Practical Method Negative Circle 101

by Kelvin Ho on 2015/12/12

Negative circle is likely the second thing one learns in Practical Method.  The following are some starter instructions for a right-side negative circle:

  1. The right side is considered the front side, and the left side is consider the rear side.
  2. Find a line that is parallel to your chest on the ground.
  3. Put your right foot at 45 degrees to the line with the heel touch the line.
  4. Put your left foot at 90 degrees to the line with the toes touch the line.
  5. The standard distance between the right heel and left toes should be about 3 times the length from your ankle to your knees. However, at the beginning, you may not be able to achieve easily, so put the feet apart far enough such that it gives yourself a bit of challenge, and gradually increase the distance to the standard. If the two feet are too wide, it is very common that you may be bending a bit forward and your buttock may be sticking out, reduce the distance a bit. When you kua is more trained over time in Practical Method, you will be able to not have protrusion in the buttock with a wider stance.
  6. The weight should be closer to the right foot, making the front side shorter.
  7. The right knee (the direction of the right thigh) should be pointing in the same direction as the right foot, however, it does not mean the right foot and the right thigh are on the same line, they are just being in parallel.
  8. This is called a half horse stance.
  9. Put your right arm up above your right thigh with the hand lower than the elbow. Imagine there is a wall coming up from the right thigh, and the right arm should never cross that wall.
  10. The right wrist should be completely straight, and stretched out.
  11. The tip of the elbow should be pointing to the ground at all times.
  12. Eyes should be fixed on the target (e.g. the dot on the wall that the middle is pointing at) at all times.
  13. Let’s consider doing a 3-count negative circle:
    1. In with elbow (Pull the elbow in over the shoulder to the front of the chest)
    2. Drop the hand to the right side of the chest (The right hand must not go pass the vertical mid-line of the chest, while the right elbow is allowed to go pass the vertical mid-line of the chest if you are able to do so)
    3. Out with hand (Extend the right hand out towards the original starting position as if someone else pulls the middle finger out to straighten out everything else)

For a left-side negative circle, it is a mirror image of the right side one. As you progress in Practical Method, additional instructions/restrictions will be given to perform a more detailed negative circle.


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