Front Twirl - Wushu Staff

Front Twirl - Wushu Staff

The front twirl is one of the most basic wushu staff skills. Your staff should be as long as you are tall (or a few cm less). BTW, the front twirl with the wushu staff and the front twirl with the wushu spear are 100% the same. Only difference: Length of the weapon. Find more wushu staff instructions at staff main.

Execution

  • Note: The thin end of the wushu staff is the "TOP" and the thick end is the "END".
  • Beginning: Hold your staff with your right hand in front of you. The left hand only supports the swing while the right hand holds the staff a bit firmer. Don't grab the staff too firm, (with the whole hand) or the whole motion will become kinda stiff. The right hand grabs with the "HUKOU" of your hand. (HUKOU = tiger mouth) That's the area between your pointer and the thumb. Keep your hands and the staff close to your trunk.
  • Right foot in front. (firm - toes point straight forward) Left foot about one shoulder width behind the right foot (loose - toes touch the floor)
  • Let the top of the staff fall down in front of you. The end of the staff passes on the right side of your right elbow (outside). Keep the staff and you hands very close to your body. The left hand only helps, the right hand does most of the movement.
  • The top of the staff passes on the right side of your legs and then goes under the right shoulder.
  • Turn you torso a bit to your left so that the shoulder opens and the staff can pass. That's why the back foot has to be loose. (but keep looking straight forward as you turn to your left) So first the end of the staff passes on the left side of your legs, right over your feet and then the top. (top and end of the staff pass over your feet because the staff is kept close to the body) Watch the hands in the FM animation above: This is the only time when the staff touches the back hand of the supporting hand (left hand) for a short moment. Some wushu athletes let the staff run through the fingers at this point, others let it go over the back hand.
  • Rotate the staff 180 degrees on your left side, so that the top points up again and twist back your upper body to the beginning position. Careful: This is not yet the end !!! (but the position of the staff an the hands and the posture are exactly the same)
  • Again let the top of the staff fall down in front you. (but not like at the beginning) Now the end of the staff passes on the left side of your left elbow and the top falls to the right side of your legs. Watch out: This is the only time your hands are really crossed. Relax the right hand more than normally so that the staff lies soft in the "HUKOU". If you don't do this, the staff will not pass close to the legs and you will mess up the whole twirl.
  • Twist the staff 180 degrees on your right side, so that the end points down and the top up. NOW YOU ARE THE BEGINING AGAIN !!!
    Coming Next: Top of the wushu staff falls down again and goes under the shoulder again.

Advice

  • When you do the front twirl with your wushu staff, your hands should stay pretty close together and close to your chest.
  • Keep your staff close to your body. The further you twirl it from the body, the more likely you will hit your legs. Exercise: Stand with your right shoulder on a wall and twirl the staff without letting the top or the end hit the wall. Then do the same thing with your left shoulder on a wall. The shoulder should always be about one inch from the wall.