Lu
捋
Literally: roll back
Also known as: Roll Back, Rollback
Lu (捋) is one of the four basic taiji gates: a retreating movement that absorbs and deflects the opponent's force instead of direct resistance.
Quick Facts
Katas containing this technique
About
Lu (捋), known in English as roll back, is one of the eight gates of taijiquan. One source attributes to it a retreating, absorbing quality, another describes it as a sideways retreating movement. In this it stands opposite the gate peng, whose quality is expansive. Together with peng, ji and an, lu belongs to the four basic gates (ba men). In the simplified 24-posture form it is the second of the four movements of the Lan Que Wei group (Grasp Sparrow's Tail), between peng and ji. In tui shou (push hands), lu serves the practitioner to deflect and absorb the opponent's incoming force instead of resisting it directly, thereby unbalancing him. In competitive tui shou the goal is to unbalance the opponent or push or pull him out of the circle.