Dao Cuts

[Linda Heenan]

Scott Rodell said:

My duifang responded by slipping to my right, stepping to the diagonal to deliver a cut across my mid-section...

....percussive blows that are not as effective at actually cutting, but that can deliver a stunning blow, even thru armor.

When we learnt this form, in Estonia, You taught us how to power the Jie cut with a suibou step. Was your duifang using this principle, of the whole body powering a cut, by stepping to the diagonal as he made contact? Is it just the forward momentum that delivers the force, or did he use a rooted rear leg as we would for a shoulder strike in empty hand?

[Scott M. Rodell]

... You taught us how to power the Jie cut with a suibou...

All the dao cuts can be made more precussive, harder hitting, by using the suibu it should be used with all the cut/movements in the Yangshi Taiji Dao form.

... Was your duifang using this principle, of the whole body powering a cut, by stepping to the diagonal as he made contact?...

He was moving forward, as was I. Though both of us were moving at about half speed, his blow certainly had plenty of power to it. It's easy to see how a full power blow would have knocked the air out of me.

[michael blackburn]

Could someone please point me towards a decent resource for the basic cuts / techniques in taiji dao? On-line is preferable, but please tell me about published texts as well.

I find it very interesting that there are so many good books available on taiji jian, but virtually none on dao...but I suppose that's a different conversation.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Michael