Chen Laojia Erlu (Cannon Fist)
老架二路 · Laojia Erlu
Literally: „old frame, second routine“
Also known as: 炮捶, Paochui, Pao Chui, Erlu, Cannon Fist
The second form of the old frame of Chen-style taijiquan, called paochui, cannon fist. Faster and more explosive than the first routine: jumps, stamps, elbow strikes and fajin.
Quick Facts
About the kata
Laojia erlu is the second form of the old frame (laojia) of Chen-style taijiquan. It is more often called paochui, cannon fist. Chen Changxing arranged it, together with the first form, into today's shape. The number of movements differs by count: the English Wikipedia gives 44, egreenway.com 43, and Yang Chenhan of YMAA 42 in four sections. Yang Chenhan regards explosiveness as the form's most typical feature: the tempo is much faster than in the first routine, and jumps, kicks, sweeps and fajin releases increase. Chen Xiaoxing speaks of greater speed, more frequent fajin, and many jumps and stamps, but notes that the alternation of fast and slow rhythm remains. According to egreenway.com, the main techniques are elbow and body strikes, with the rest of the hand work being supplementary. The form is shorter than the first routine. In the recordings egreenway.com cites, it runs from under three minutes (Chen Bing) to four and a half minutes (Chen Zhenglei). Chen Xiaoxing says of it that it is learned easily but trained with difficulty, and points to its many repeated movements.
The kata in different styles
| Style | Name in the style | Movements | Kiai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chen Style Tai Chi | Laojia Erlu | 43 | — |
Meaning of the name
Paochui (炮捶) translates as cannon fist; the English Wikipedia states that this is what the second form is commonly called. Egreenway.com explains the name by the explosive, percussive character of the movements: power "like a firecracker," it says, comes from energy accumulated by silk-reeling in the first form. Laojia (老架) means old frame, erlu (二路) second routine.
Creator and history
According to the English Wikipedia, Chen Wangting created seven unarmed forms; one of them was Cannon Fist with 71 positions, today commonly known as the second form. Chen Changxing, a member of the 14th generation of the Chen family, then summarised this material into two forms, which received the name old frame. Yang Chenhan of YMAA credits Changxing directly with creating the second form and gives his life dates as 1771–1853.
Differences between styles
The second form exists in several Chen frames, and each has a different number of movements. The English Wikipedia gives 44 movements for the old frame (laojia), 50 for the small frame (xiaojia), created by Chen Youben, and 71 for the new frame (xinjia), as students named Chen Fake's methods in Chen Zhaokui's version.
Prerequisites
Chen Xiaoxing says: 'Before you start practising erlu, you must practise yilu well.' He regards a solid foundation from the first form as essential, and notes that students often want to learn cannon fist before mastering the first form. Yang Chenhan recommends the same order; at the YMAA school, he says, learning the second form after the first takes about eight months, and mastering the force releases takes years.
Common Mistakes
Learning cannon fist before the first form is mastered. Excessive emphasis on force. Movements that 'float': in the jumps, lightness and heaviness should combine, with the centre of gravity sinking while the limbs rise.
Key Tip
Upper body light, middle springy, lower body firm and heavy: movement roots in the ground, starts in the legs, is steered by the waist and shows in the hands.
Related katas
- Preceded by: Chen Laojia Yilu