----------------------------- Chapter 8 Tajiquan's Push-Hands -----------------------------------
Master Qin Tan carefully looked through his study, looking for a particular poem.
"Ah here it is"
He stated as he found what he had been searching for so patiently.
"From a distant land in the East, from across the sea, he shall appear. He does not know of the strength hidden within him. The strength that would destroy him. The strength that would fulfill his wishes. When he is ready, he shall seek me out. I shall wait... This encounter has been my destiny since ancient times. A Dragon shall emerge from the earth, and dark clouds shall obscure the heavens. A Phoenix shall descend from above, its wings will create a purple wind. In the midst of the pitch-black night, a morning star shall glisten, alone..."
Could he be the one? The one that is recited in this poem. Obviously, he did
come from a far eastern land. But did he possess this strength that is talked about in the
poem. Master Qin Tan put it away. iWe shall see.../i, he thought to
himself.
Ryo laid down on the floor mat prepared for him. He already had eaten their delicious dinner
consisting mostly of vegetables, but Ryo didn't mind. Shenhua laid beside his mat with her own.
The beautiful girl a victim of the sandman so early; she laid quiet, peaceful and serene.
Ryo was attracted to her, although he would never admit it openly. There was just something
about her, maybe it was the innocence. Perhaps because she trusted him with her well being. His
Father's dying words ringed in his head. iKeep friends...those you love close to you.../i
Even though he only knew Shenhua for a few days, he cared for her.
"Don't worry Shenhua, I will protect you."
As he looked down at her dormant body. She was only half asleep and could hear Ryo's words.
Her heart paced faster at the sound of these words. iRyo will watch over me.../i She thought.
---The Next Day---
Ryo was up bright and early practicing his moves outside. The sun barely lit the ground as of
yet. Shenhua found that she was laying by her lonesome, when she woke up.
Qin Tan, and two of his students slowly approach to where Ryo was warming up at. They came
to a sudden halt when they saw Ryo practicing an art of fighting unfamiliar to their on.
The Jujitsu practitioner, not noticing them, rushed forward; balance centered, with his elbow
at an acute angle. Dust shot from all angles of the ground as Ryo let out an agressive grunt.
"Impressive move, what's it called?" Master Qin Tan intruded.
Ryo a bit startled, turned to the Master and his two apprentices.
"Ah, its called Elbow Assault" Ryo said in an even tone.
" A full body rush, led by the elbow. Jujitsu is a powerful art indeed."
Ryo gave a modest nod of approval.
"I gather you are not familiar with Tajiquan, Push-Hands and Striking-Hands?"
"No, Master Qin Tan, what is this Push-Hands?" Ryo asked confused.
Qin Tan looked to his two students, Wang and Zhang.
"Many practitioners attack with to much ferocity. They immediately give you an advantage by
leaving themselves open. Balance is the most open part of Martial Arts. To many practitioners
neglect this basic fundamental. When you neglect balance, vital organs are most often left
open. I gather you have faced off with people who do this?" The Master asked.
"Yes, I have."
"Ryo, come, spar, let me show you what I am talking about."
Master Qin Tan, put his left leg to the rear at a slanted angle, and his right leg bent towards
the front.
"This is the Bow-Arrow stance." The Master instructed.
Ryo stepped into the basic Hazuki stance; shifting sixty percent of his weight to his right leg,
and forty percent to his left leg.
"Ah, interesting form. It guards well, but does it guard well when you attack?"
Ryo ignored this, and immediately step forward performing a right jab. Master Qin Tan was
hardly caught off guard, since he quickly dropped backwards; and deflected the punch with both
his palms. This sent Ryo off balance; Qin Tan immediately intercepted Ryo in the gut with a
well placed jab.
"Ugghhh"
Ryo fell to the ground a few feet away. He had been taught a yet another lesson. The Master's
students help Ryo up.
"uh..what was that...?"
Master Qin Tan; his hands to his rear now, gave a positive smile.
"Eagle parry, followed by Eagle strike."
One of the Master's housemaids came up handing Ryo the move scroll.
"The idea and philosophy behind the move is in that scroll. One can not learn Push-hands and
Striking-hands overnight. Study it diligently, eventually you'll get it."
Shenhua came running to Ryo's side, for she had viewed what had happened. Her general concern
was for Ryo's current state of health.
"Ryo are you ok?" She said in a concerned tone.
"Yes, Shenhua..I'm fine." He responded general sincere.
"I gather, you two will go on your journey today?" Master Qin Tan questioned.
"Yes...we will leave today." Ryo immediately answer.
"Ah, I bid you farewell then. It is likely, I will see you again."
The Master and his students departed.
"I had a dream yesterday. My father was in it."
Ryo touched her on the shoulder, and he looked her in the eyes.
"Shenhua, I know it will be hard.."
"No, he had a message. He said journey to Guiyang for the answer."
"Guiyang?"
"Yes, I never been there myself..." She said a little worried.
"Is it in Guizhou?"
"Yes it is, and we will find the answer there I know it." Shenhua said with newly found confidence
in her tone.
"Yeah.."
Master Qin Tan carefully looked through his study, looking for a particular poem.
"Ah here it is"
He stated as he found what he had been searching for so patiently.
"From a distant land in the East, from across the sea, he shall appear. He does not know of the strength hidden within him. The strength that would destroy him. The strength that would fulfill his wishes. When he is ready, he shall seek me out. I shall wait... This encounter has been my destiny since ancient times. A Dragon shall emerge from the earth, and dark clouds shall obscure the heavens. A Phoenix shall descend from above, its wings will create a purple wind. In the midst of the pitch-black night, a morning star shall glisten, alone..."
Could he be the one? The one that is recited in this poem. Obviously, he did
come from a far eastern land. But did he possess this strength that is talked about in the
poem. Master Qin Tan put it away. iWe shall see.../i, he thought to
himself.
Ryo laid down on the floor mat prepared for him. He already had eaten their delicious dinner
consisting mostly of vegetables, but Ryo didn't mind. Shenhua laid beside his mat with her own.
The beautiful girl a victim of the sandman so early; she laid quiet, peaceful and serene.
Ryo was attracted to her, although he would never admit it openly. There was just something
about her, maybe it was the innocence. Perhaps because she trusted him with her well being. His
Father's dying words ringed in his head. iKeep friends...those you love close to you.../i
Even though he only knew Shenhua for a few days, he cared for her.
"Don't worry Shenhua, I will protect you."
As he looked down at her dormant body. She was only half asleep and could hear Ryo's words.
Her heart paced faster at the sound of these words. iRyo will watch over me.../i She thought.
---The Next Day---
Ryo was up bright and early practicing his moves outside. The sun barely lit the ground as of
yet. Shenhua found that she was laying by her lonesome, when she woke up.
Qin Tan, and two of his students slowly approach to where Ryo was warming up at. They came
to a sudden halt when they saw Ryo practicing an art of fighting unfamiliar to their on.
The Jujitsu practitioner, not noticing them, rushed forward; balance centered, with his elbow
at an acute angle. Dust shot from all angles of the ground as Ryo let out an agressive grunt.
"Impressive move, what's it called?" Master Qin Tan intruded.
Ryo a bit startled, turned to the Master and his two apprentices.
"Ah, its called Elbow Assault" Ryo said in an even tone.
" A full body rush, led by the elbow. Jujitsu is a powerful art indeed."
Ryo gave a modest nod of approval.
"I gather you are not familiar with Tajiquan, Push-Hands and Striking-Hands?"
"No, Master Qin Tan, what is this Push-Hands?" Ryo asked confused.
Qin Tan looked to his two students, Wang and Zhang.
"Many practitioners attack with to much ferocity. They immediately give you an advantage by
leaving themselves open. Balance is the most open part of Martial Arts. To many practitioners
neglect this basic fundamental. When you neglect balance, vital organs are most often left
open. I gather you have faced off with people who do this?" The Master asked.
"Yes, I have."
"Ryo, come, spar, let me show you what I am talking about."
Master Qin Tan, put his left leg to the rear at a slanted angle, and his right leg bent towards
the front.
"This is the Bow-Arrow stance." The Master instructed.
Ryo stepped into the basic Hazuki stance; shifting sixty percent of his weight to his right leg,
and forty percent to his left leg.
"Ah, interesting form. It guards well, but does it guard well when you attack?"
Ryo ignored this, and immediately step forward performing a right jab. Master Qin Tan was
hardly caught off guard, since he quickly dropped backwards; and deflected the punch with both
his palms. This sent Ryo off balance; Qin Tan immediately intercepted Ryo in the gut with a
well placed jab.
"Ugghhh"
Ryo fell to the ground a few feet away. He had been taught a yet another lesson. The Master's
students help Ryo up.
"uh..what was that...?"
Master Qin Tan; his hands to his rear now, gave a positive smile.
"Eagle parry, followed by Eagle strike."
One of the Master's housemaids came up handing Ryo the move scroll.
"The idea and philosophy behind the move is in that scroll. One can not learn Push-hands and
Striking-hands overnight. Study it diligently, eventually you'll get it."
Shenhua came running to Ryo's side, for she had viewed what had happened. Her general concern
was for Ryo's current state of health.
"Ryo are you ok?" She said in a concerned tone.
"Yes, Shenhua..I'm fine." He responded general sincere.
"I gather, you two will go on your journey today?" Master Qin Tan questioned.
"Yes...we will leave today." Ryo immediately answer.
"Ah, I bid you farewell then. It is likely, I will see you again."
The Master and his students departed.
"I had a dream yesterday. My father was in it."
Ryo touched her on the shoulder, and he looked her in the eyes.
"Shenhua, I know it will be hard.."
"No, he had a message. He said journey to Guiyang for the answer."
"Guiyang?"
"Yes, I never been there myself..." She said a little worried.
"Is it in Guizhou?"
"Yes it is, and we will find the answer there I know it." Shenhua said with newly found confidence
in her tone.
"Yeah.."
