Tai Chi Form - An Introduction To Tai Chi Chuan Forms

A Grand Introduction To The Wonderful Tai Chi Forms and Styles Of Tai chi

Tai Chi Form

The tai chi form is a series of postures which link to each other. There are several deifferent tai chi forms as well as different styles. The many lineages of tai chi forms are the Yang style of tai chi chuan, the Chen style of tai chi chuan, the Wu style of tai chi chuan, the Sun style of Tai chi Chuan and the Li or Lee style of Tai chi chuan. The style of the tai chi forms is just the surnames of the families who have traditionally passed down or redesigned the forms.

There are weapons tai chi forms and non-weapons forms. Weapons include tai chi sword, tai chi stick, tai chi sabre, tai chi fan as well as others.
 

Each posture in the tai chi forms are usually named after animals. For example, “white crane spreads wings”, “repulse monkey”, “grasp the sparrow’s tail” and not forgetting “golden cock stands on one leg” These translations of the Chinese names for each tai chi form posture refer to the movement that is being performed in each posture.

In recent years the Chinese government permitted the design of the Yang style short form of tai chi or 24 form. This is the simplest to learn because it has the most common postures or movements only and there are repeats. The 24 yang style form is good for familiarizing yourself with the most common tai chi movements, but is not recommended for health and martial benefits in the long term.

Whilst the different families of tai chi forms are different in their performance, ease, use, speeds, style and movements, the basic postures are the same in name and therefore, once familiar with tai chi, you can see where the styles are similar.

My personal favorite form is the yang style long form or 108 postures, made famous by the late Yang Cheng Fu. This is because after I practiced the first few movements for about the second time, I experienced seemingly real “medical” benefit from the diligent practice.

In each form, the movements flow into each other. The whole form when put together is supposed to exercise and stretch every part of the body, muscles, tendons, even internal organs. We could go very deep into the other ways Tai chi forms are of benefit, such as the stimulation and alignment of various acupressure points but it is beyond the scope of the author’s knowledge and this article.

You need to decide which tai chi form you are going to learn first and commit to learning that style of tai chi. It may take you a few months to get the basics or longer, but since tai chi is a practice for life, most people do agree it takes ore than one lifetime to begin to master tai chi. If your experience is anything like my tai chi chuan learning, you will “get it” in steps and stages of practice. The key thing is to keep practicing even when nothing seems to be happening. So will it be Yang, Chen or Wu style. I think they’re all brilliant but have had only long term practise with yang style of tai chi.

You could start with the 24 form, but really, if you are serious about getting the befits in the long term, you should be working towards learning the long form and just doing a little bit every day of tai chi. So set a goal for yourself and along the lines of deciding “I am going to know the long form of ______ tai chi because I desire to benefit spiritually, mentally and physically from ancient wisdom”

Two key things you must know about the forms are that you need to RELAX your body – particularly around the internal aspect of the waist as well as the joints and muscles. Relax in Chinese does not mean “let go” necessarily, it refers to the physical relaxation of the body. To clear your mind, you just need to do the best you can to clean your mind! This will put you in excellent position for successful tai chi practice.

The long forms contain more postures, but most are repeated more than once in the tai chi form. For example, in the 108 form of yang family style of tai chi, there are several “single whips” and multiple “grasp the sparrow’s tail”

Here are some common posture names which you will learn in your tai chi study:

Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail – very important

Single Whip

White Crane Spreads Wings

Snake Creeps Down

Fair Lady Weaves The Shuttles

Golden Cock Stand On One Leg

Carry Tiger To The Mountain

Wave Hands Like Clouds

Step Back Parry and Punch

Play the “pipa” [lute]

The posture names within the tai chi form I think are beautifully poetic and reflect the movement which you are performing, whilst disguising the martial application or the slow moving, flowing tai chi form.

Article by Sam Beatson

Please visit my tai chi chuan website here or click here: http://www.gods-internet.com/tai-chi-kung-fu