Core Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi takes years of practice. But practice is easy so don’t be put off at the slow pace of learning.

The names are not just poetic sounding names that have a mystical Chinese meaning. If we look into the names and read the Classics that refer to the origins of Tai Chi then we can start to unpick the secrets behind Tai Chi.

Below is a list of the names of the form and a simple explanation of the movement behind the name. Simply put Tai Chi was conceived by Chan San Feng when he witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane. So all of the movements are either the movement of a snake, a crane or both. Except when they have a specific action, for instance play the fiddle.

We will only be dealing with the first part of the form but some of the postures have been explained to illustrate the poetry in motion.

Short Form

Part 1
1 Wuji
Standing – a state of nothingness.

2 Tai Chi begins
Raise the hands to the front and then to the sides.

3 Ward off
Defending an attack – warding off

4 Roll back
Bringing the attacker into your space/sphere

5 Press
Pressing the attacker to send him away – pressing into a specific area

6 Push
Pushing the attacker away

7 Single whip
A snake and a crane. The right hand is the action of a snake and the left is the action of a crane.

8 Step up and raise the hands
A warding off – specifically rolling the attackers elbows in and locking him up and then sending him away.

9 White crane spreads wings
A crane spreading elegantly – use the sweep of your wings against an onrushing attacker as he tries to grapple you, raise the knee to strike him as he crouches into you.

10 Brush knee left
The intent is to brush the knee with the hand, or the attackers head.

11 Brush knee right

12 Brush knee left

13 Brush knee right

14 Brush knee left

15 Play the fiddle

16 Step up, deflect downward, intercept and punch
A series of foot sweeps, ward offs and strikes.

17 Withdraw and push
Bring the opponent into you and then send him away.

18 Carry tiger to mountain
Crouching and swooping like a tiger.

19 Cross hands
Cross hands, but intent drives your attacker away as you retreat swiftly.

Part 2
20 Brush knee to corner
21 Brush knee to other corner
22 Grasp sparrows tail
23 Diagonal single whip
24 Fist under the elbow
25 Repulse monkey one
26 Repulse monkey two
27 Repulse monkey three
28 Repulse monkey four
29 Diagonal flying
30 Step up and raise the hands
31 White crane spreads wings
32 Brush knee and twist step
33 Needle at sea bottom (the fisher)
34 Fan through back twice
35 Step up and punch
36 Swing the hammer
37 Single whip

Part 3
38 Yunshou (cloud hands)
39 Yunshou (cloud hands)
40 Yunshou (cloud hands)
41 Yunshou (cloud hands)
42 Single whip
43 Shashou (creep down)
44 Golden cock stands on one leg
45 Leg kicks to left
46 Repulse monkey one
47 Repulse monkey two
48 Repulse monkey three
49 Repulse monkey four
50 Diagonal flying

Part 4
51 Step up and raise the hands
52 White crane spreads wings
53 Brush knee and twist step
54 Needle at sea bottom (the fisher)
55 Fan through back twice
56 Step up and punch
57 Swing the hammer
58 Single whip