Stepping Strategies

There are three basic stepping patterns, 7 Stars , 9 Palaces & Da Lu, that incorporate all the different stepping strategies that are used in the Taiji method. These patterns are constantly drilled to ingrain the movement and smooth transitions and directional changes.

The important principle is that movement is kept smooth by taking a step appropriate to the situation dependent upon where the weight is.

Each of the three exercises has a constantly changing element to it whereby the directions are changed when either of the two practitioners decide to change. It is incumbent of the other to change at the same time also

When actually fighting the steps are not as obvious as they are in the exercises and they constantly interchange without pattern.The Stepping Strategies are used in a variety of ways dependent upon the nature of the attack. Movement is based upon the idea that you should not directly meet force with force. Thus when you are attacked you should move away from the line of attack of the force. Your goal is to gain an advantage from the evasionary step to put you in a position to counterattack effectively. Stepping straight backwards confers no advantage and allows your opponent to build up an attacking momentum.

Stepping forward or backwards at an angle away from the line of attack will force your opponent to have to turn to be able to face you and allows you to use much less force to divert the attacks. The appropriate movement is determined by the nature of the attack as described by Five Phase Theory in Book 1.

Regular drilling of the three stepping patterns coupled with the san shou applications practice will enable you to effectively move in the appropriate manner dependent upon the nature of the attack.

  1. Step forward to the Outside

    Step Forward Outside

    Stepping forward outside the kick is only possible if you can read the opponent and react before he completes his action.

    Being able to do this enables the counter to be performed while the attacker is still performing the attack.

  2. Step forward to the Inside

    Step Forward Inside

    Stepping to the outside gives the advantage of minimising the attack potential of your opponent.

    However it is often not possible to do this especially if a roundhouse kick has been employed. In this case stepping rapidly forward to the inside of the kick will avoid the kick avoid the kick but care must be taken to control the arms which are free to attack you also.

  3. Step back to counter forward

    Step Back Outside

    Footwork is critical to appropriate defence. The step taken is determined by the nature of the attack and the weight distribution that you have at the time of the attack.

    When attacked by quick front kick stepping back and outside the kick gives time to avoid and counter before the attacker can recover. It is important not to step back too far as it willtake to long to counter.


    The Nine Palaces Step puts you in a position to be able to launch a sweep or kick as in 1 using the power of the fully body rotation.

  4. Step forward and under to take down

    Step Forward and Under

    It is often advantageous to go underneath an attack and use the attacker's momentum to throw him over your shoulder.


    This position is trained in the fuyang Tui Shou exercise. It builds structural stability and the ability to generate power and movement from a low position. There are several ways to perform this involving the action of forces in two directions

  5. Step Forward and under to uproot

    Step Forwards and Under

    Depending upon whether the attacker's weight is forward or back differnt takedown techniques will applied from the same stepping tactic.

  6. Stepping Back and rotating to evade the attack.

    Having multiple directions and methods of movement makes you more unpredictable to your opponent They will needStepping Back and rotating to evade the attack. to be far more circumspect about their attacks maintaining good posture and the ability to change. If their attacks are in any way deficient and you can move in the appropriate manner then you will gain an advantage that you should be able to exploit.

    Not meeting force with force requires a lot of movement. This in turns requires a great deal of stamina and trained ability to move against resistance. The moving step Tui Shou exercises training coupled with the moving step freestyle practise trains both the skills and the stamina required especially when performed with low deep stances and at a very fast pace.