In the early morning hours at parks and courtyards around the world, individuals and groups converge to perform a special kind of exercise called Tai Chi Chuan.
The movements they practice are slow, smooth, deliberate, and graceful. They take years to develop and a lifetime to master. A balance exists that is, on its face, easy to miss. The movements are strong and fluid, balanced and powerful, clear and flexible.
For most people, that is really all they know about Tai Chi Chuan: it’s slow and meditative. What is not well known is the long and fascinating history of the art, a story that touches on the entire history of Taoism, yin-yang theory, numerous Chinese historical dynasties, and even traditional Chinese medicine.
Photo: Yin-yang from “Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taijiquan” by Chen Xin
Every movement in Tai Chi Chuan’s form aligns perfectly with the principles of yin and yang as described by the ancient Taoist priests. Each movement and posture can be dissected in terms of its correspondence to Taoist universal cosmology, life strategy, and core principles.
This is because whether it’s Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s version of the short form or the second long-form set of the Chen family practice, the same theoretical and philosophical foundation is at work.
Tai Chi Styles
There are many systems of Tai Chi Chuan like the Sun, Wu, Chen, Yang, and Hao styles. Each of them has unique characteristics. No matter the system, all styles are grounded in the same philosophy and strategy for movements and mindfulness.
Regardless of style or lineage, the solo form is at the heart of Tai Chi Chuan.
Photo: Left knee, right knee from “Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taijiquan” by Chen Xin
Chen Style Family Tai Chi
Historically, all modern styles of Tai Chi Chuan practiced today, except one, can be traced back to the Chen Family style. The Chen Family has been training what we now call Tai Chi Chuan for several hundred years before it was even given its name.
Photo: Grandmaster Chen Fake (1887-1957) of the Chen family from “Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taijiquan” by Chen Xin
As do all styles of Tai Chi Chuan, Chen style incorporates slow, soft movements with low impact on the body, making it a suitable exercise for people of all ages. Chen style Tai Chi also incorporates faster movements.
Yang Style Family Tai Chi
Next came the Yang family system, which is the form taught at the Vancouver Dojo.
Photo: Grandmaster Yangjian (1839-1917) of the Yang family from “Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taijiquan” by Chen Xin
To the experienced practitioner, Yang form is visibly different from Chen style Tai Chi. Its movements tend to be softer, whereas Chen style Tai Chi incorporates hard and soft movements within its form. Yet both are rooted in martial skill.
Other Tai Chi Chuan Styles
After that, all the other modern styles developed such as Sun style and Hao style. Most of them can be connected to the Yang family style except the old Wu style Tai Chi system and the Wudang Taoist Tai Chi Chuan practice, which has its own unique history.
Tai Chi Forms
Tai Chi Chuan has been practiced by a wide array of people of varying ages, levels of experience, and motivations, resulting in the existence of many forms today. Some are longer than others, and each one can be performed with many different levels of intensity and dynamic range.
The most common forms are the short forms, which are usually around 24 to 28 movements. The mid-range forms have 30 to 50 movements, and the longest forms have 103 to 108 movements.
These variations of form showcase the skill and uniqueness of the masters who passed down their practice. However, this variation in expression does not imply that there are many ways to practice true Tai Chi Chuan.
Whether it is the simplified, short forms, the Chen family forms, the weapons forms such as the Tai Chi sword and spear, or the generalized contemporary form used in Tai Chi Chuan competitions, Tai Chi Chuan is ultimatley the same at its core.
From one style to the next, there are differences in how the Tai Chi postures are numbered in the long forms. No single interpretation of a sequence in a form can be considered the correct and only way to interpret the movements being analyzed.
One example is the raising and lowering of the hands. Is this considered one movement or two? This is a philosophical question involving the theories of yin and yang. Hence the variation of movements and associated numbers associated within the form.
Photo: Fighting Techniques from “Bubishi, The Classic Manual of Combat“
108 Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Forms
The Vancouver Dojo practices a complete and full-length form that we consider to have 108 movements. They are:
- Wuji (void) stance
- Preparation/beginning of form
- Raise hands
- Catch sparrow by the tail left (throw thermos away)
- Catch a sparrow by the tail right
- Brush hands left-right
- Single whip
- Raise hands, step forward
- Redirect, wrist strike
- White Crane spreads its wings
- Press down
- Hand strums lute
- Left knee brush, push
- Right knee brush, push
- Hand strums lute
- Wave at the crowd, carry the tray, attack the vitals
- Step forward, block, parry, punch
- Apparent close up
- Cross hands
- Embrace tiger, return to mountain
- Catch sparrow by the tail
- Fist under elbow
- Step back, repulse monkey 1
- Step back, repulse monkey 2
- Step back, repulse monkey 3
- Diagonal flying
- Raise hands and step forward
- Redirect, wrist strike
- White crane spreads its wings
- Press down (variation)
- Needle at the bottom of the sea
- Redirection around the back
- Turn body, take off helmet
- Step forward, block, parry punch
- Grasp the sparrow by the tail
- Single whip (45*)
- Cloud hands 1
- Cloud hands 2
- Cloud hands 3
- Single whip
- High pat on horse
- Right separation, kick
- Left separation, kick
- Turn body left heel kick
- Left knee brush and push
- Right knee brush and push
- Step forward punch
- Turn body and chop with fist (take off the helmet)
- Step forward block, parry, punch
- Left heel kick
- Left tiger strike
- Right tiger strike
- Turn body, right heel kick
- Twin fists strike ears
- Left heel kick
- Turn body, right heel kick
- Step forward block, parry, punch
- Apparent close up
- Cross hands
- Embrace tiger, return to mountain
- Catch a sparrow by the tail
- Diagonal single whip
- Parting wild horse’s mane 1
- Parting wild horse’s mane 2
- Parting wild horse’s mane 3
- Catch a sparrow by the tail
- Diagonal single whip
- Fair lady works at shuttles (1/2/3)
- Catch a sparrow by the tail
- Diagonal single whip
- Cloud hands 1
- Cloud hands 2
- Cloud hands 3
- Single whip
- Snake creeps down
- Golden pheasant stands on one leg (left)
- Golden pheasant stands on one leg (right)
- Step back, repulse monkey 1
- Step back, repulse monkey 2
- Step back, repulse monkey 3
- Diagonal flying
- Raise hands, step forward
- White crane spreads its wings
- Press down
- Needle at the bottom of the sea
- Fan through the back
- Turn body, white snake spits out its tongue
- Step forward, block, parry, punch
- Step forward, catch a sparrow by the tail
- Diagonal single whip
- Cloud hands 1
- Cloud hands 2
- Cloud hands 3
- High pat on horse, finger strike
- Cross kick
- Step forward, punch up
- Step forward, catch a sparrow by the tail
- Single whip
- Snake creeps down
- Step forward, seven stars strike
- Step back, ride the tiger
- Turn body, swing over lotus
- Bend bow, shoot the tiger
- Step forward block, parry, punch
- Apparent close up
- Embrace tiger, return to mountain
- Closing
- Return to normal
Summary
Through these movements, the entire body of knowledge contained in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan can be developed.
From the highest-level practitioners expressing the deep void of essence to mid-level practitioners utilizing the whipping of energy (FaJing), to beginners learning to use leverage and posture correctly, the Tai Chi Chuan form guides them all.
It is often said in martial arts circles that there are no advanced movements in the martial arts, only advanced understanding of basic moves.
Nothing could embody this idea more so than the practice of the Tai Chi form. Its simple, graceful, and balanced postures contain countless layers of information to be discovered.
Cover photo: Daoist martial artist and acupuncturist, Zhang Sanfeng from “Bubishi, The Classic Manual of Combat“
