磨身掌 mo shen zhang
Can also be translated as Turning Body Change. The Grinding Body Change trains ‘white snake coils its body’, grinding and turning body applications, the ability to roll in on the opponent when you can’t defend otherwise. The key is in the body, don’t obsess about the footwork. Look big, and stay comfortable. If you think of the turning and apply power into the turn, then the footwork becomes easy.
Description: starting in dragon form with the left hand up.
Action One: Start with koubu, baibu liaozhang, the same as the double palm change (or can do smaller circle, like the 5th change)
Action Two: Right koubu. Hook the left hand, bring it in to the elbow then down to place the fingers on the waist, palm up. Bring the right hand up naturally after the koubu, as if lifting. Left baibu into the centre of the circle, into an open mabu. Lay out the right arm, opening the body.
Action Three: Koubu, baibu, taking tight steps and repeating three times in a small circle within the circle. The body is the axis, do not actually walk in a circle. Keep the arms in the same position.
Action Four: Left large baibu to get back on the circle line. Open up the body. Right koubu, right gaizhang on the line of the circle.
Action Five: Drop stance, hook the right hand and thread the left palm along the line of the circle, going back the way you came.
Action Six: Advance to smooth stance right chuanzhang.
Action Seven: Right koubu, roll under to left yezhang. You are now in a mabu on the line of the circle with the torso facing towards the centre.
Action Eight: Three lion form chuanzhang, advancing along the line of the circle. Start with the hand that is up, stepping through to a smooth stance. All three lion chuan step through to smooth stance. On the last one, step a bit to the outside of the circle, to facilitate the next move.
Action Nine: Koubu to turn and drop stance thread the palm, keeping going in the same direction along the line of the circle.
Action Ten: Move forward directly into dragon form. You have changed sides.
