A Brief Analysis of the Taiji Dragon-Serpent Form
(This is a pretty literal and at times somewhat rough translation)
By Wang Rongshan
At the time, when Mr. Zhaokui practiced, his movements were infused with the form of a dragon and serpent, which piqued my great interest. For this reason, I traveled to Xi'an to visit Mr. Liqing on the 27th day of the lunar month. We arranged a meeting with Comrade Li Gang, who was working in the area, to visit Mr. Liqing, who was 86 years old at the time. We entered the room and saw Liqing sitting in a chair. Her caretaker told us that it was difficult for her to walk. Although it had been a while since we last saw each other, she still seemed very energetic. I quickly stepped forward and took her hand. She looked at me for a moment and asked, 'What is your name?' I replied, 'My surname is Wang.' 'Where are you from?' 'Sanmenxia.' She pulled me to sit beside her, and immediately we had much to talk about. Her memory was clear, and she responded sharply. Fearing she might become tired, I brought up the main topic and asked her to explain the "Dragon-Serpent" form that Mr. Zhaokui used in his movements.
Liqing paused for a moment, then spoke emotionally: 'It’s such a pity! Tenth Uncle left us too soon. His style of boxing is something not everyone can master. The Dragon-Serpent form was only fully expressed through his body. That day, Tenth Uncle's stance was very low, his posture upright, with relaxed shoulders and hips. He moved with stability, lightness, flexibility, and a sense of grandeur. His waist controlled various spiraling and coiling movements, his abdomen rotated in all directions — up and down, left and right, forward and back. His chest, back, and hips opened and closed in a synchronized manner. The entire body moved in an orderly manner, with expanding and contracting motions that cycled back and forth, transitioning smoothly from one form to another. The chest, waist, and hips moved seamlessly in complex, multi-dimensional patterns that were extremely subtle and coordinated. His whole body demonstrated twisting, turning, expanding, contracting, bending, twisting, and rotating movements, with the guiding energy extending to each joint. His hands, elbows, feet, and knees executed techniques like "ward off," "roll back," "press," "push," "pluck," "split," "elbow strike," "shoulder strike," "hook," "block," "sweep," "burst," "twist," and "stamp." The Dragon-Serpent form was vividly brought to life, its movements wonderfully lifelike. At times, it seemed like a python emerging from its cave, its body moving in waves, alternating between curves and straight lines. At other times, the upper body coiled and the lower body followed, the lower body sinking while the upper body responded.'"