I've been waiting for a video of the two man fighting set for a long time and I'm thrilled that Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming was the one to release it.   There is very little information in English that covers the two man fighting set of Taijiquan.    T. T. Liang has a book that covers a different two man fighting set, which he calls the Taiji dance.    As mentioned in the video, the two man fighting set was traditionally taught to only a few select students.    If you are serious about understanding and practicing real Taijiquan, then the two man fighting set can help teach the fighting techniques of Taijiquan to the interested practitioner.  

I'm not trying to be critical, but it seems sad that the majority of the Taijiquan teachers that I have either met or heard of do not teach the applications to their students.   One of my students moved out of town and when he began learning Taijiquan from another teacher, he became frustrated at the teacher's lack of knowledge of the meaning and applications that the moves and postures in Taijiquan represent.    When he would ask the teacher for the application to a move, the teacher would reply that his master never taught him the application.   Perhaps he should call it just Taiji, and leave out Quan. ( fist)

Fortunately, there are still many health benefits available to the practitioner even without knowing the applications.  But I am firmly convinced that if a practitioner learns the martial applications and practices them, then the health benefits increase as a result of the postures being done more accurately

My point?  Learn the applications to increase and enhance your practice.   Once you have learned and become comfortable with some of the martial applications, then learning this two man fighting set will become easier.   As the video states, if you are already proficient at pushing hands and the form, then this set is not as daunting as it appears, and it can be learned easily (with some hard work and dedication).  

The two man fighting set is fascinating to watch, and demonstrates the blending, yielding and issuing techniques that are available in Taijiquan.    If you have the time, learn the set with a few different people as the moves will become more accurate and real if applied to persons of different body shapes and skills.    If you really want the yin and the yang, I mean, let's face it, the yin yang symbol for Taijiquan has both, then learning how to apply the martial arts techniques will give a person a more complete, accurate and real version of the art of Taijiquan.

The video presents a seminar at the beginning that is very inspiring.   Do not skip this talk by Dr. Yang as he presents some clear insights into learning the set.   This is followed by a listing of the key points.

The set is then demonstrated at slow speed, after which the set is broken into four sections, with each section being analyzed, taught and demonstrated by Dr. Yang and two of his students.    In total, the set is broken down into four sections for each of the following speeds:

Slow speed Fighting Set

Practicing Speed Fighting Set

Fighting Speed Fighting Set

The step by step analysis of the set is presented only in the Slow Speed section.    A viewer can locate individual postures or sections at will in any of the three speeds.    Each new movement is carefully explained and demonstrated by Dr. Yang and his students in the slow speed section.   Many tapes just show the teacher demonstrating the form, with no real explanation or in depth analysis.   Rest assured that this video offers plenty of substance and has enough information to keep the serious student busy for a long time.  

In addition to the material so far discussed, the video also presents a slide show that consists of scans of an old manual of the two person fighting.   These scans are of the hand drawn illustrations in the manual that Dr. Yang has thankfully added to this video.   If you go to the reviews section at www.ymaapub.com, you will find an excellent review of this video in which the reviewer relates a discussion he had with Dr. Yang as to the origin of this form.    Well worth the time to read it.

The following is a list of the postures in the two man fighting set.   Each practitioner would learn 44 of the 88 moves.

Two man fighting set

1. Step forward for punch

2. Raise hands to the up posture

3. Step forward intercept and punch

4. Deflect and punch

5. Step forward and left shoulder stroke

6. Strike the tiger (right)

7. Left elbow strike

8. Push to the left and right elbow stroke

9. withdraw the step and strike the tiger

10. Right downward strike

11. Raise hands  to the up posture

12. Turn the body and push

13. Right swinging body strike

14. Intercept and punch, one

15. Intercept and punch, two

16. Wild horses shear the mane

17. Strike the tiger (right)

18. turn the body, withdraw the step, and rollback

19. Step forward and press (left)

20. Turn the body and press (left)

21. Double dividing and heel kick

22. Punch the groin

23. Step forward to pluck and rend

24. Fair lady weaves the shuttle, one

25. Fair lady weaves the shuttle, two

26. White crane spreads its wings

27. Left shoulder-stroke

28. Rollback the shoulder

29. Turn the body to rend the shoulder

30. Turn the body to rollback

31. Two winds pass through the ears

32. Double push

33. Single whip

34. Right push

35. File the shoulder (right)

36. Follow the posture and push

37. Neutralize and strike with right palm

38. Neutralize and push

39. Neutralize and strike with right elbow

40. Pluck and rend

41. Exchange steps and rollback

42. Step forward and press

43. Exchange steps and rollback

44. Strike the tiger right

45. Turn the body, step backward, and rollback

46. Step forward and press to the left

47. Return with press

48. Exchange steps and shoulder stroke

49. Turn the body to fly diagonally

50. Right elbow strike

51. Turn the body for rooster standing on one leg

52. Downward -neutralization

53. Heel kick

54. Turn the body, step forward, and strike

55. Rollback left arm

56. Turn the body and right kick

57. Double dividing and embrace the knee (right)

58. Turn the body and left kick

59. Double dividing and embrace the knee (left)

60. Change hands and right shoulder stroke

61. Return right elbow-stroke

62. Step forward and grasp the sparrow's tail

63. Wave hands in clouds (right)

64. Step forward and grasp the sparrow's tail (right)

65. Wave hands in clouds (left)

66. Divide upward, press, and downward heel kick shang

67. Low hook kick

68. Turn the body to sweep lotus

69. Left elbow stroke

70. Hook hand and snake creeps down

71. Diagonal flying (right)

72. Strike the tiger (left)

73. Double dividing and push down

74. Step back and repulse monkey

75. Left push

76. Step back and repulse the monkey

77. Right push

78. Repulse monkey

79. Right palm strike

80. Step forward to seven stars

81. Pick up needle from sea bottom

82. Fan back

83. Pluck right

84. Draw the bow and shoot the tiger

85. Neutralize up and press forward

86. Punch under the elbow

87. Cross hands

88. Embrace tiger and return to the mountain

Bottom line!   This video has the three essentials:

QUALITY MATERIAL!

QUALITY TEACHING!

QUALITY PRODUCTION!

Enjoy, this is one excellent video.

Copyright 2007 Patrick H. Dickson • All Rights Reserved