56-Sword: 4:00-4:30

I’ve reached Phoenix Spreads its Wings, or Che Bu Fan Ji, just before the four-minute mark in the demonstration video by Fan Xue Ping.

Phoenix Spreads its Wings

Phoenix Spreads its Wings

From the finishing position above, she shifts all the way onto the right, steps left and right, circling and lifting the sword—liao jian (below).

56liao

From there, she shifts back to the left, pulling the hilt of the sword in to the body and lifting the right knee. The she steps onto the right for Yaksha/Night Demon/Spirit (depending on your list) Searches the sea (below).

56necha

Another familiar sequence follows: Zhuan shen hui chou and Bing bu ping ci. From Yaksha, turn to face the opposite way, sword over the shoulder, then chop down and withdraw to left empty stance. The traditional name for Zhuan shen hui chou is (two moves actually) Rhonoceros Gazes at the Moon (Zhuan shen) and Shoot the Wild Goose (Hui chou).

Then step up to White Ape Offers the Fruit (feet together, level stab). She is now facing the front right corner. Another Phoenix Spreads Wings, leaves her facing the back left corner:

56phoenixbackleft

At 4:20 I encounter a completely new move. She shifts back and steps across with the right in front of the left. It’s a little jump, a falling step onto the right. Then steps left and presses down on the sword (below).

56jumpfence

Then she does it to the left: opens with the sword, shifts right, hops over with the left in front, then steps right and presses down, as below. Names may be Cross the Fence or Straddle and Block. I don’t know the modern descriptive names—I have those only for the names in common with 32-sword.

56jumpfenceR

From there, she shifts right and casts the sword overhead to Ding bu dian jian to the left front corner as shown below.

56fish

This brings us to 4:30. It’s enough sequence that I can follow Long Feng up to the new move—for which I need help! I don’t for a minute think I can learn the form from the video alone, but if I can get a handle on the sequence I can begin to learn by following Long Feng.

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