By Nick Gudge

Reeling Silk Exercises (Chan si gong) are a recent development. They were created to assist students of Taiji to understand how the body must move to gain and utilise the unusual strength of Taiji (chan si jin). Understanding how the whole body coils and uncoils, opening and closing, is central to training in Taiji.

These exercises simplify the process of understanding into a graduated process. It begins first by training to move one arm / hand using whole body coiling, then the other, then both hands in one plane of motion (e,g front circle). Then a similar progression in a second, more difficult plane (side circle) is taught. Then a combination of both planes in increasing complexity.
The list below is provided as a reminder of the fixed feet reeling silk exercises WHJ commonly uses in his workshops and classes.

1. Single Arm Reeling Silk – Front Circle (zhengmian) (Left and Right Side)
2. Double Arm Reeling Silk – Front Circle
3. Single Arm Reeling Silk – Side Circle (cemian) (Left and Right Side)
4. Double Arm Reeling Silk – Side Circle
5. Peng-Lu Reeling Silk. (Left and Right Side)
6. Peng-Lu-Ji-An Reeling Silk. (Left and Right Side)

Once these are learnt and understood footwork (Bu fa) is added. Again there are increasing levels of difficulty. Stepping includes: side stepping, diagonal stepping, forwards and backwards stepping.

The list below is provided as a reminder of the stepping reeling silk exercises Grandmaster Wang Haijun commonly uses in his workshops and classes.

7. Single arm side stepping reeling silk – Front Circle (zhengmian) (Left and Right Side)
8. Diagonal stepping reeling silk (Shaung – Lu) (Left and Right Side)
9. Alternating leg diagonal stepping reeling silk
10. Forward stepping reeling silk (Shaung Bu)
11. Backwards stepping reeling silk (Tui Bu)
12. Double Arm side stepping reeling silk – Front Circle (Cloud Hands – Yun Shao)