This year we’ve practiced swing hands everywhere. This is a very fundamental and flexible practice. You can do it just by shifting your weight, taking steps, changing sides, solo, in a form or in a group. We’ve done that in multiple places in two groups, but in Mera we had whole class together, over fifty. We started that with one person in the middle and adding one at a time on both sides. Wait first, that the last person has found the rhytm, before joining. We did also steps and changes.
There are a few points to keep in mind whether you practice alone or together. Both side, left and right, leg and arm, are either bent or extended, and the other side the other way. The wrong way may look and feel fine, but everyone should do the same. Don’t go up and down while shifting the weight, keep the same height. With steps always put the empty foot down to the ground and pick it up, don’t drag. And everyone should have the same foot in front, in a group next to the partner’s foot but on the outside, other side than in tuishou.
In the slow set we practiced especially diligently fist under elbow. When you first shift your weight back and turn left, don’t turn too much to bypass the toes of your left foot. Keep your arms more in front of your body, also when you push back to the corner, not to the side. Here, hands are almost like in single whip. The step with your right foot is the same as the very first step in the set but mirrored. In the end, elbows are waist high. The punch is more from right to the center than forward, and a little up.
We practiced the fast set with longer counts, giving time to relax in the postures. I got a couple personal corrections, but here are some general ones. In kicks, open hands first, then kick. After the first kicks, turn first right to brush left knee and push, like in slow set, then brush right knee and push with a little jump, followed by a step forward and punch down, all in one count. In cloud hands, turn on heel, and keep hands in front of the body, not too wide to the side. Also in turn around and cross-kick, the left hand stays in front of the body after the kick.
We also added one last count to the fast set. Keep your wrists bent at the very end, until the teacher finishes with hen hao. In the slow set I did the same. That leaves open an option to start again. First and last movements are in that point exactly the same.
And practice your corrections.