The Hidden Throw in Tai Chi:

Published by

March 2, 2025

From Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail to Hold the BaGua Fish

The Turn and Throw found after the Grasp the Sparrow's Tai Sequence in the Tai Chi Single Movements

In the Tai Chi form, there’s a subtle yet powerful movement that follows the flowing sequence of Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail. It’s a change of direction—a pivot that seamlessly transitions into Hold the BaGua Fish. At first glance, it’s just a turn, but dig deeper, and you’ll find it’s actually a throw.

Imagine this: someone pushes toward you. You yield, drawing them in with their own momentum, then sink, turn, and redirect their force, sending them off in another direction. It’s a classic Tai Chi principle—softness overcoming strength. I’ve demonstrated this in class, moving slowly to highlight the mechanics, but recently, I stumbled across a YouTube Short that brings it to life in a real-world scenario.

In this clip, a guy—defending himself and his girlfriend—uses what looks like a Tai Chi Push after being provoked twice by an aggressor. When a second attacker jumps in and throws a punch, he dodges it, grabs them, and executes a turn-and-throw that’s straight out of the early Tai Chi form. I don’t know whether he’s a trained Tai Chi practitioner, but his movements mirror the technique perfectly—raw, fast, and effective.

The action unfolds so fast it’s tough to catch, so click the gear icon and slow it down to the lowest speed. Slow motion makes it easier to spot the Tai Chi moves in play.

For comparison, check out how this move flows in the traditional Tai Chi form:

Skip to 0:33–0:44 to see the transition from Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail into Hold the BaGua Fish. Notice the smooth pivot and the subtle power in the redirection.

Tai Chi: More Than Meets the Eye

Some martial artists dismiss Tai Chi as ineffective for self-defense, seeing it as slow or meditative. But when you apply it with intent and power—like in that YouTube Short—it’s a different story. The turn isn’t just a step; it’s a lesson in controlling energy, yours and your opponent’s. Tai Chi’s strength lies in its adaptability, turning a push into a throw with grace and precision.

Next time you practice the form, feel that shift after Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail. It’s not just a movement—it’s a weapon hiding in plain sight.

For further reference, you can also see the turning (throw) movement I described above in the Yang-Style 108-Movement Hand Form at minute 1:05–1:16, performed by Yang Jun.

Note that the movement “Holding the Bagua Fish,” as shown in the Redding Tai Chi video above, has disappeared from the set.

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2 responses to “The Hidden Throw in Tai Chi:”

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March 16, 2025

Hello Miguel! I found this an interesting reflection on the origin of Single Whip, and that’s why I’m sending it to you. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about metaphors in Tai Chi. It’s important to keep in mind their true meaning. Best regards. Juan Carlos

Single Whip – ‘Dan Bian’ June 3, 2011 / Tai Chi Notebook

Yang Cheng Fu performing the Single Whip posture.

The Single Whip is one of the most recognizable, yet least understood, postures in any Tai Chi form. I think the confusion stems from the name. When you hear “whip,” most people think of an Indiana Jones-style whip: a strip of leather or rope attached to a handle. Add to this the phrase “whip power,” often used to describe the force employed in many Chinese martial arts, and you see people trying to use the Single Whip posture as a strike similar to the crack of a whip. Even worse, you’ll also see them trying to use their rear, beak-like hand to strike, but more on that later.

Let’s try to solve this mystery.

Personally, I don’t think Tai Chi uses whip-like force at all, at least not in the same way as other Chinese martial arts, such as Choy Lee Fut, for example. Choy Lee Fut does use whip-like force: the arms are extended sharply, propelled by the twisting movements of the waist and body, but that’s not the same as Tai Chi movement. By extending the arms in this way, you lose control over them for a brief moment, so they move independently. In Wu Yuxian’s Tai Chi classic, it is said:

Remember, when you are moving, there is no place that doesn’t move. When you are still, there is no place that isn’t still.

It’s not possible to stop a whip-like movement like this once it’s started, which means it’s not really Tai Chi Chuan, at least not in my opinion.

The point is this: the “whip” mentioned in the name of the Tai Chi posture isn’t flexible, as you might imagine; it’s more like a stick. If you think about it, not all whips are flexible; for example, a riding crop. The posture is called the “Single Whip” because the final posture resembles that of someone carrying a yoke, but only on one side; hence the “Simple.”

The Chinese have used yokes (poles crossed over the shoulders and back) to transport goods since ancient times. Buckets are often hung from the ends of the yoke. Here’s an image from a historical website of a Chinese gold prospector from the 1860s, starting work with his tools suspended from a yoke on his shoulders.

Now look at this illustration of a Chinese man carrying a yoke with only one hand on the yoke:

This is starting to look a lot like the Tai Chi Single Whip posture, isn’t it?

The whip could also be used as a weapon in Chinese martial arts. Again, it usually referred to a short stick, not a flexible whip. In the excellent “Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals” by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, you’ll find a description of a book titled “Tiger Tail Whip” by Jiang Rong Qiao, published in 1930. It presents a lengthy routine for the metallic tiger tail whip, which is rigid and, in effect, a type of cane.

In English, the words “Single Whip” cause understandable confusion. The name is simply an aid to remembering the visual form of the stance, and is not intended as a clue as to how to use it.

And the beak hand? It’s simply a stylized version of a grab on the opponent’s wrist. It’s more elegant to touch the thumb to the fingertips when performing the grab, and remember that this is a wrist grab. A simple application of the Yang style Single Whip is to grab one of their wrists and pull it in one direction, while hitting them in the face with the other hand. There’s nothing mysterious about it!

Related /home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/a6c/3733799/files/2014/12/img_0635.jpg The Absurdity of Single Whip December 17, 2014 In “Defining Tai Chi Chuan”

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1. mc
  
  March 18, 2025
  
  This is an interesting and thoughtfull perspective. I appreciate your sharing. The writer makes valid points, but they don’t explain how this turning movent prior to Single Whip is used, i.e., why turn with the arms parallel and extended. In class, my instructor would toss me about eight feet through the air when demonstrating this movement. The whole body is connected when you do this. It doesn’t rely on strength. Single Whip comes after this movement
  
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