Shadowhand Taijiquan

The direct translation of San Shou is Scattering or Dispersing Hands which is generally translated as Self-defence in which attacks are dissipated using various methods. The term Shou, although meaning hand is generic for any part of the body that can be used for this purpose.

This term is used instead of Quan (Chu'an), meaning fist, because self-defence applications are not limited to striking but also include choke holds, the locking of joints and pressure point attacks. Traditional San Shou Tournaments took place on a platform or Lei Tai. To win a contest the opponent was either rendered incapable of fighting or knocked off the platform.

As the platform was generally 6 feet off the ground this would be very dangerous hence the emphasis on strong stances and the ability to maintain position while under attack.

The combination of swift movement to avoid powerful attacks with the strong stances to maintain posture while grappling are the key elements of the Taijiquan fighting style being able to switch from one mode to the other smoothly and effortlessly as required by the situation.

Continuous Change in Defence

Move at the same speed as the attack. Many beginners try to perform the techniques as quickly as they can, leading to sloppy technique , imbalance , poor posture and failure of the technique in most attempts.

Strong well balanced stances are required to perform throwing techniques and so to be able to change from moving to fixed stance and back again smoothly is essential.