21. Cutting Energy in an Arc

The hands are clasped on the right, tight against the crest of the hipbone. The left hand is on top of the right. The right elbow protrudes to the back, and the left forearm is held against the stomach. In a powerful extended strike, the clasped hands slice in a horizontal arc across the area in front of the body as if going through a heavy substance. It's as if the hands were holding a knife, or a sword, or a cutting instrument that rips something solid in front of the body (fig. 445). All the muscles of the arm, the abdomen, the chest, and the back are used. The muscles of the legs are tensed to tend stability to the movement. On the left side, the hands are pivoted. The right hand is on top, in the lead, and another powerful cut takes place.

22. Slashing Energy with a Swordlike Cut

The hands are clasped with the left hand on top of the right in front of the right shoulder (fig. 446). A powerful jolt of the wrists and the arms makes the hands move forward about a foot, delivering a powerful blow. From there, they cut across to a point on the left, at the level of the shoulder. The end result is a movement that resembles cutting something heavy with a sword. From that point on the left, the arms change position by rotating, without losing their clasping position. The right hand takes the lead and gets on top, and again slashes across to a point about two feet away from the right shoulder (fig. 447).

The initial position of the hands are changed, and the movements begin on the left.
 

Fig. 445

Fig. 446

Fig. 447

23. Slashing Energy with a Diagonal Cut

The clasped hands are raised to the level of the right ear and pushed forward, as if to stab something solid located in front of the body (fig. 448). From there, they slash down to a place about a foot away from the side of the left kneecap (fig. 449). On that point, the hands rotate at the wrists to change positions so that the right hand takes the lead on top. It is as if the cutting instrument that the hands seem to be holding is made to change directions before it slashes from left to right, following the contour of the knees (fig. 450).

The hands change place, and the whole sequence is done again, starting from the left.
 

Fig. 448

Fig. 449

Fig. 450

24. Carrying Energy from the Right Shoulder to the Left Knee

The clasped hands are held at waist level on the right. They change positions slightly by the supporting right hand, which is on the bottom, becoming slightly more vertical with a twist of the wrist, which is held by the pressure of the left hand. The hands are quickly raised to a point by the top of the head, on the right side (fig. 451). Leading with the elbow, they are brought down to shoulder level with great force. From there, they slash down in a diagonal cut to a place about a foot away from the left side of the kneecap. The strike is aided by a quick downward turn of the wrists (fig. 452).

The hands pivot to change places, and the whole sequence is done again, starting from the left.
 

Fig. 451

Fig. 452

25. Slashing Energy by the Knees

The hands are clasped on the right side by the waist (fig. 453). They are brought in a powerful downward strike to the level of the knees, as the trunk stoops forward slightly. Then they cut an arc in front of the knees from right to left, to a point four or five inches away from the left side of the kneecap (fig. 454). Then the clasped hands are brought back force. fully to a point a few inches to the right of the right knee. The performance of both cutting strikes is aided by a very powerful jolt of the wrists.

The same movement is performed starting by the waist on the left. In order to perform this magical pass correctly, practitioners need to engage, rather than the muscles of the arms and the legs, the deep muscles of the abdomen.

26. The Digging Bar of Energy

The clasped hands are held in front of the stomach, with the left hand on top as the leading hand. They are shifted then to a vertical position in front of the stomach on the line that separates the two bodies. In a quick movement, they are brought to a point above the head, as if still following the same line. From there, they are made to strike down in a straight line to the place where the magical pass began (fig. 455). The hands change positions, to have the right hand in the lead, and the movement is repeated. Don Juan called this movement stirring energy with a digging bar.
 

Fig. 453

Fig. 454

Fig. 455

27. The Big Slash

The clasped hands start on the right, by the waist. They are quickly raised above the head, over the right shoulder (fig. 456). The wrists jolt back to gain strength, and a powerful diagonal strike is delivered that slashes energy in front of the body, as if cutting through a sheet. The strike ends at a point four or five inches to the left of the left knee (fig. 457).

The same movement is repeated starting from the left.
 

Fig. 456

Fig. 457

28. The Sledgehammer

With the left hand in the lead, the hands are clasped together in front of the stomach on the vertical line that divides the left and the right bodies. The palms are held vertical for an instant before the hands are brought to the right of the body and above the head to hang for another instant by the neck, as if holding a heavy sledgehammer. They move over the head in a deliberate and powerful swing (fig. 458) and are brought to bear on the spot from which they began to move, exactly as if the hands themselves were a heavy sledgehammer (fig. 459).

The hands change positions, and the same movements are started on the left.
 

Fig. 458

Fig. 459

29. Cutting a Circle of Energy

The hands are clasped by the right shoulder to begin this magical pass (fig. 460), Then they are pushed forward as far as the right arm can go without fully extending the elbow. From there, the clasped hands cut a circle the width of the body from right to left ' as if they were indeed holding a cutting instrument. In order to perform this movement, the left, leading hand, which is on top, must reverse positions when it reaches the rum of the circle on the left; with the hands still clasped, they flip at the turn of the circle so that the right hand takes the lead by being on top (fig. 461) and finishes drawing the circle.

The same sequence of movements is performed, starting on the left, with the right hand in the lead.
 

Fig. 460

Fig. 461

30. The Back-and-Forth Slash

The hands are clasped on the right, with the left hand in the lead. A powerful blow pushes the hands forward, about two feet away from the chest. Then, they slash, as if they were holding a sword, as far to the left as the arms allow them without completely extending the elbows (fig. 462). There, the hands change positions. The right hand becomes the leading hand on top and a counterslash is performed, which takes the clasped hands all the way to a point on the right side, a few inches to the right of where this magical pass started (fig. 463).

The same sequence of movements is repeated, starting on the left, with the right hand in the lead.
 

Fig. 462

Fig. 463