This long (nearly 45 minutes, with English subtitles) YouTube video about the Wudang Kung Fu Academy is fascinating. I have never seen anything like the Tai Yi Wu Xing form of Tai Chi. The Wudang Mountains are beautiful (as are the temples and the Academy).
Kung Fu Quest – Wudang (YouTube video)
The training is fiercely difficult, and you can’t help worrying about the children who are sent there. It’s definitely all about fighting, which is not my goal in learning Tai Chi. But the sword play and light body skills (at about the 26-minute mark) are amazing.
“Light Body Skills” Master Chen Shiliu
As for the 49-step Wudang Sword that I’m trying to learn, picking up from Ma Bu, with the sword pointing to the right, the next section is as follows:
- Step up with the left, turn sword to left
- Step around with left (turning to the right), sword pointing right
- Step forward right and stab downward (palm down, left hand on hilt)
- Step left and right, sweeping sword
- Stand on one leg, sword pointing up, palm up (Holding the Moon)
- Step back left, turn to left and squat to lower sword (palm down)
- Step up to right cat stance, holding sword palm up
From here, lift the right knee, extend the leg, and perform a run like that in 32-sword, consisting of Lion Shakes his Head, Tiger Holds its Head and Horse Jumps Over the Stream.
Finish by pulling the sword back to the right hip, pivot 270 degrees on the right foot, step to left bow stance and stab, palm down, level (or slightly down). This completes the next half-minute; we are at about 1:30 of 3:40.
