Day 2 of the 2nd workshop with Master Chen

Here are some rough notes I took during the workshop:

1. Moves need to be proportional. 1 unit of the bottom., 1 unit of the mid-section, and 1 unit of the top. The problem is that we have 1 unit of the bottom, 2 units of the mid-section, and 3 units of the top (so we toss).
2. Fajin is like you are trapped and just able to break out.
3. You don't do fajin or circle.fajin and circle are artifacts and a realization, and not something that you can just learn to do.
4. Convert horiztonal move to vertical move.
5. Rubberband: find the strength to train
6. Finger points to a spot and should never move.
7. Back shoulder not moving creates stability.
8. Don't move where you opponent touches
9. Angle is only one aspect of intent.
10. Regarding Yilu, it's better to leave it incomplete, even if it looks bad, than complete it incorrectly. Do what I am told, and not what I think it should be. Less is more.
11. A circle has two halves, they don't start and end at the same point in space.
12. Sequence of action is important. There are 9 parts to every move. Do them one at a time. Don't combine them. To start with don't do 9, just concentrate on 3 parts. In time, the 3 parts can be broken further down into 9 parts, which in turn can be broken down even more. At the end, the move will look smooth. No reversal = smooth.
13. The body should be rigid, in other words, should maintain structure.