Side Step Exercise in Chen Style Taiji

3. Side Step Exercise
1) Stand upright with the feet placed together. Place the right palm on the right side of the waist with the thumb pointing back and the rest of the fingers forwards. Move the left palm to the left side of the body, with the palm facing left forward high as shoulder and with the shoulder relaxed and elbow lowered. Eyes look forward. (Fig 2-59)

2) Continue from. the previous movement. Turn the body slightly to the right, shift your weight to the right leg, lift the left foot up and take a step left with the left foot and place heel on the floor. At the same time, move the left palm downwards and to the right in an arc, with the arm rotating counter clockwise. Eyes look forward left. (Fig 2-60)

3) Continue from the previous movement. Turn the body slightly to the left, shift the weight to the left foot, lift the right leg and draw the right foot to the inside of the left foot. At the same time, move the left palm to the right and upward to a shoulder level, and then push to leftward in an arc with the arm rotating clockwise so that the palm faces out at the end of the movement. Eyes look forward left. (Fig 2-61)

This exercise is a method of training the coordination of the upper and lower body, by opening and closing the hand and foot in reverse order. Repeat this exercise for the right side as well. Take a step rightward, the essential points of the exercise being the same as described above, simply reversing left and right. (Fig 2-62, 2-63, 2-64)