Christmastime, and python research

Sifu Steve writes: Today is Christmas Day, and 17/100 in this examination of animals energy! The shift in emphasis has now moved to the qigong, which is essentially the Tai Chi form, but done in multiple reps. 

Interesting, in that this necessitates transitions which are not in the form, but which must still embody Tai Chi principles. An example is the small Draw-bow movement prior to White Snake / Cross Hands, which involves a really pleasant moment where the qi-ball is briefly held at the Middle Dan Tien. There's no reason for this in the logic of the form, but qigong logic is slightly different!

I've been researching pythons, and what I've learned has illuminated several moves. Snake creeps, for example, now in treetops, middle branches and down on the ground. The middle branches movement means that the hand glides down the top of the thigh, activating the Yang vessel. This is evocative of the python's ability to glide lengthwise down a branch, due to the fact that it has prehensile scales....