The Wudang Stepping Methods: The ‘Ingenuities’ Of Taijiquan Nasser Butt

This article is an abridged excerpt from the forthcoming book, ‘The Energies and Ingenuities of Taijiquan,’ by Nasser Butt, re-edited specifically for Lift Hands and only references the fifth method of moving — ‘Zigzagging’.

In The Taiji manual of Gu Ruzhang1 — Taiji Boxing — published in May 1936, we are told of the ‘Seven Ingenuities’: The “seven ingenuities” are the clever ways of transforming:

七巧者。是巧妙變換。⼀變腰。⼆變腕。三變肘。四變肩。五變身。六變胯。七變步。又謂 之七 種動作也。(⼀)進步。(⼆)退步。(三)閃展步。(四)連環步。(五)萬⼦步。 卍(六)旋轉步。(七)搖身 膀胱。

1. Transform at your waist 2. Transform at your wrist 3. Transform at your elbow 4. Transform at your shoulder 5. Transform with your torso 6. Transform at your hip 7. Transform with your step

The term is also applied to seven ways of moving:

1. Advancing 2. Retreating 3. Side-stepping 4. Continuous stepping 5. Zigzagging 6. Spinning around 7. Shaking

The ‘seven ingenuities,’ simply put, are a means by which to bring about a change or alteration through yielding, sticking and folding — this is aided by expanding, contracting, opening, closing, rolling, reeling, releasing and, of course, stepping!

The Treatise of Wang T’sung-yeuh of Shanxi — Great Pole Boxing: The Theory [circa late 18th century] confirms this…

Suddenly conceal, suddenly reveal. Left is full, then left empty. Right is full, then right insubstantial.

The above simply leads us to a higher understanding of the concepts of yielding and sticking [primarily developed through Dǎ Shou — Striking Hands, commonly referred to as Push Hands].

From the moment of first contact, we listen to and identify the source, pressure and direction of the attack and instantly ‘empty’ that side [change shape through movement]. If the pressure appears on both sides — we instantly sink or contract one side [change shape through movement] to achieve the same result! In other words... evade your opponent’s major force by changing your own shape through movement [hard to soft] — and thereby, changing the shape of your opponent’s attack [draining energy] — in order to prevent any resistance between the two, thus placing you in an advantageous position from where to continue your own attack [soft to hard].

Yielding does not mean to run around aimlessly trying to evade your opponent’s force only to re-invite an attack again and again, in the hope that he will tire out or give up, or simply fall away. That is just plain stupid and deserving of a beating!

By changing yourself, you have brought about a change to the meaning of your opponent’s attack. Now, it is critical to understand this - I do not attempt to physically change my opponent, I bring about a change in him by changing myself! In combat, as in life, the only person we have control, or mastery over, is ourselves — not our opponents! Thus giving Wang cause to state:

Men don’t know me, I alone know men. The irresistibility of the hero’s progress is surely entirely achieved through this...

Without opposition or resistance!

Further,

Refer to the phrase: "Four ounces deflect a thousand pounds" This is clearly not force’s victory. Regard the image of the old man able to hold off a multitude - How could this be by speed accomplished?

The above phrase is a master class on yielding and the relationship between the legs, hips and waist.

Lively as a carriage wheel - Depress one side and the other follows.

Wang, through the image of the “old man” is introducing us to three of the four cornerstones [the first being the head and its importance in Taijiquan and rooting] and the rule of the waist, as well as the classical p’eng/hinge [lower p’eng] ‘guard’ of Taijiquan and how to hold the centre ground and connect the four yang channels in Dǎ Shou! Citing examples, he explains correct structure and movement[expanding and contracting/opening and closing] and the common errors [especially the role of double-weightedness] which prevent students from developing the concepts of neutralising and issuing due to a failure of understanding the principles involved — thereby, allowing themselves to be controlled by their opponents.

In order to rectify this situation, Wang tells us that:

To avoid this fault, one must know negative and positive "Sticking" is “running,” "running" is "sticking". Negative does not leave positive.

In other words in order to remedy these errors we must understand the active and passive and that within sticking there is yielding and within yielding there is sticking! The active and passive never depart from each other and are continuously exchanging roles or cleverly “transforming”!

Finally, the image of the “old man” represents skill achieved through learning [and experience] as opposed to natural strength and speed — he no longer possesses the strength and speed of youth, yet he can still fight and win!

In the list of Gu’s “ingenuities,” the final one given involves transforming “with your step”! He then gives us a further “seven ways of moving”.

These seven methods should not be mistaken for the Five Directions of Taijiquan [even though they play a major role in developing them ] — which are components of the 13 Dynamics — even though the first two on the list are found in the Five Directions themselves. Whilst Gu gives us the names of these seven methods, alas, there are no descriptions or illustrations provided in his manual!

Although some may say that the names are descriptive in themselves — it is not that clear cut when one starts to question the methodology itself. Further, the translations offered, or what is understood by the native speaker from the written word, may also be misleading if one is not aware of the methodology involved and the martial connotations!

In 1995 my teacher, Erle Montaigue, travelled for a second time to China2 — this time to train with the keeper of the Wudang System — Master Liang Shih-kan.

During this trip, amongst other things, he was taught the Eight Stepping Methods of the Wudang. These ‘Stepping Methods3,’ he was told, were the precursors or the ‘meta data’ from which the internal arts developed their own ideas. These methods have no names per se — they are simply a set of transitions from A to B to C etc and are usually referenced as first, second, third all the way to the eighth!

Whilst learning these methods, I made extensive notes during my training [as was my habit] and would question Erle regarding these, and he would elaborate further or clarify a point. The transformations or steps could clearly be seen in Old Yang Taijiquan, as well as Baguazhang and what little bit of Xingyi drills we were taught. Again, as per my habit [and being a trained scientist], I would often research the subject matters, looking for corroborating evidence in the available historical literature, as well as contemporary teachings. I failed to find anything referencing specific stepping methods, I was surprised to say the least as I thought that this would have been a standard subject regardless of the family style! The only reference I had been given was the one from Erle4 — the Wudang. Whilst this was more then good enough for me, I continued my research.

The purpose behind these stepping methods is manifold! They teach us many specific things which are key to understanding our Taiji or Baguazhang as complete martial arts , especially where self-defence is concerned as opposed to studying the arts for health or sporting purposes alone, with the main points5 being:

1. Intent 2. Rooting 3. Connectivity between above and below [the balanced pairs] 4. Rolling [Thunder] 5. Releasing 6. Reeling 7. Understanding and developing centrifugal and centripetal forces and the roles they play in movement 8. The Four Cornerstones 9. Understanding the relationship between the square and the circle 10. Expanding 11. Contracting 12. Opening 13. Closing 14. Direction/cutting angles 15. Distance 16. Timing 17. Natural [innate] movement 18. Soong 19. Change/Transformation 20. Active/Passive 21. Fa-jing 22. Bracing

It was a couple of years after Erle’s passing in 2011 that I came across the full text of Gu’s work, although, funnily enough, I had come across his works earlier whilst researching other subjects and had put them aside at the time. Again, the connections between subject matters were not always clear cut as different terminology was used to describe similar themes and sometimes, as per the cliché — you couldn’t see the wood for the trees!

So, finally, I had historical corroboration of ‘stepping,’ or as Gu referred to them ‘ingenuities’ — ‘applied to seven ways of moving’!

Whilst Gu’s works provide us with the evidence, however, close inspection shows that there are glaring differences too:

1. The Wudang has Eight6 Stepping Methods 2. Gu gives us seven7 ways of stepping. However, number seven on the list is “shaking” — shaking plays a role in all eight of the Wudang methods and refers to fa-jing and the role of the waist and therefore is not a ‘stepping method’ and technically speaking leaves us with only six! 101

3. The glaring omissions are ‘leaping’ and ‘cross-stepping’! 4. No descriptive or illustrative methodology8 is provided by

Gu!

Gu does not provide us the source of his ingenuities. It is obviously Yang family, but is it first hand or second hand? Further, since as far as the omission of the ‘leaping’ method is concerned, it may be safe to presume that this information is post Yang Cheng-fu’s modifications of his family form, since we are clearly told by the historian, Gu Liuxin [no relative]:

Cheng-fu’s boxing style during his middle years was bold and vigorous, powerful and strong, imposing with his leaps. After Yang Cheng-fu went to the South, he began to explicitly emphasize the use of Taijiquan in treating illness and protecting health. For example, when Cheng-fu first performed his art in Shanghai, the movements of Separating Feet and Kick with Heel still retained the training methods of rapid kicks having the sound of the wind. Later, however, he changed to slow, gradual kicks, with the placement of fajin (issuing energy) in the kicks being concealed within. Other boxing powers and methods were also transformed to a continuous pace with no breaking of the cadence and from a hurried to an even pace.9

And by Douglas Wile, who tells us:

Not until late in Ch’eng-fu’s career did retentions of the Ch’en style jumps, flying kicks, stamps, changes of pace, and shouts finally disappear from his form.10

It is accepted that Yang Cheng-fu completed most of these changes by 192811 and died sometime in 1936. Gu’s book is published in the same year as Cheng-fu’s death — May 1936 — in which it is stated that some of the information was copied from existing works of students such as Chen Weiming. However, regardless of the differences, can we confidently say that his work contains echos of the Wudang Stepping Methods contained within Yang family teachings?

Zigzagging

The fifth way of moving listed by Gu is “Zigzagging” — no further information or elaboration is provided!

The Collins English Dictionary defines zigzagging as:

a line or course characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions12

The Britannica Dictionary13 provides the following image for zigzagging:

It should not take a rocket scientist to work out that the image provided by Britannica is the image that would instantly come to all our minds who are familiar with the term zigzag or zigzagging!

However, this is not what is being implied by Gu’s text!

As I have already stated above, Gu does not provide us with any illustration or methodology on the subject, nor does he elaborate beyond what he states in his text. However, close scrutiny of his text in light of what we know from the Wudang Stepping Methods yields far more.

In Gu’s text we read:

(五)萬⼦步。 卍

bù wàn (5) zi wàn

So, the text reads: (5) wàn zi bù 。 wàn

Where wàn equates to 10,000 [ten thousand] or innumerable; zi [character] equates to a noun or suffix and bù simply equates to a step / a pace / walk. This is simply rendered as “zigzagging”!

At this point, I must state for those readers who do not know me, that I do not speak, read or write Chinese. My Chinese is limited to the vocabulary I have inherited as a part of my martial traditions. However, what I have inherited is a good martial grounding in Taijiquan [including Baguazhang and Wudang Boxing] as opposed to one focused entirely on health, and I also have students in mainland China with PhD level linguistic skills training under myself and researching on my behalf — and it is to those which I turned.

There are no zigzagging movements in Taijiquan nor in the Wudang Stepping Methods as defined by the Britannica Dictionary above!

There are ‘V’ steps [as explained in section on ‘Advancing’], which could be argued by an uninitiated person as zigzagging, this however, would be an incorrect interpretation.

Returning to Gu’s text, if the readers look carefully at the passage at the beginning of the article, you will find a swastika14 between (5) zigzagging and (6) spinning around, which I have highlighted in red! Yes, that is a swastika!

I referenced my Chinese dictionary for the relevance of the swastika and once I was confident that I had worked out my understanding, I tested it by contacting my main student in Shenyang — Mungo Zhangruibo. I wrote:

I have an urgent question for you… please look at the attached image, I need to clarify something… if you look at the 7 ways of moving… No.5 has been translated as zigzagging (10,000 steps) and No.6 as Spinning around… between 5 and 6 is a Swastika… I need to know is the swastika a part of the description of 5 or 6?

I wanted to make sure it belonged to No.5 in the list (10K/ Zigzagging) and not No.6…. the reason being that I believe that this is actually a reference to the 8th Method of the Wudang which teaches us to make ‘L’ steps whilst turning thereby making the shape of a spinning swastika! The text has no images… therefore, the term ‘zigzagging’ whilst accurate in translation is misleading in context… I’ll send you a video later to show you what I mean

I received my reply a few hours later:

I can confirm the swastika belongs to No.5 and I’m looking forward to seeing the video to elaborate it to me. I think, 卍 was translated into Chinese character into the nearest sound as maan (svá)…

Swastika is originated from India. 卍 is 10K in Chinese. So, 萬 (万 as simplified) is 10k; 字(character) 步 (step) means that you walk in the pattern of 卍!

The character in red should be used. Therefore, the character of 10K steps (zigzagging) is more accurate. Or, we can use “wan/ 万 zi/字” (mandarin) steps directly!

Later that evening I sent Mungo a video of myself performing the 8th Stepping Method of the Wudang:

The method begins with the practitioner weighted upon the left leg with the right foot placed slightly ahead [River stance] . The right foot lifts up flat and is placed flat 90º to the left foot [toe-to-toe], forming the shape of

the letter ‘L’ as the centre turns counter-clockwise [left].

The weight shifts to the right foot as the left foot is raised flat and placed 90º to the right foot — heel-to-toe.

The body continues turning counter-clockwise as the right foot now swings around and is placed at 90º…

The pattern continues endlessly [10,000 steps]…

Until the practitioner decides to change direction by placing their right foot heel-to-toe [see below]. Now the pattern will reverse and continue clockwise making ‘L’ steps — the swastika spinning from rightwards!

Mungo made some consultations and responded almost straightaway…

I enjoy your move in the video, very clear! Also, very entertaining when you are in your red shoes to demonstrate the 萬字步 �……

Indeed, 卍 is spinning endlessly…in Buddhism as well � I had my answer — the 8th Wudang Stepping Method is indeed Gu’s method number 5 as I had suspected!

Gu places this as the fifth step on his list. Again, we are not told if the order matters or if the list is random. In the Wudang Methods this is the eighth or final method. It is placed there for a specific reason — by this stage of training and understanding you should be able to brace yourself in any direction as per the Classics and mentioned by Chen Weiming in his 1925 book, ‘The Art of Taiji Boxing’ under the heading ‘Understanding How To Practice The Thirteen Dynamics’:

Your posture must be straight and comfortable, bracing in all directions.

When your headtop is suspended, you will automatically be upright. When you are relaxed, you will automatically be comfortable. When you are as stable as Mt. Tai, you will automatically be able to brace in all directions.

‘L’ and ‘T15’ steps are used throughout the 3 main internal arts, especially in Baguazhang. They are short ‘choppy’ movements which allow us to yield and brace against a force coming into us from any direction. There are also specific training methods which develop and test our bracing. There is no better way then the spinning swastika to help us develop and understand these concepts.

These steps abound in Taijiquan, albeit more subtly then Baguazhang, but they are there nonetheless both, in the Old Yang form — including the leaping components — as well as in the Pàochuí or Canon Fist Form!

What makes Gu’s list interesting is that while the fundamental information is there, the technical details are not [at least not for those who do not know what to look for]! The question that this raises is that, was this information left out deliberately, or was it simply information which was copied from other works without actual training?

What is clear is that the simple translation of “zigzagging” does not suffice! The term 10,000 occurs a lot in Chinese martial arts and philosophy — it is simply a way of saying a lot or innumerable and not to be taken literally, giving us a meaning that is far better to understand… ‘innumerable stepping in the pattern of a swastika 卍’. This not only tells us what to do but also how to do it!

Above photography: Anelia Andreeva A simplified illustration for using a short sharp ‘L’ step to redirect an oncoming force and countering.

In conclusion we can confidently state that the ‘ingenuities’ of moving contained within the text of Gu Ruzhang certainly echo The Eight Stepping Methods of Wudang and we shouldn’t be really surprised at that or Master Liang Shih-kan’s claim that they are the basis upon which the footwork of the internal arts is based, after all, we know that after completing his training in the Chen village, Yang Lu-ch’an headed out to the Wudang as per Douglas Wile:

“Ch’ang-hsing gave him the transmissions of Chang Sang-feng, Chiang Fa and Wang Tsung-yueh, and Lu-ch’an, realizing the Taoist origins of the art, journeyed to the Wu-tang Mountains in search of a master. It was here that he studied Taoist yoga and the soft aspect of martial arts and invented push hands. Returning to the world as a consummate martial artist, he was introduced by Wu Yu-hsiang in Peking.”16

If the above is an accurate account of Yang Lu-ch’an’s travels and most historians agree that he did head to the Wudang, then we have a good reason to believe the oral tradition told by Liang to Erle to be true! Further, other historians agree with Wudang connection to Taijiquan and the internal schools as referenced in my book The 12 Secret Rings of Yang Family17

According to the “Preface” of Chu Minyi found in Wu Tu-nan’s (a disciple of Yang Shao Hou and a historian of Taijiquan) book — A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing, published in 1931:

“Taiji Boxing is a boxing art of the internal school.”

Furthermore, Wu himself adds:

“Wang Yuyang said: 'Of the boxing arts, Shaolin is the external school and Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang is the internal school.’ After Zhang Sanfeng, there was Wang Zongyue of Xi’an. Having obtained Zhang’s true teachings, he then became famous for producing many writings in which he thoroughly explains Taiji Boxing’s profound principles.”

Again, Chen Pan-ling, another student of Yang Shao Hou and a historian, in the “Introduction” to his book — Chen Pan-ling’s Original Tai Chi Chuan Textbook, states:

“Tai Chi Chuan belongs to Wutang school”

And finally, Yang Cheng-fu and Dong Yingjie in their book Methods Of Applying Taiji Boxing (Taijiquan Shiyong Fa) state in their “General Remarks” section:

“Taiji Boxing is fundamentally related to Wudang’s boxing of internal skill.”

The above does not mean that Taijiquan, Baguazhang or Xingyiquan were invented at the Wudang or even practiced there as the arts we know today — no not at all! What it means is that these arts took ideas from Wudang Boxing and developed them into their own individual systems — and this is exactly what we are being told by Yang Cheng-fu and Dong Yingjie in the final quote highlighted above!

Notes:

1. The Taiji manual of Gu Ruzhang: Taiji Boxing published May 1936 [translation by Paul Brennan, Aug, 2013; https:// brennantranslation.wordpress.com] 2. I have covered this in detail in my book ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ — available from Peecho and details can be found in this publication. 3. Although these methods are referred to as ‘Stepping Methods,’ I prefer the term ‘Transformations’ myself as per the text of Gu for the simple reason that at the highest level of Taijiquan there is ‘no footwork’ — the training methods at this level should have ensured that, ‘heaven, man earth’ are united and moving as one! However, to distinguish between Gu’s text and that inherited through my teacher, I shall refer to the Wudang as ‘Stepping Methods’. 4. Erle, himself, made no reference to Gu’s works. I believe he was unfamiliar with them. Had he known, he would have cited this as evidence as he had done previously, especially with the works of Chen Pan-ling, Chen Weiming and even

Chen Yanlin! 5. The main points, listed here as bullets, are not exhaustive and are explained in more detail in the forthcoming book — they can simply, however, be categorised under the Principles and Motions of The 13 Dynamics! Gu, himself, lists these ‘ingenuities’ as a part of ‘Explaining Taiji’s Generative Principles’. 6. Eight is an auspicious number in Chinese culture and also denotes yang in martial arts, whereas 7 is regarded yin!

Many of the forms are usually based on auspicious numbers! 7. See note 5 above. 8. This is an important point since we are not told “How to…?” This omission will play a critical role in our understanding of the ‘ingenuities’. 9. Fu Zhongwen. Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan (Yang Shih T’ai Chi Ch’uan)/Translated by Louis Swaim, 1999, published by North Atlantic Books. An Introduction to Yang Style Taijiquan, pp.6 & 7.

10. Wile, Douglas. T’ai-chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, Sweet Ch’i Press, 1983. pp.xii.

11. Butt, Nasser. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Published 2021 12. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/zigzagging 13. https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/zigzag 14. A decent brief history of the swastika in world culture and its importance can be found on wikipedia. I have referenced some of the material here for the student to understand this and why the guilt and shame of its use in the West whilst committing the heinous crime against humanity of the Holocaust, should not prevent them from doing so!

The swastika symbol, 卐 or 卍, today primarily recognized in the West for its use by the Nazi party, is an ancient religious icon in various Eurasian cultures. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indic religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It generally takes the form of a cross, the arms of which are of equal length and perpendicular to the adjacent arms, each bent midway at a right angle.

In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s when the German Nazi Party adopted a right-facing ('clockwise') form and used it as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, in the West it continues to be strongly associated with Nazism and antisemitism and is now a symbol of white supremacy or, simply, of evil. As a consequence, its use in some countries, including Germany, is prohibited by law. However, the swastika remains a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain countries such as Nepal, India, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan. It is also commonly used in Hindu marriage ceremonies and Diwali celebrations. The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: िससक, romanized: svastika, meaning "conducive to well-being". In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) ( 卐 ) is called swastika, symbolizing surya ("sun"), prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) ( 卍 ) is called sauwastika, symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jain symbolism, it represents Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhist symbolism it represents the auspicious footprints of the Buddha. In several major Indo-European religions, the swastika symbolises lightning bolts, representing the thunder god and the king of the gods, such as Indra in Vedic Hinduism, Zeus in the ancient Greek religion, Jupiter in the ancient Roman religion, and Thor in the ancient Germanic religion. The symbol is found in the archeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation and Samarra, as well as in early Byzantine and Christian artwork.

In various European languages, it is known as the fylfot, gammadion, tetraskelion, or cross cramponnée (a term in Anglo-Norman heraldry); German: Hakenkreuz; French: croix gammée; Italian: croce uncinata; Latvian: ugunskrusts. In Mongolian it is called Хас (khas) and mainly used in seals. In Chinese it is called 卍字 (wànzì) meaning "all things symbol", pronounced manji in Japanese, manja (만자) in Korean and vạn tự / chữ vạn in Vietnamese.

Reverence for the swastika symbol in Asian cultures, in contrast to the stigma attached to it in the West, has led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.

According to René Guénon, the swastika represents the north pole, and the rotational movement around a centre or immutable axis (axis mundi), and only secondly it represents the Sun as a reflected function of the north pole. As such it is a symbol of life, of the vivifying role of the supreme principle of the universe, the absolute God, in relation to the cosmic order. It represents the activity (the Hellenic Logos, the Hindu Om, the Chinese Taiyi, "Great One") of the principle of the universe in the formation of the world. According to Guénon, the swastika in its polar value has the same meaning of the yin and yang symbol of the Chinese tradition, and of other traditional symbols of the working of the universe, including the letters Γ (gamma) and G, symbolising the Great Architect of the Universe of Masonic thought.

According to the scholar Reza Assasi, the swastika represents the north ecliptic north pole centred in ζ Draconis, with the constellation Draco as one of its beams. He argues that this symbol was later attested as the four-horse chariot of Mithra in ancient Iranian culture. They believed the cosmos was pulled by four heavenly horses who revolved around a fixed centre in a clockwise direction. He suggests that this notion later flourished in Roman Mithraism, as the symbol appears in Mithraic iconography and astronomical representations.

According to the Russian archaeologist Gennady Zdanovich, who studied some of the oldest examples of the symbol in Sintashta culture, the swastika symbolises the universe, representing the spinning constellations of the celestial north pole centred in α Ursae Minoris, specifically the Little and Big Dipper (or Chariots), or Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. Likewise, according to René Guénon the swastika is drawn by visualising the Big Dipper/Great Bear in the four phases of revolution around the pole star.

In Native American culture, particularly among the Pima people of Arizona, the swastika is a symbol of the four winds. Anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing noted that among the Pima the symbol of the four winds is made from a cross with the four curved arms (similar to a broken sun cross), and concludes "the right-angle swastika is primarily a representation of the circle of the four wind gods standing at the head of their trails, or directions.”

In Asia, the swastika symbol first appears in the archaeological record around 3000 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilisation. It also appears in the Bronze and Iron Age cultures around the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. In all these cultures, the swastika symbol does not appear to occupy any marked position or significance, appearing as just one form of a series of similar symbols of varying complexity. In the Zoroastrian religion of Persia, the swastika was a symbol of the revolving sun, infinity, or continuing creation. It is one of the most common symbols on Mesopotamian coins. The icon has been of spiritual significance to Indic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The swastika is a sacred symbol in the Bön religion, native to Tibet.

Source: Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

15. A ’T’ step is where the foot is placed centrally across the other foot to literally form the shape of the letter ’T’ as opposed to an ‘L’! 16. Wile, Douglas — Page vii ‘Translator’s Note’ ; T’ai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions [1983]

17. Butt, Nasser. The 12 Secret Rings of Yang Family — available from Peecho and details can be found in this publication. Chapter: Striking/Joining/Playing Hands The Third Ring (House) of Yang; Page 33, published April 2020.