. Master Wu warmly said to me, “If you want to find the Third Elder (Liu Wancang), I’ll introduce you!”

He took me to a small cypress grove in the southwest corner of Ditan Park and introduced me to Master Liu, saying, “I’ve brought you a student. Xiao Chen (Chen Yaoting) is a teacher at Beijing University of Chemical Technology. He has studied Yang style with Niu Chunming and Cui Yishi, and he enjoys push hands. Please teach him!”

Master Liu warmly responded, “Sure!” After a brief chat, he asked me to feel his hands—meaning to try push hands. I extended my right hand, and as soon as my hand approached his chest, it felt as if it was stuck there—as though he had “captured” it. Before I even realized what was happening, I had already been issued (Fa) out, flying several meters away.

When I turned back, he asked me to try again. I extended my left hand, but my wrist felt as if a rope was attached to it, pulling me off balance to the left. He smoothly grabbed me, flipped his hand, and brought me to his left side. I stumbled and bounced several steps, before being caught by the other students.

It was truly, “Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.” I was filled with deep respect and have followed Master Liu ever since, for over ten years.

Master Liu Wancang’s push hands had an imposing presence and expansive movements, embodying the heroic spirit of an eagle striking a rabbit. His entire body could seize and issue people. When issuing, it was exactly as described in the martial arts classics: “Issue (Fa) people as if shooting an arrow,” sending them flying several meters.

There is a saying: “Experts seize (Na) the tips, average ones seize the root.”. When connecting hands with Master Liu, whether he made contact with the hand, arm, body, or chest, as soon as your hand touched him, you would feel as though your entire body had been controlled through the fingertips. Outsiders couldn’t see it, but the one extending their hand would clearly feel it—it truly felt a bit “magical!”

One time, I tried to grab his wrist, but before I could grasp it firmly, he hooked his wrist toward his chest. Instantly, I felt an irresistible explosive force coming from his wrist. My heart was startled, and I was sent flying over ten steps away. It was truly “precise, stable, and fierce!”

I asked in shock, “What kind of Jin (power) was that?” Master Liu smiled and said, “Single Whip.” He then softly added, “This is called ‘Plucking the Flower, Pinching the Leaf.’”

I still vividly remember that moment to this day, and it became one of my favorite techniques.

From: Chen Yaoting: Excellence in Martial Ethics and Skillful Boxing, in Liu Peiyi (Ed.), Martial Arts Contest: Liu Wantong, China Literature and Art Publishing House, 2006

*𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒 “𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑖𝑧𝑒 (𝑁𝑎) 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑠, 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡” (高手拿稍，平手拿根) 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ — 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑦 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙.