Daishou Drills

1. First you need to know how to close the fist for the grab. Grab like rolling a Beijing duck pancake. Normally in Ma Gui bagua, we twist as we grab, but for the daishou drill, close the fist square. First press into the heel of the palm. Then close the finger tips, then the fingers, opening out the palm as the fingers close, and rotating the forearm. These actions expand the forearm and connect the grab deep into the body. Do the grab very slowly and deliberately, feeling the expansion and connection. Do the daishou also very slowly, to develop the tendons deep in the back. Do not do a daishou quickly until these tendons are fully developed, as you can hurt yourself.

The back leg should get tired practising daishou. That is the leg opposite where the hands finish. You sit into the back leg and push out of the back leg.

2. Mabu stance, alternating grabbing and pulling in to the waist. Reach out in front of and past the opposite shoulder onto a straight line with the stance palm up, bring the arm across horizontally to in front of and past the same shoulder with the palm down, then rotate and close to fist and bring the fist back to the hip, fist heart up. Keep the body upright and sit into the mabu.

3. Mabu stance, alternating grabbing and pulling to full daishou. Reach to the upper opposite side corner and pull down to the same side corner or stay level with the shoulders. Keep the body upright and pull from the lower back. Do not use the arm to do the daishou.

4. Mabu stance, alternating grabbing high and pulling to full low daishou. Turn to reach fully to the side above the head, and pull to daishou to the opposite side knee height. This is similar to the tendon changing exercise ‘pulling the nine oxen’ and is more intense than the other drills.

1. Straight line stepping to chuanzhang, then daishou with the same hand. Use a short daishou power, just grab and pull slightly.

2. Stepping around daishou. Do a baibu with a liaozhang to move forward. Thread the rear hand, palm up, over the extended hand, which closes palm down. Step through with a chabu and daishou with the hand that is behind (the other hand is palm up, assisting), closing to fists (keeping the palms facing the same direction, don’t rotate) and turning to mabu. Bring the arms around with the body, keeping the pulling arm extended, and bring the arms well behind the body. Step first, then daishou. Set into the supporting leg so that you do not lean. Then drop back and liaozhang again to change to the other side.

3. Stepping back daishou. Can start with a kou, baibu fanliaozhang like in the second dragon change. Advance with a smooth stance chuanzhang. Threar the rear hand over the chuanzhang hand (can also do the drill with the forward hand). Step back and daishou, closing to fist and turning to mabu. Bring the arms around with the body, keeping the pulling arm extended. Dai as you step, do not step first. Set into the supporting leg so that you do not lean. To repeat on the other side, drop back with a fanliaozhang.

4. Stepping forward daishou. This starts similar to the step forward daishou, but stepping all the way around so you end up continuing forward. Set the foot down first, then daishou. Step naturally and turn, giving up the arms.