Anyone know where I can find more info on this drill?

Find a good teacher who has a practical understanding of why twisting the wrists and arms in such exercises can be a good flexibility exercise as well as help the practitioner to learn how to evade a variety of attempts to put you in wrist and arm locks.

"Holding the teacup" type exercises are a real aspect of martial bagua but are hard to do well and ideally should only be done when triggered by the correct martial stimulus.

It is impossible to learn how to do such tactics from books or videos, if you don't have considerable relevant experience to begin with and I haven't seen any I would recommend for learning such methods.

Appreciate the advie Michael. I have a good teacher but I am not sure if this is part of his BGZ ciricullum as I mostly study XY with him right now. I have seen thge drill described as good for shoulder mobility.

Here's a crash coarse in Tea Cups.

Stand with feet parallel- shoulder width- knees bent a little.

Put a bean bag or wad of paper in your right hand-palm up- with the hand/arm extended out in front of your heart.

Swing the hand back as if to hit yourself in the crotch- but move your hips back (to miss your crotch) and continue bringing the hand past your side (as if reaching into a jacket pocket)... there will be a slight turn of the waist to allow the hand to pass.

Keep the palm up (and the shoulder relaxed) as you swing your hand WAY around (still palm up) and try to smack yourself in the forehead (but pull your upper body back just enough to miss hitting yourself)-

The hand continues around... (almost as if you are pulling a hat from your head and flinging it away like a Frisbee)...and winds up right back in front of your chest- and you start all over.

Try to keep a continuous, smooth movement.

Then switch hands.

Large movements are fine- the movements can get smaller and more compact and faster as you get more comfortable.

(the bean bag or wad are simply to help you get the idea of keeping your palm up the first time or two you do the exercise).

*over all your posture stays upright- except for moving the upper body back and forth to move your head out of the way- and to move your groin out of the way.

good luck.
Shane

Bill. I was never taught them, just copied what I saw from some videos. They are very usefull, seems like almost endless possible applications, also helps to keep my upper body from stiffening up.

First saw them on some BQ video by a college group. Mike Paterson also shows some versions on one or two of his tapes and cds, but he seems to imply that there are specific applications. That thinking limits the use of them.

Hi Guys
Just my 2p's worth... I have the DVDs from Mike Paterson and I have to say, they are very good. He teaches 8 variations on the tea exercises. There are 2 basic exercises which are expanded on. You start to combine 1&2 on a half beat and then simultaneously, doing one exercise with each hand at the same time.

They are good looosening exercises, teach you a whole lot about spirals.

Mark Hatfield says:"Mike Paterson also shows some versions on one or two of his tapes and cds, but he seems to imply that there are specific applications. That thinking limits the use of them."

He actually does not give applications for the tea exercises, but after experimenting with them for a while, you will see how the movements can be applied martially, but I found keeping them in the abstract is far more productive. After all they are training methods and not 'fighting techniques'.

Cheers,
Simon.

Simon,

Which DVD's in particular?

this is a great example (in my opinion)

http://www.chinahand.com/PaKua/Level%201/Exercises/tea_cup.asp?

if u cant acess it try this and either register with actual info or make up names to register if your not comfertable sharing personal info online

http://www.chinahand.com/sign-up.asp

thank u 4 ur time