TAI CHI SERIAL KICKS

All Tai Chi serial kicks are produced by dynamic actions that involve prompt body turns, upper limb coordination and excellent standing balance. Powerful serial kicks in Tai Chi are particularly generated by power actions being rooted in the stillness and solidity of the torso.

Traditional Chen Tai Chi Form One (Tai Chi) and Form Two (Cannon Fist) consist of a number of serial kicking techniques which are similar to those kicks in other martial arts, but a Tai Chi "following an opponent" principle must be strictly complied with to achieve best fighting outcomes.

Turn Over Body and Double Raise Foot

(Fan Shen Er Qi Jiao)

The movement of Turn Over Body and Double Raise Foot is a kicking technique including two front snap kicks. Left foot firstly kicks toward groin area, and then the right foot kicks promptly before the left foot lands on the ground.

Target Area: abdomen, groin, chest and face

Application:

  • raise left knee first and kicks one’s groin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • throw right foot to kick one’s chest or face

       before left foot lands on the ground

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Head and Push Mountain

(Bao Tou Tui Shan)

In Tai Chi Form one, the movement of Cover Head and Push Mountain looks like using both hands to push an opponent. However, it traditionally is a movement with a low push kick and a high push kick. In other words, a mountain is pushed using a powerful right push kick.

Target Area: knee, stomach and chest 

Application:
  • redirect one’s punch and use left foot to kick one’s front knee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • promptly use right push kick targeting one’s chest or ribcage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kick with Left / Right Heel

(Zuo You Deng Jiao)

 

This serial kick comes from Kick with Left Hel and Kick with Right Heel, Tai Chi from two (Cannon Fist). There are three kicks in it: left side kick, right hook kick and right side kick.

Following an opponent’s move, the three kicks can be applied as a serial kicks in different situations.

Also the side kicks use, in combat Tai Chi, as a damaging attack to strike the knees of a high-kicking opponent.

 

 

Target Area: Chest, ribcages, thigh and knee

 

 

 

 

Application:

 

  • Use a left side kick on one’s front knee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • quickly turn left and sweep right foot toward one’s left knee if the opponent steps backward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • raise the right knee promptly (if the opponent has escaped the above kick) and conduct a right side kick targeting one’s left ribcage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn Body and Double Wave Lotus

(Zhuan Shen Shuang Bai Lian)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The movement of Turn Body and Double Wave Lotus is a very powerful serial kick. It contains a low inside crescent kick and an outside crescent kick. The first low inside crescent kick (roundhouse kick) to destroy an opponent’s balance following a deadly outside crescent kick on the opponent’s neck or head.

Target Area: neck, ribcage and thigh

Application:

 

  • Left low inside crescent kick to one’s front thigh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Make a quick right turn and conduct a outside crescent kick on one’s head or neck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweeping Leg

(Sao Tang Tui)

 

 

Traditionally this Tai Chi movement is a left sweeping leg (kick) on the ground. However, it is a serial kick including a low side kick and a sweeping kick. In combat Tai Chi, it can also be used as a low side kick plus a low round house kick as well.

Target Area: ribcage, groin, thigh and knee

Application:

  • Make a low side kick on one’s front knee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Turn right to carry out a left sweeping kick on one’s ribcage or thigh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloud Hand (1)

(Cha Bu Yun Shou)

There are three types of cloud hand movements in Chen Tai Chi From one: cloud hand with cross behind step, cross over step and beat step. Here I would like to introduce two serial kicks in cloud hand with cross behind step and cross over step.

 

Target Area: ribcage, groin, thigh and knee

Application:

  • Make a cross behind step and use right foot to block one’s low round house kick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Land right foot and use left foot to conduct a side kick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloud Hand (2)

(Gai Bu Yun Shou)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A serial kick is included in the movement of Cloud Hand with step over step.

 

Target Area: groin, thigh, knee and shin

Application:

  • Make a cross over step and use right foot to kick one’s front knee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Land right foot and make a low side kick using left foot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above Tai Chi serial kicks are only a few examples. More Tai Chi serial kicks need to be discovered from the forms by us.

In order to utilise them well, hard training is needed, but remember, all Tai Chi principles must be complied with when we practice these serial kicks, such as "following" , "there is up, there is down", " when striking left, pay attention to the right", etc. Otherwise these can be risky to be used alone.

 

 

Xiaotong Huang (Todd)

Tai Chi Practitioner, Sydney

Email: hxtyagf@gmail.com

Mobile: 0438 800 851

 

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