Episode 72 - On Sticking

In a typical situation, applying the Yin Yang technique to unbalance an opponent comprises of 3 steps:

1. Take over the centre of the opponent;
2. Merge the flow of energy between the two bodies; and
3. Direct the flow of energy such that the opponent's energy moves outside his body.

The technique used in the 3rd element is called "Sticking".

The classics have a lot of discussions on how to achieve a good positioning and on what we should avoid in positioning our own self. Unbalancing an opponent involves the worsening of his defective position (those things that we are warned to avoid in the classics - it's good that your opponent has them all.) Once the opponent takes a bad position, it is easy to release the "air" out of the "ball". The uprooted opponent feels like adhering to the hands of the other party and cannot escape.

Sticking is the converse of Spherical Power. The latter is like the injection of air from within a ball. In Sticking, it is the contraction of air from within the ball, absorbing what is coming in from outside.