Dashou can be called 'dragging hand' in English. It has the feeling of grabbing onto something and using your whole body to drag it backwards. It is the main way to apply force backwards in baguazhang, so it is important to train it. It is the main defensive and continuous attacking move of a chuanzhang specialist. It is important to just attach the arm to the body as if it were a rope hooked onto the opponent. You have to give up the arm. Pulling with the arm is not effective.
It includes vertical and horizontal dragging. Someone highly skilled in daishou can uproot an opponent with just a touch and send him flying. Liu Wanchuan was especially skilled in daishou, so we like to practise it to emulate his skill.
Daishou does not go against the power of an opponent, it goes along the line of action of someone who is coming towards you. You have to be heavy and rooted - you cannot pull the opponent if you are not comfortable and well balanced. If you are, then it is a very natural movement. You destroy the opponent's balance without destroying your own. Don't try to pull back, but use stepping and the body. Don't speed up to pull, keep the power settled.
Usually one hand holds on to the opponent's wrist and the other the elbow, and as such is a fairly close technique, with the arm in contact with the opponenet. Keep the hands close to the body, don't reach way forward to get the opponent. If you need to do a daishou from arms length, then keep both hands together to both hang on to the opponent's wrist. It can also be done with one hand.
short and long power release methods, methods of changing over direction of power release, method of continuous power release, eight alternate ways to practise daishou.
Lion way of doing daishou
Power release drills
Sparring drills
