Ta Lu

John Kells taught a number of small, moving sets called Ta Lu. I think there were 6 or 7 of them.

I learned 2 of them and in later years there was mostly a focus on the first one. Ta Lu means Large Rollback or Great Pulling. The first Ta Lu encompassed roll back, slap, press, shoulder and elbow. It's on my earlier post on Push Hands and Stuff.

Ta Lu involves stepping, being mobile. It teaches you not to be stuck in your feet, to listen, stick and follow. It is a prelude to learning the two person fighting set, which was called the Dance by John.

The first Ta Lu is fairly easy to learn and also a great way to practise being lively with a partner.