MIXING THE ENERGY OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT BODY (Pomona, CA 1/99) For all of these movements, the left side is slow and precise, the right side fast and vigorous. These passes are aimed at a circular core or disk of energy that extends from below the groin to about chest level. When the left hand strikes, it goes to the lower edge of this core. When the right hand strikes, it goes to the upper edge. When the left knee is raised, it goes only to the lower edge--the back is rounded and the foot is held suspended for several seconds. When the right knee is raised, it goes as high as it can, and the toe points to the ground: 1. The left hand performs "Bunching Necessary Energy and Dispersing Unnecessary Energy". As the left hand returns to the left hip, pause before beginning on the right. 2. The left leg and arm perform "Piling Energy Onto The Left and Right Bodies", retrieving only far enough to make a de facto step forward. The right follows quickly. 3. The right arm performs "Gathering Energy With One Arm and Striking It With The Other", cutting quickly across the front, then the left foot slides slowly up as the heel of the left hand slowly strikes the lower edge of the core. (In this version, the nominal hand is pulled up so that the back of the flat palm is near the opposite cheek; the hand sweeps down and out, and makes the "cut across the opponent's eyes", then the other hand strikes.) The left then slowly cuts across, and the heel of the right hand strikes forcefully forward to the core's upper edge as the right foot steps. 4. The left foot slides slowly at a 45 degree angle to the left for "Gathering Energy With The Arms And Legs". Rock for a count of three and inhale, then grab slowly three times. Hop so that you are 45 degrees right of the ORIGINAL direction, rock and grab three times more briskly with the right hand. 5. The left hand performs "Gathering Energy From One Body And Dispersing It On The Other", as the left foot slides forward, the eyes following the fist all the way back, engaging the abdominals. The right foot steps as the right hand mirrors quickly. 6. Begin "Grabbing Energy From The Shoulders and Smashing It On The Centers Of Vitality", normal speed on both sides. The right hand grabs energy at the left shoulder, then the abdominals pull the right elbow back behind the right hip; as the fist strikes slightly down across the left vital center,the left knee stirs the energy by coming up to the right. As the feet reset, the left hand begins to mirror. 7. The left foot slides up as the arms slowly cross to perform "Pushing Energy Out To The Sides With The Elbows", left arm on top. The right foot quickly steps up even as the arms break forcefully apart; the arms fold again quickly as the right foot steps up; the arms break apart slowly as the left foot slides even. 8. The left foot slides back as the arms slowly cross to perform "Drawing Two Inward Circles of Energy In Front Of The Body And Crushing Them Out To The Sides", left arm closest to the body. The right foot quickly steps back even as the arms break forcefully apart; the arms fold again quickly as the right foot steps back; the arms break apart slowly as the left foot slides even. 9. The fists are brought slowly down to waist level, palms facing, to perform "Striking Energy In Front Of The Body And On The Left And Right With Both Fists". The left foot slides to the left, followed slowly by the right, as the upper torso leans slowly left and the fists strike slowly up on the left diagonal. As the fists come back to the center, the feet slide step quickly right, and the torso and fists quickly complete the right side of the movement. 10. With the fists at the end of 10., the left knee is raised and the fists strike slowly to either side of it at the lower edge of the core to begin "Striking Energy In Front of The Body With Both Fists And On The Left and Right". The torso slowly twists left, and the strike/slap/strike sequence slowly performed, and the fists slowly recenter. The move is completed forcefully and quickly on the right--as the right knee is raised, the fists strike to the top edge of the core. This series has three accompanying breaths: 1. The Breath For The Upper Fringe Of The Lungs 2. The Lateral Breath 3. The Butterfly Breath It is followed by the Second Gazing technique.