How do you dodge a straight punch on your face?
Step back. Dodge to the side. Go diagonally forward.
In each case, there is an iron rule. It is a “Eyes horizontal, nose vertical”.
Let’s talk about why this rule is important.
Eyes horizontal nose vertical means to keep both eyes in same level.
Taijiquan does not tilt and dodge like boxing.
Taijiquan counter strikes are a little different from boxing.
Also, unlike Karate, the opponent’s punch is not hit and flipped up.
With keeping Eyes horizontal nose vertical, it’s like a feeling that the opponent’s punch shaves off my cheek, and I’m going forward while avoiding it sideways.
At the same time, put your left hand on the opponent’s punch and lead it to your cheek.
With this, the opponent’s punch will not hit you.
The reason why Eyes horizontal nose vertical is important is that the target disappears from the other party’s point of view.
The movement of Eyes horizontal nose vertical induces the movement of erasing the central axis.
Since the midline that the opponent thought he caught disappears, his brain creates an illusion.
I started learning Taijiquan in the early 80’s.
The opponent wears a thin glove and hits a punch with a light grip.
You dodge it with your face.
When I recall those days, I think that the inside of my nose was always clogged with blood.
Eventually, you will be able to be good at tactics in timing in static movements.
Then, you will be able to read the timing of “Sen no Sen”, and the probability of hitting the face with a punch will decrease. It takes a certain length of years to be able to fight by Taijiquan.
I don’t think it’s easy to do this kind of rough teaching method in the present period.
In that sense, I might have been lucky to learn Taijiquan in good period.
In order to pull in the opponent’s punch and dodge it with a single inch, it is necessary to move with the theory of Eyes horizontal nose vertical.
With the minimum movement, the opponent’s attack is cut off and the target is disappeared. It’s a closeout, Mikiri in Japanese.
The teaching of the word “Eyes horizontal nose vertical” has such a meaning.
If I say the eyes horizontal nose vertical is an iron rule, the following counterarguments would be expected to raise up, so I will give an additional comment.
Boxing leans while swaying and skillfully avoids the opponent’s punches.
I admit that this is a very sophisticated moving skill that has evolved within the boxing rules.
However, it may not be very useful if the rules contain the attacks to the lower parts with such kicking techniques.