Simplified Standard 24 Movement Form T'Ai Chi

Taijiquan 24 Form Standard Simplified Orthodox Chinese National Version, T'ai Chi Ch'uan 24 Movement Form, 1956, Yang Style

Bibliogr Bibliograp aphy hy List of 24 Posture Posturess Sections Introduction

Links

Quotes

Descriptions Descriptions

Lessons Less ons

Videos Videos Online Descriptions Descriptions and Instructions Ins tructions for the 24 Moveme nts Performance Performance Time Strategies for Learning the Tai Chi 24 Form Long 108 Yang Taiji Form 32 Yang Sword Form Form Sun Style Taijiquan aijiquan

Research by

Michael P. Garofalo February 1, 2010

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55 Yang Classi Clas sical cal Sword

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: National 24 Form Standard Simplified Taijiquan Version, 24 Movements, 1956, Yang Style Taijiquan 24 Short Form, Simplified Tai Chi, Standard Beijing Taijiquan 24 Form, Chinese National 24 Form Taiji

Chen Chang Xing (1771-1853) developed the Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) Old Frame, First Routine. He taug t aught ht the Chen Sty le Taijiquan Taijiquan to Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872), who develop developed ed the Yang Style Sty le of Taijiquan. T he grandso grandson n of Yang Yang Lu Chan, Yang Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936) (1883 -1936) modified and pop ularized the t he Yang Yang Sty Sty le Taijiquan, Taijiquan, and p ublished a number number of books on the t he subject in t he 1930's.

In 1956, the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China, under  the leadership leadership of the t he Taijiquan Taijiquan Committ Committ ee Chairperson, Chairperson, Professor Li Tian Ji, develop developed ed standar st andardized dized and simplified versions of many many T 'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan (Taijiquan) (Taijiquan) forms. Professor Li Tian Ji (1914-1996) led led the develop development ment of the t he 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form and the t he 32 Sword Taijiquan Taijiquan Form as well w ell as as many other standardized s tandardized Taijiquan Taijiquan forms, and he is called called by many "T he Father of M odern Taijiquan." Taijiquan." The Th e Standard Simplified Simplified Beijing Beijing 24 Taijiquan Form was based on t he Yang Family st y le of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, as as epitomized ep itomized by Yang Yang Cheng Fu. The 24 T aijiquan aijiquan Form could could be performed performed in 4 to 8 minutes, minutes , and consisted, as w ould be exp exp ected, of 24 movements movements,, although although some of the t he movements movements have tw o or t hree  parts.  p arts. The 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form elimina eliminated ted some of the movements movements t hat are found in in the Yang Yang Style Sty le Taijiquan Taijiquan 108 long form such as the Sweeping Lotus Kick, Step Up to Seven Stars, Snake Darts out its Tongue, or  Carry t he Tiger Tiger to the t he Mountain. M ountain. The short 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form also also greatly greatly reduced reduced the number of times that some movements movements are repeated rep eated in the Yang Sty le 108 long form such as Grasp ing the Sparrow's Sp arrow's T ail, Waving Waving Hands Like Clouds, Left Ward Off, or Single Single Whip Whip.. T he traditional tradit ional Yang Yang Sty le Taijiquan long form has 108 movements (postures or parts). The Standard Simplified Simplified 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form, short form, could could be taug t aught ht fairly fairly quickly quickly to st udents of  various various ages ages in p hysical hy sical education education prog p rogram rams. s. The brevity brevity of the form app ealed ealed to students student s of all all ag ages. The short form could could be done by large large groups groups of p eople in rows since the movement movement choreography choreography is in st raight raight lines. lines. The short form provided a st andard andard form for use in in some competitions. competit ions. The new short form was less less  phy  p hysical sically ly demanding demanding than longer longer forms forms and other Tai Chi sty les, and ap ap p ealed ealed to older beg beginners. inners. It  provide  p rovided d a good good introduction to t he basic elemen elements ts of the Yang Yang Family Family Taijiquan Taijiquan long form. When done done  prop  p roperly, erly, the t he short form can ex exemplify grace, grace, beauty beauty , and many many fundamentals of the art. For these t hese reasons, reasons, the Standard Simp Simp lified lified 24 T aijiqua aijiquan n Form F orm has become quite quite p opular op ular and is now taught, taught, p racticed racticed and  played  p layed all all over the world. Thirty years ago it was difficult to say whether the Standard 24 Form or the Cheng Man-Ch'ing 37 Form were the most p opular op ular in in America. America. Professor Cheng's Cheng's form, his insp ired teaching teaching,, his many accomp accomp lished students, and his amazing push hands skills, all definitely sparked very sophisticated writing on the subject and intense commitment to his form; and his 37 short form was the most popular in America before 1977.  Now, student s tudentss have ready ready access access t o many many more Eng English lish lang languag uagee books and inst instructional ructional media media (DVDs and VHS videotap videotapes) es) about the Standard Simplifie Simplified d T'ai T 'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan 24 F orm, and instructors instruct ors t eaching eaching the 24 24 T aijiquan Form are quite common common in America. Since both bot h forms use Yang Yang st y le p ost ures and skills, a few Yang style Tai Chi practitioners and teachers can do both the 24 and 37 forms, as well, of course, as the

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: National 24 Form Standard Simplified Taijiquan Version, 24 Movements, 1956, Yang Style Taijiquan 24 Short Form, Simplified Tai Chi, Standard Beijing Taijiquan 24 Form, Chinese National 24 Form Taiji

Chen Chang Xing (1771-1853) developed the Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) Old Frame, First Routine. He taug t aught ht the Chen Sty le Taijiquan Taijiquan to Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872), who develop developed ed the Yang Style Sty le of Taijiquan. T he grandso grandson n of Yang Yang Lu Chan, Yang Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936) (1883 -1936) modified and pop ularized the t he Yang Yang Sty Sty le Taijiquan, Taijiquan, and p ublished a number number of books on the t he subject in t he 1930's.

In 1956, the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China, under  the leadership leadership of the t he Taijiquan Taijiquan Committ Committ ee Chairperson, Chairperson, Professor Li Tian Ji, develop developed ed standar st andardized dized and simplified versions of many many T 'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan (Taijiquan) (Taijiquan) forms. Professor Li Tian Ji (1914-1996) led led the develop development ment of the t he 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form and the t he 32 Sword Taijiquan Taijiquan Form as well w ell as as many other standardized s tandardized Taijiquan Taijiquan forms, and he is called called by many "T he Father of M odern Taijiquan." Taijiquan." The Th e Standard Simplified Simplified Beijing Beijing 24 Taijiquan Form was based on t he Yang Family st y le of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, as as epitomized ep itomized by Yang Yang Cheng Fu. The 24 T aijiquan aijiquan Form could could be performed performed in 4 to 8 minutes, minutes , and consisted, as w ould be exp exp ected, of 24 movements movements,, although although some of the t he movements movements have tw o or t hree  parts.  p arts. The 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form elimina eliminated ted some of the movements movements t hat are found in in the Yang Yang Style Sty le Taijiquan Taijiquan 108 long form such as the Sweeping Lotus Kick, Step Up to Seven Stars, Snake Darts out its Tongue, or  Carry t he Tiger Tiger to the t he Mountain. M ountain. The short 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form also also greatly greatly reduced reduced the number of times that some movements movements are repeated rep eated in the Yang Sty le 108 long form such as Grasp ing the Sparrow's Sp arrow's T ail, Waving Waving Hands Like Clouds, Left Ward Off, or Single Single Whip Whip.. T he traditional tradit ional Yang Yang Sty le Taijiquan long form has 108 movements (postures or parts). The Standard Simplified Simplified 24 Taijiquan Taijiquan Form, short form, could could be taug t aught ht fairly fairly quickly quickly to st udents of  various various ages ages in p hysical hy sical education education prog p rogram rams. s. The brevity brevity of the form app ealed ealed to students student s of all all ag ages. The short form could could be done by large large groups groups of p eople in rows since the movement movement choreography choreography is in st raight raight lines. lines. The short form provided a st andard andard form for use in in some competitions. competit ions. The new short form was less less  phy  p hysical sically ly demanding demanding than longer longer forms forms and other Tai Chi sty les, and ap ap p ealed ealed to older beg beginners. inners. It  provide  p rovided d a good good introduction to t he basic elemen elements ts of the Yang Yang Family Family Taijiquan Taijiquan long form. When done done  prop  p roperly, erly, the t he short form can ex exemplify grace, grace, beauty beauty , and many many fundamentals of the art. For these t hese reasons, reasons, the Standard Simp Simp lified lified 24 T aijiqua aijiquan n Form F orm has become quite quite p opular op ular and is now taught, taught, p racticed racticed and  played  p layed all all over the world. Thirty years ago it was difficult to say whether the Standard 24 Form or the Cheng Man-Ch'ing 37 Form were the most p opular op ular in in America. America. Professor Cheng's Cheng's form, his insp ired teaching teaching,, his many accomp accomp lished students, and his amazing push hands skills, all definitely sparked very sophisticated writing on the subject and intense commitment to his form; and his 37 short form was the most popular in America before 1977.  Now, student s tudentss have ready ready access access t o many many more Eng English lish lang languag uagee books and inst instructional ructional media media (DVDs and VHS videotap videotapes) es) about the Standard Simplifie Simplified d T'ai T 'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan 24 F orm, and instructors instruct ors t eaching eaching the 24 24 T aijiquan Form are quite common common in America. Since both bot h forms use Yang Yang st y le p ost ures and skills, a few Yang style Tai Chi practitioners and teachers can do both the 24 and 37 forms, as well, of course, as the

T raditional Yang Yang Sty le T aijiquan 108 long form. However, How ever, in my op inion, the Standard Standard 24 Taijiquan Form, in the Yang Style, Sty le, is now t he most p opular op ular Tai Chi form practiced in America America and around around the t he world. Ot her shortened short ened versions of T'ai Chi Ch'uan long forms are also also p racticed. A 48 movement movement Yang sho short rt form is also also p opular op ular in in China. The Chinese National Wushu Wushu As sociation has developed developed a 42 movement movement Yang Yang sty st y le compet competition ition form. The Chen sty st y le of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan also has 11, 18, 32 and and 36 movement movement short forms, as well as a Chen Chen competit ion form of 56 moveme movements nts.. Both an 11 and 35 movement movement version of t he Sun sty le of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ch'uan also exist. exist. I first learned learned the Standard 24 T aijiquan aijiquan Form in 1986, and have enjoy enjoyed ed p racticing racticing the form since then. To assist others in learning this popular Taiji form, I've prepared this webpage and provided many tools and suggestions for learning the 24 Taiji Form. This webp age age was first p ublished on the Internet in 2001. It is one of the more p opular op ular webpag webp ages es on the Cloud Hands website. websit e. In 2009, this webpag w ebpagee was served served to over 86,000 86,000 persons. persons . I will make an effort effort to to signific significantly antly upg up grade the quality quality of this webpag webp agee in 2010, and and develop develop it t o the t he quality quality of my 32 Sword Form webpag webp age. e.

My very best wishes to you in your study and practice of the popular and delightful Standard Tai Chi 24 Form.

Mike Garofalo, M.S. January 2010, Valley Valley Spirit T aijiquan, Red Bluff, California Playing the Pipa Pip a #5

"No school of Chinese Chinese martial arts is as w ell known and pop ular as as Taij T aijiquan. iquan. It is suitable s uitable for  for   both t he young and and the old, not only because Taijiquan Taijiquan possesses pos sesses sp ecial ecial features features of st retching, retching, flexing the joints, softly twining, exercising both the inside and the outside, dispelling diseases and prolonging prolonging life, life, but it is also the martial art t hat best reflects reflects Chinese Chinese traditional t raditional  philosophy  p hilosophy . M ore and and more people from other countries, especially especially t hose interested in Chinese culture, are beginning beginning t o practice pr actice Taijiquan. Taijiquan is becoming becoming p opular op ular all all over the th e world. Because Because of this, T aijiquan aijiquan has no national boundary and is beyond the t he categor category y of  culture, and belong belongss t o p eople everywhere." everyw here." - Fan Chun-Lei Chun-Lei and A. Frank Shiery, Shiery, T raditional raditional Chen Sty Sty le Taijiqua Taijiquan n .

Return to the Main Index for this Webpage

Links, Bibliography, Resources T'ai Chi Ch'uan: National 24 Form Taijiquan Standard Simplified Taijiquan, 24 Movements, 1956, Yang Style, Bejing (Peking) National Form

A Note to Readers: The Cloud Hands website has been online continuously since 2001. In 2009, over 1,350,000 webpages (excluding graphics) were served to readers around the world from the Cloud Hands website. Since 2005, I have also provided an associated blog to point to changes and additions at the Cloud Hands website: Cloud Hands: Mind/Body M ovement Arts Blog. Since Cloud Hands is a very well-established and stable website, it provides readers with a good and secure starting point for their online research into Taijiquan and Qigong. The Cloud Hands website is funded entirely by Green Way Research, with volunteer efforts by Michael P. Garofalo. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, many other websites and webpages appear and then disappear from the Internet scene. Authors do not pay to keep up their web hosting services, loose a "free hosting" option, or decide to remove webpages for  various reasons. Consequently, links to some good webpages become invalid and files are no longer found on the Internet. You may find a some of these "dead links" to nonexistent webpages cited below; and, there is no way to avoid this troublesome situation. For this reason, when you do find a good and useful webpage, be sure to save the webpage to a folder on your hard drive or server. I welcome and encourage your suggestions for how to improve this webpage. Your comments, ideas, contributions, and constructive criticism are encouraged. Send your suggestions to my email box.

Alphabetical Index to Cloud Hands Website

Anatomy of Yang Family T ai Chi. By Steffan de Graffenried. Nomentira Publications, 2007. 108 pages. ISBN: 0979895626. VSTLC.

Beginning T'ai Chi. By Tri Chong Dang. Tuttle Publishing, 1994. 67 pages. ISBN: 0804820015. 24 Form is taught.

Beijing 24 Form. EveryDay Tai Chi.

Breathing and Taijiquan Bibliography , links, quotes, notes.

Cane, Zhang , Short Staff, Jo, Hanbo, Gun Weapons and Exercise M ethods, J oDo, Zhang Quan

Chang San Feng: Biography , Bibliography , Links, Quotes, and Not es. Taoist M aster Chang San Feng, circa 1300 CE, is the legendary founder of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. He is considered to be a Taoist Immortal who lived for hundreds of years. He is often spoken about and quoted in books by Yang Family T aijiquan enthusiasts.

Chart of 24 Form: B&W Drawing of Movement Sequence (Step ping Diagram)

Chart of 24 Form: B&W Line Drawings of Post ures

Chart of 24 Tai Chi Form: Color Photographs

Cheng M an-Ch'ing (1901-1975) Bibliography , links, quotes, notes. Professor Cheng created a Yang style 37 movement short form that became popular in the U.S..

Chen Style of Taijiquan

Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, First Routine

Chi (Qi, Internal Energy, Air, Prana) Links, bibliography , quotes and notes.

Classic Texts of T aijiquan

Cloud Hands Blog

Cloud Hands - Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung

"The Common Sense of Tai Chi Ch'uan: Questions and Answers." By Chang, Wen-Yuen. The People's  Physical Education Publication, Shanghai, 1960.

Compact Tai Chi: Combined Forms for Practice in Limited Space. Jesse Tsao. Weiser Books, 1st Edition, 2000. 229 pages. ISBN: 1578631262. A circular version of 24 Forms. VSTLC.

Compact T ai Chi for Healing in Simplified Form 24. Instruction by M aster Jesse Tsao, San Diego, Tai Chi Healthways. Instruction DVD, 60 minutes. $34.95. VHS version is also available. "Compact Tai Chi for  Healing in Simplified Form 24 is an easy-t o-follow and s low-moving, y et p owerful, workout. Detailed instruction of each pos ture in front view and 3 repetitions in back view are given. The self-healing asp ects of each post ure will surely enhance your health and release your stress . At the end of the video, Master  Tsao also p erforms t he standard routine of Simplified Tai Chi Form 24. Teaching is in English. (Difficulty : Beginner Level).

The Complete Book of Chinese Health and Healing. By D aniel Reid. Random House, 1994. 484 pages. ISBN: 0877739293.

The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan: A Comprehensive Guide to t he Principles and Practice. By Wong, Kiew Kit. Shaftesbury , Dorset, Element, 1996. Index, bibliography , 316 pages. ISBN: 1852307927. The 24 movement short form is described and illustrated on p ages 70 - 86. VSTLC.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to T ai Chi and Qigong. By Bill Douglas. Alpha Books, 2002, 2nd Edition. 368 pages. ISBN: 0028642643. VSTLC.

"Condensed Tai Chi Ch'uan." Edited by Ching, Ku-Lui.  Athletic Magazine, Shanghai, Shanghai Educational Publications, 1954.

Directional Scheme for Describing Taijiquan Movements

The Dao of Taijiquan: Way t o Rejuvenation. By Ts ung Hwa Jou. Charles E. Tut tle, 1980, 1998. 3rd Edition. 233 pages. ISBN: 0804813574. An outstanding textbook on Tai Chi Chuan. The Chen, Yang, and Wu sty les are introduced and explained. A very informative introduction to the philosophy and practices of  Tai Chi. The first t extbook in English about Taijiquan. VSTLC.

Dao (Saber, Broadsword) and Taijiquan Bibliography , links, resources, quotes, notes.

Drawing Silk: Master's Secrets for Successful Tai Chi Practice. By Paul B. Gallagher. Book Surge Publishing, 2007. 266 pages. ISBN: 1419663127. A very good introductory text to Tai Chi. VSTLC.

Effect of Tai Chi Vs. Struct ured Exercise on Physical Fitness and Stress in Cancer Survivors. A clinical trail st arting in 2006. Uses 24 Form Tai Chi.

The Efficacy of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in Older Adults: A Syst ematic Review of M edical Literature. By Arianne P. Verhagen, M onique Immink, Annemieke an der M eulen and Sita Bierma-Zeinst ra. Family Practice Journal: Vol. 21, No. 1.

Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane, Yang Style

Eight Section Brocade Qigong This is a very common Qigong and warm up exercise set us ed before one  practices Taijiquan.

 Encounters with Master Zhang Sanfeng: Poems By M ike Garofalo.

The Encyclopedia of Tai Chi Chuan. By Feng Zhigang and Li Binci. Beijing, China, Education Yard Publishing House, 2005. ISBN: 7507711706.

Feng, Alex Dr., 24 Form Ins tructional videotape.

First T wo M ovements Animation Qi Journal.

Five Animal Frolics ( Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and M onkey I use many variations of the Five Animal Frolics in t he Qigong and warm up portion at the beginning of my Taijiquan classes and in my yoga classes in Red Bluff, California.

Garofalo, M ichael P., M .S. Instructor at Valley Spirit Taijiquan. M ike has been publishing on the Internet with Green Way Research since 1992. M ike began his practice of Taijiquan and Qigong in 1986. He has taught T aijiquan and Qigong since 2000; and Yoga since 2004. He teaches at the Valley Spirit Taijiquan Center and at the Tehama Family Fitness Center, both in Red Bluff, California. He teaches Yang Style Taijiquan, various styles of Qigong and Yoga, and cane. His many web p ublications (e.g., The Spirit of  Gardening, Cloud Hands, M onths, etc.) are widely cited and rank high in search engines, and he serves up over 3,000,000 webp ages (excluding graphics) each year. He is an avid and know ledgeable gardener, and lives in a rural area in Northern California. He is a semi-retired library administ rator, grant writer, webmaster, and technology manager. You can contact M ike by email or by cell phone at 530-200-3546.

Grasp ing the Sparrow's Tail. The Four Gates: Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, and Push. Fighting Off Stress: A 6th Grade Class Lesson. Grasp ing the Sparrow's T ail is done from both t he right side and the left side in the Taijiquan Beijing Short Form and many times from the right side in the traditional Yang Family Long Form. By M ichael P. Garofalo. 45K.

Handbook of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Exercises. By Z hang, Fuxing. York Beach, Maine, Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1996. Index, 198 pages. ISBN: 0877288917. Includes detailed descrip tion and line drawings of the Simplified 24 M ovement Yang st yle short form, and the st andard traditional 88 movement Yang st yle long form. Information on major characteristics of Yang style, key points of p ractice, and push hands. VSTLC.

The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. By Roger  Jahnke, O.M.D.. Chicago, Contemporary Books, 2002. Index, notes, extensive recommended reading list, 316 pages. ISBN: 0809295288.

Health and Taijiquan

How t o Best Learn the 24 Simplified Tai Chi Chuan. By Z hang Qi Hua and Lu Ping. Beijing, China, People's Phy sical Education Publishing House, 2000. ISBN: 7500917031.

Hsing Yi (Xing I): Bibliography , Links, Resources, Quot ations, Notes. I use forward moving drills, a modified Hsing Yi sty le, with movements from t he Yang Sty le Taijiquan such as Parting the Wild Horse's M ane, Brush Knee, Fair Lady Works t he Shutt les, etc.

Illust rations of Tai Chi Chuan Simplified. By Y. W. Chong. In English and Chinese. Hong Kong, Wan Li Book Co., Ltd., 1981. 96 pages, black and white illustrations.

Illustrations of t he 24 Yang Short Form, Line Drawings. Prepared by the Jun Nan Shin Martial Arts Academy.

KU Kung Fu and Tai Chi Club. The University of Kansas. Instructions for Yang Style Short Form Tai Chi. Detailed description by David Hann of 24 Form in a HTM L file and a Word.doc file. Dr. Po-lung Yu and Taichi [video] (49Mb). Dr. Yu's descript ion of the meaning of Taichi [video] (45M b). "Enjoy Taichi!" (Dr. Yu, Mr. Chang, and Mr. Hann) [video] (12Mb).

Line Illustrations of 24 Yang Form (By Ju Nan Shin Martial Arts Academy)

List of Movements in the Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of Movements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb

List of M ovements in the Simplified 24 Taijiquan Form. M ovement names in English, Chinese characters, Chinese Pinyin, French, German and Spanish.

List of S ections of the S tandard S implified 24 Form Yang Taijiquan Section 1, Movements 1 - 5 Section 2, Movements 6 - 9 Section 3, Movements 10 - 15 Section 4, Movements 16 - 19 Section 5, Movements, 20 - 24

M astering Yang Style Taijiquan. Bu Fu Zongwen (1903-1994). Translated by Louis Swaim. Berkeley, California, North At lantic Books, 1999. Glossary, bibliography , 226 pages. ISBN: 1556433182. Translations of many Tai Chi classics are included. A list of the 85 movement long form and detailed notes and descript ions of each movement are provided. 251 movement analysis illust rations. Over 76 of the illustrations are traced and drawn from phot ographs of Yang Cheng-Fu. Detailed descript ions of the long form, pp. 26-162. Push hands information. Yang Tai Chi essentials. I have found this to be an excellent  book! This book was first p ublished in 1963 in China as "Yang Shi Taijiquan". An informative introduction and good translation by Louis Swaim. VSTLC.

Music for the 24 Form Taijiquan

Old Yang Short Form 32 movement form from Yang, Chien Hou and Dr. Shen.

The Origins of Tai Chi Chuan. Qi Journal .

Orthodox Chinese Taiji Quan. An 88 minute videotape that teaches the standard Yang style, Beijing version, short form of Tai Chi Chuan. Includes footage of people doing other st yles and push hands.

Pictures of Tai Chi Movements of the 24 Form

Pop ular M odern Styles of Tai Chi Chuan Excellent article by Peter Lim Tian Tek.

Poster of the 24 Form International Competition Taijiquan Routine

 Principles of Tai Chi Chuan by Master Zhang Sanfeng

Push Hands (Tui Shou) in Tai Chi Chuan. Links, bibliography , resources, quotes, and notes.

Qigong: Bibliography , Links, Instructions, Resources, Quotes and Notes. I use many Qigong forms in the warm up portion at the beginning of my T aijiquan classes in Red Bluff, California.

Qi (Chi, Internal Energy, Air, Prana) Links, bibliography , quotes and notes.

Relaxation (Sung, Song) and Taijiquan Bibliography, links, quotes, and notes.

Ripening Peaches: Daoist Studies and Practices. Taoist scriptures, bibliography , Quanzhen Daoism,  Neidan, Qigong.

River Springs T ai Chi, Simplified Yang Style Tai Chi Set (24 M ovements), List of M ovements with Chinese characters. Illustrations for each movement.

The Root of Chinese Chi Kung: The Secrets of Chi Kung Training. By Yang Jwing-Ming. YMAA Chi Kung Series #1. Jamaica Plain, M assachusetts, Yang's M artial Arts Association, 1989. Glossary , 272  pages. ISBN: 0940871076. VSTLC.

Saber (Dao, Broadsword) and Taijiquan Bibliography , links, resources, quotes, notes.

Searching Google to 24 Form Taijiquan: 24 Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan; Yang 24 Form;

S ections of the S tandard S implified 24 Form Yang Taijiquan Section 1, Movements 1 - 5 Section 2, Movements 6 - 9 Section 3, Movements 10 - 15 Section 4, Movements 16 - 20 Section 5, Movements, 21 - 24

Dr. Shen's Short Form Tai Chi. Featuring Dr. Zaiwen Shen. 24 movement form.

Short Form - Cheng M an-ch'ing Version. Some good ideas about practice.

Silk Reeling and Circles in Taijiquan Bibliography, links, quotes, notes.

Simplified Tai Chi Chuan. Instructional DVD by M aster Liang Shou-Yu and Kelly M aclean. 150 minutes. Directed by Yang Jwing-Ming. YMAA Publications, 2005. Companion to book: T'ai Chi Ch'uan: 24 And 48 Postures With M artial Ap plications.

Simplified 24 Form: Bibliography , links, quotes, notes, list of movements.

Simplified 24 Form Tai Chi. VCD - 2discs. In English and Chinese. 41 minutes.

Sports for All: 24 Forms T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Standard Simplified Taijiquan 24 Form. Research by M ichael P. Garofalo, M.S. Yang Style of Tai Chi Chuan, 24 movements. This webp age includes a detailed bibliography of books, media, links, online videos, articles, and resources. It provides a list of the 24 movement names in English, Chinese, French, German and Spanish, with citations for s ources of the movement names. It p rovides detailed descript ions of each movement with black and white line illustrations and photographs. It includes relevant quotations, not es,  performance times, section breakdowns, basic Tai Chi principles, and strategies for learning the form. The Peking (Bejing) Chinese National orthodox standard simplified 24 movement Tai Chi form, created in 1956, is the most p opular form practiced all around the world. This is a 275 Kb HTM L file, last up dated in June, 2009, 2008. Published by Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California: Webpage URL: http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/short.htm.

Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb By M ichael P. G arofalo.

Sung   - Relaxation Bibliography , links, quotes, and notes.

Sun Lu Tang's Internal M artial Art s: Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Qigong. Bibliography, Links, Quotes, Resources, Instructions.

Sun Sty le of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Standard Competition 73 Movements Form. Research by M ichael P. Garofalo, M .S.. Webpage: 450Kb, June 2008. This webpage includes an introduction, information on the history of the Sun Taijiquan forms, a detailed bibliography , extensive links, references t o video resources, a large collections of quot ations about Sun Taijiquan, recommendations on t he best media resources on t he top ic, and suggestions for learning the 73 competition Sun Taijiquan form. A detailed comparative list of  the names of each of the 73 movements is p rovided, with source references, and t he movement names are given in English, Chinese, Chinese characters , French, German, and Spanish. This webp age includes detailed descriptions of each of the 73 movements with black and white illustrations for each movement sequence along with commentary and comparisons. M any additional nomenclature lists and section st udy charts in

the PDF format, photographs and graphics are also provided - over 1.3 MB of information. This webpage is the most detailed and complete document on the subject of the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Form available on the Internet. This document was published by Green Way Research, Valley Spirit T aijiquan, Red Bluff, California, 2008. URL: http ://www .egreenway.com/taichichuan/sun73.htm.

Sword ( Jian)- T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Sword - Standard 32 Sword Form in the Yang Style

Sword - Classical Yang Sty le 55 M ovement Sword Form

Tai Chi Beginning: A Complete Workout Reference for Beginners. By Wen-Ching Wu and Denise Breiter-Wu. Way of the Dragon, 1998. 128 pages. ISBN: 1889659037.

The Tai Chi Book: Beginning and Enjoying a Lifetime of Practice. By Robert Chuckrow, Ph.D.. Jamaica Plain, M assachusetts, YM AA Publication Center, 1998. 209 pages. ISBN: 1886969647. An excellent general introduction to Taiji from the Yang st yle persp ective. Includes descript ion, with photographs, of  the Cheng M an-Chi'ng short form. VSTLC.

Tai Chi Cane and Short Statt, Yang Sty le

Tai Chi - Chinese National 24 Form Taiji Ottowa Chinese M artial Arts. Illustrations for all 24 post ures of  the 24 Form.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong: Techniques and Training. By Wolfgang M etz ger, Peifang Zhou, and M anfred Gros ser. New York, Sterling Publishing Company, 1996. Index, 144 pages. ISBN: 0806959576. Includes a detailed description of t he Beijing 24 movement form, p p. 86 -141. Excellent list and movement chart.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Beijing Short Form. Yang Sty le, Standard Simplified Version, 24 M ovements, Created in 1956. List of movements, notes, bibliography , links, and photographs. Peking short form Taijiquan. By M ichael P. Garofalo. 300Kb HTM L file: htt p://www .egreenway.com/taichichuan/short.htm

Tai Chi Chuan Sports. Edited by the People's Republic of China Phy sical Education Committee. Beijing, China, 1996. ISBN: 7500911505.

Tai Chi Chuan, Standard Simplified Beijing 24 Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 P age, PDF Format, 11Kb By Michael P. Garofalo. Version II.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Bibliography

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics

Tai Chi Chuan in 24 Forms. By D onald M cPherson and Phyboon Cheng. Presented in English and Chinese. Lulu.com, 2006. 160 pages. ISBN: 1411677242.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan M artial Ap plications Advanced Yang Style. By Dr. Wang, Jwing M ing. Edited by Alan Doughall. Jamaica Plain, M A, YMAA Publications, 2nd Edition, 1996. 363 pages. ISBN: 1886969442. VSTLC.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan M ovements Illustrated Photographs of Gao Jiamin.

Tai Chi Chuan: The Chinese Way. By Foen Tjoeng Lie. New York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1988. 126  pages, black and white illustrations, index. ISBN: 0806968265. Excellent photos of M r. Lie doing the form, informative descript ions, and a good introduction. VSTLC.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan: 24 And 48 Postures With Martial Ap plications. By M aster Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching; and, edited by Denise Brieter. Boston, YM AA Publications. 2nd Edition, 1993, 1996. ISBN: 1886969337. Index, bibliography , glossary , 153 pages. In my op inion, this is the best book to  purchase when learning the Beijing 24 Short Form. Detailed instructions, excellent photographs, and extensive martial app lications make this a first choice for students. VSTLC.

Tai Chi Ch'uan 24 Forms for Curious Learners. By A ndy M a and Howard Rosenberg. Paperback or eBook  formats.

Tai Chi Connections: Advancing Your Tai Chi Experience. By John Loupos. Boston, MA, YMA A Publication Center, 2005. Index, 194 pages. ISBN: 1594390320. VSTLC. All three books by John Loupos are very useful.

Tai Chi for Beginners: The 24 Forms. By Lin Williams. Instructional videotap e. DVD: M BSDVD009.

Tai Chi for Beginners and the 24 Forms. By Dr. Paul Lam and Nancy Kay e. 1st Edition, SNP Leefung, 2006. ISBN: 0977536114.

Tai Chi for Body, M ind and Spirit: A Step -by-Step Guide to Achieving Phy sical and Mental Balance. By Eric Chaline. New York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1998. $14.95. Index, 127 pages. ISBN: 0806963212. Detailed Instructions and color photographs for the 24 movement standard short form. Includes some qigong exercises. VSTLC.

Tai Chi for Health

By Tai-Chi-Xin. See Also: Tai Chi 24 Forms

Tai Chi for Health and Vitality : A Comprehensive Guide to t he Short Yang Form. By Robert Parry. Hamlyn, 2005. 144 pages. ISBN: 060061090X.

Tai Chi for Health: The 24 Simplified Forms. By Cheng Zhao and Dan Zhao. Indiana, Agilceed Books, 2006. 163 pages. ISBN: 0976118319. There is also an instructional DVD to accompany t his book by Cheng Zhao and Don Zhao. Overview of 4 Form, detailed descript ions of each movement, general  principles, questions and answers, flow charts. Hundreds of black and white phot ographs, illustrations, artwork, and graphics. This is a much better book than the 32 Sword Form book by t he same authors. Dr. Cheng Zhao is a full professor at Indiana State University. VSTLC.

Tai Chi for Life: Yang Sty le Tai Chi. By Guangzhi Xing. 24 Form Simplified Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword 32 Form. Instructional DVD, 90 minutes, Color. Turt le Press, 2002. Instruction in English.

Tai Chi Form Beijing 24

Tai Chi for Seniors: How t o Gain Flexibility , Strength, and Inner Peace. By Philip Bonifonte. New Page Books, 2004. 216 pages. ISBN: 1564146979. The 24 form is taught.

Tai Chi for Small Space. By Jiang Jian-y e. Based on the 24-form simplified T'ai Chi from in the Yang st yle. 120 minute videotape. Jiang's Tai Chi Videos.

Tai Chi for Staying Young: The Gentle Way t o Health and Well-Being. By Lam Kam-Chuen. Fireside, 2004. 128 pages. ISBN: 0743255046.

Tai Chi: Health for Life. How and Why It Works for Health, Stress Relief, and Longevity. By Bruce Frantz is. Berkeley, California, Blue Snake Books, Energy Arts Inc., c 2006. Index, 320 pages. ISBN: 1583941444. VSTLC.

Tai Chi Qi Gong. By Jiang Jian-ye. 117 minute videotape. 24 movement form is taught along with some qi gong applications. Jiang's Tai Chi Videos.

Tai Chi Productions Newslett er Edited by M aster Paul Lam, M.D. He has produced an excellent instructional videotape/DVD on the 24 Form.

Tai Chi: 6 Forms, 6 Easy Lessons. By Dr. Paul Lam. VHS and DVD. Wellsp ring M edia, 1995, 1998. ASIN: 1885538715. An earlier version of Tai Chi: The 24 Forms.

Tai Chi: The 24 Forms. By Dr. Paul Lam. A 120 minute videotap e that teaches the Simplified 24 Form, Beijing 1956 version, Yang st yle T'ai Chi Ch'uan. This excellent instructional videotap e/DVD includes warm up exercises, 6 qigong exercises, 7 movement drills, and extensive and clear st ep by step instructions

and numerous multi-angle demonstrations of the 24 postures in this p opular short form. Dr. Lam, a family  physician in Australia, has won gold medals in international Taiji competitions, and has published many good books, newsletters, articles, and produced many fine Taiji instructional videotap es. VHS videotap e (ISBN:1583500197) and DVD version (ISBN: 1583501088). $30.00. Produced by WellSpring M edia, 1999. Reviews VSTLC.

Tai-Chi 24 Form. By Robert Yeoh. 14 pages, PDF format. Detailed writt en instructions for each of the 24 postures of the form. Excellent resource.

Tai Chi 24 Form, Names of Movements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb

Tai Chi 24 Forms By Tai-Chi-Xin. See Also Tai Chi for Health

Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style. Translated with commentary by Yang Jwing-ming. Translations and commentary on Chinese Classics. Boston, M A, YM AA Publications, 2001. Index, glossary, 192 pages. ISBN: 1886969094. A translation of 49 documents by Yang, Ban-Hou (1837-1892) and by a few other Yang family members. VSTLC.

Tai Chi Theory and M artial Power: Advanced Yang Style Tai Chi. By Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. Jamaica Plain, M ass., YM AA Publication Center, 1996. Second Edition. Glossary, index, 268 pages. ISBN: 1886969434. VSTLC.

Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions. Compiled and translated by Douglas Wile. Brooklyn, New York, Sweet Chi Press, 8th Edition, 1983. 159 pages. ISBN: 091205901X. VSTLC.

Tai-Chi-Xin. See Also: Tai Chi 24 Forms and Tai Chi for Health

Tai Chi: Yang Family Basic 24 Forms. By Li Huilin. Beijing, China, Da Lian Audio and Visual Publishing House, 2005. ISRC CN-D03-05-0061-0/V-J7. Book and DVD.

Taijiquan. By Li Dey in. London, Singing Dragon, 2004, 2008. In English. 402 pages. ISBN:

9781848190047, 1848190042. Includes a complimentary DVD. Includes descript ions, with phot ographs, of the 81 Yang Taijiquan form, Simplified 24 Taijiquan, Competition 42 Taijiquan, Competition 42 Taiji Sword, and the 32 Taiji Sword.

Taijiquan: Chen Style

Taijiquan, Classical Yang Sty le: The Complete Form and Qigong. By Yang, Jwing-Ming. Bost on, MA, YMA A Publications Center, 1999. Index, glossary , 333 pages, 562 illustrations. ISBN:188696968X. There is also an instructional videotape and DVD to sup plement this book. The DVD contains the complete form, gigong, details instructions for each movement, and 13 p ostures. Performed by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and Robert Was. 240 Minutes, DVD9-NT SC, 2003. DVD ISBN: 0940871645. VSTLC.

The Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation. By Barbara Davis. Includes a commentary by Chen Wei-ming. San Franscisco, North Atlantic Books, 2004. Index, bibliography , notes, 200 pages. ISBN: 1556434316. VSTLC.

Taijiquan Classics Bibliography , links, quotes, notes.

Taiji Quan in 24 Forms. Series of Chinese Wu Shu Shows: 24 Forms In Situ Taiji Quan -Teaching Choice. Presentation and performance by Master Hu Qixian. Production by Sports Audio-visual Publication, Beijing. 1 NT SC videotap e in Chinese.

Taijiquan: Sun Style

Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming: The Root of Taijiquan. By Yang Jwing-Ming. Boston, M assachusetts, 2003. References, glossary, index, 270 pages. ISBN: 0940871432.

Taijiquan 24 Form, Names of Movements, Movements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 10Kb

Taijiquan: Yang Sty le

Taiji 24

Taiji 24 Form. Professor Le Din Yin. DVD

Taiji 24 Form: Part 1 of 8. Instructions by Kelly M acLean. M ovements 1, 2 and 3 explained with color   photographs.

Taiji 24 Form Detailed instructions and scores of photographs. One of the best on-line instructional resources for the 24 Form. the 24 Form is divided into 8 sections/webpages for instructional purp oses. Kelly M aclean is a full time instructor, and has t aught Taiji and Wushu with Shou-Yu Liang Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute for many years. Produced by t he WushuTaiji Qigong Intstitute.

Taiji 24 Form, Standard Simplified 24 Taijiquan Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb By Michael P. Garofalo.

Taoism and Taijiquan

Teach Yourself Tai Chi. By Robert Parry. M cGraw Hill, 3rd Edition, 2007. 192 pages. ISBN: 0071490922.

Tot al Tai Chi: The Step-by -Step Guide to T'ai Chi at Home for Everybody. By Ronnie Robinson. Duncan Baird, 2006. 144 pages. ISBN: 1844832627.

Thirteen Post ures of Taijiquan. Bibliography , links, notes, charts, quotes. 8 Gates and 5 Step s of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

32 Standard Sword ( Jian) Form - Yang Style Bibliography , Links, Quotes, Notes.

Traditional Chen Sty le Taijiquan

Traditional Yang Family Short Form. By Howard Choy. A 39 movement short form.

Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan 103 M ovement Hand Form - M ovement Names

24 Form Denotations and Photographs

24 Form (Simplified Form) T'ai Chi Ch'uan - Wikipedia

24 Form, Standard Simplified 24 Taijiquan Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb

24 Forms Tai Chi Chuan. Demonstration and instruction by Wu A. M ing. 2 instructional DVDs and  booklet.

24 Forms Tai Chi Chuan Simplified. Instruction and demonstration by M aster Jiang Jian-ye. Instructional DVD or VHS videotape, 120 minutes. "This video teaches the st andardized 24-movement form based on the Yang st yle that has been pop ularized in China. Jiang demonstrates the form and then teaches it step by step. Each form is taught with multiple views and repetitions. There are reviews of segments and the form is demonst rated multiple times at the end, front and rear." Available from Wayfarer Publications Catalog.

24 M ovement T aijiquan 太極拳 Form and Applications. M aster Shouyu Liang and Sam M asich. Instructional DVD. Video preview.

24 Posture Tai Chi (Erishisishi Tajiquan) List of postures in English and Chinese. Includes black and white illustrations of the p ostures arranged in an S shaped flowing layout.

24 Simplified Form - Wikipeda

The 24 Simplified Forms of Tai Chi Chuan. By Li Deyin. Beijing, China, The Audio and Video Publishing House of Beijing TV Art Center, 2005. ISRC CN-C07-02-318-00/V.G4.

24 Standard Simplified 24 Taijiquan Form. 300Kb.

Twenty Four Forms Tai Chi Simplified-Enhanced. By Jiang Jian-ye. A 90 minute videotap e that t eaches the standard Yang st yle, Beijing version, short form of Tai Chi Chuan. Jiang's Tai Chi Videos.

Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, California

Valley Spirit Taijiquan

Valley Spirit T aijiquan: Practice Assignments for Beginners Learning the 24 Form

VSTLC = Valley Spirit Taijiquan Library Collection, Red Bluff, California.

Wayfarer Publications Catalog

The Way of Harmony By Howard Reid. A guide to self-knowledge through the Arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Hsing I, Pa Kua, and Chi Kung. London, Gaia Books Limited, 1988. Index, 191 pages. ISBN: 0671666320. Instructions and illustrations of the Short 24 Form can be found on pages 90 - 139. VSTLC.

The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing. By Kenneth S. Cohen. Foreword by Larry Dossey . New York Ballantine Books, 1997. Index, notes, appendices, 427 pages. ISBN: 0345421094. One of my favorite books: comprehensive, informative, practical, and scientific. VSTLC.

Way of the Short Staff. By M ichael P. Garofalo, M .S. A comprehensive guide to the practice of the short st aff, cane, jo, walking stick, gun, zhang , whip staff, 13 Hands Staff, and related wood short staff weapons. A detailed and annotated guide, bibliography , lists of links, resources, inst ructional media, online videos, and lessons. Includes use of the short staff and cane in martial arts , self-defense, walking and hiking. Separate sections on Aikido Jo, Cane, Taijiquan cane and staff, Jodo, exercises with a short st aff, selected quotat ions, techniques, selecting and purchasing a short s taff, t ips and suggestions, and a long section on t he lore, legends, and magick of the short s taff. Includes "Shifu M iao Zhang Points the Way." Published by Green Way Research, Valley Spirit T aijiquan, Red Bluff, California. Up dated on a regular basis since October, 2008. Filesize: 275 Kb. Related to Mike's pop ular webpage on the Staff.

Wild Goose ( Dayan) Qigong: Bibliography , Links, Resources, Quotes, Notes.

Wu Ji - Standing M editation

Yang Family Style Tai Chi Chuan Traditional Long Form, 108 Movements. By M ichael P. Garofalo. 100 Kb+ Provides a list of the movements divided into five sections for teaching (.html and .doc versions available). Includes a bibliography, links, notes, and quotations. Provides a list comparing the Yang Long Form 108 to 85 postures sequence.

Yang M odified 24 Postures Short Form. Lots of line drawings for each of the postures in the 24 form. 27Kb. M irror 

Yang M odified 24 Postures Short Form. Line drawings, names.

Yang Short Form 27Kb. F. Wysoki.

Yang Short F orm Pictorial A long sequence of color photographs of st udents p erforming the short form in a park. From Dragon Studios.

Yang Style Short Form 24 Beijing Style

Yang Style Short Form

A list of the 24 movements in this form.

A list of the 24 movements in this form.

Yang Style Short Form, 24 Form. A list of the 24 movements in this pop ular form.

Yang Style Short Form Tai Chi. Written by David Hann. Detailed narrative about p erforming the 24 Form. 54Kb.

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan and Its Ap plications. By Yang, Jwing-M ing. VHS videotape. Boston, YM AA Publications, 1995. ASIN: 0940871181. Ap plications for postures in the 24, 48 and 108 forms.

Yang Style Taijiquan Short Form, Peking Version 24 Movements.

Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form 108 Movements

Return to the Main Index for this Webpage

Video Resources Online Standard Simplified National T'ai Chi Ch'uan 24 Form, Yang Style Tai Chi, 24 Yang Form, M Du Feu, UTube 2007, 6:18 min.

Les 24 Mouvements du Sty le Yang (Vinz - 24 Yang Sty le Taijiquan), Google Video, 1006, 7:21 min.

Yang Tai Chi National 24 Forms , Narration in Chinese, UT ube, 2006. 4:37 min. A y oung woman doing a graceful performance. M irror 

Tai Chi Chuan Yang. Google Video, 2006, 4:13 min. Very good and strong performance by a young woman.

Tai Chi Chuan - Yang - Forma 24 movimentos . UT ube Video, 2007, 3:40 min. A young man performing in a courtyard.

Tai Chi Chuan Yang Simplified. Ut ube Video, 2007, 5:47 min. A young woman, Rie Takahashi, performs the form.

Tai Chi Form 24 Form. UTube Video, 2006, 7:19 min. M aster Jesse Tsao performs.

Yang Tai Chi National 24 Form. Video - Google, 4:37. Graceful young lady in a pink Tai Chi uniform.

Yang Taijiquan 24 Form. UT ube Video, 2006, 5:51 min. A young woman performs the form.

Tai Chi 24 Forms. UTube Video, 6:25. Performed by Paul Lam, M.D..

Search UTube: Tai Chi Chuan Yang 24

Return to the Main Index for this Webpage

List of Movements National S tandard T'ai Chi Ch'uan 24 S hort Form S tandard S implified Version, 24 Movements, 1956, Yang S tyle Taijiquan

Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb Citations for Reference Sources for M ovement N ames I welcome your suggestions on how t o improve these translations into ot her languages for t he names of t he movements. Have others p roduced lists of t he 24 Taijiquan Form movements in other languages? Send your contributions and suggestions t o my email box. Thanks to Step hane Gervais from France, who on 6/8/09 sent me the improved translations into French.

1. Opening Posture of Taijiquan

(Taijiquan Qi Shi)

Commencing (Qishi) [Liang & Wu 1996] Starting Posture [Zhang Fuxing 1996; Chong 1981] The Beginning ( Qi Ji) [Foen Tjoeng Lie 1988; Metzger & Zhou 1996] Starting Form [Zhao 2006] Standing Quietly, Raise and Lower Hands Reconnecting with Oneness and Emptiness Quiet Standing M ediation: Zhan Zhuang, WuJi Commencement Taijiquan Opening M ovement Op ening Post ure of Taijiquan [Garofalo 2008]

Ouverture Öffnung Lage von Taijiquan  Postura de la Abertura de Taijiquan 预 备 : Yu Bei  : Preparation Form

2. Wild Horse Shakes Its Mane

(Ye Ma Fen Zong )

Part the Wild Horse's M ane (Yema Fenzong ) [Liang & Wu] Wild Horse Waves Its M ane [Zhang Fuxing] Parting a Wild Horse's M ane ( Zuo You Ye Ma Fen Zong ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Wild Horse Parts Its Mane [Chong] Parting the Horse's Mane [M etzger & Zhou] Wild Horse Splits Mane [Zhao] Wild Horse Shakes Its Mane M ustang Tosses Its Wild M ane Left (左 : Zou) Part the Wild Horse's Mane ( Zou Yema Fenzong ) Right (右 : You) Part the Wild Horse's Mane (You Yema Fenzong ) Wild Horse Shakes Its M ane [Garofalo]

Séparer la crinière du cheval. 3 fois Wildes Pferd Rüttelt Seine Mähne  El Caballo Salvaje Sacudare Su Melena 野马分鬃 : Ye Ma Fen Zong  : Parting the Wild Horse's M ane

3. White Crane Spreads Its Wings

( Bai E Liang Chi)

White Crane Spreads Its Wings ( Baihe Liangchi) [Liang & Wu, Zhang Fuxing] The Stork Spreading Its Wing ( Bai Ne Liang Chi) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Stork Spreading Its Wings [M etzger & Zhou] White Crane Spreads Out It s Wing [Chong] White Crane Shows Its Wings [Zhao] White Stork Spreading Its Wings White Crane Lifts Its Wings White Stork Cools It s Wings White Crane Spreads Its Wings [Garofalo]

 La grue blanche étend ses ailes Weißer Kran Verbreitet Seine Flügel   La Grúa Blanca Separa Sus Alas 白鵝亮翅 :  Bai E Liang Chi

4. Brush Knee

(Lou Xi)

Brush Knee and Step Forward ( Louxi Aobu) [Liang & Wu] Brush Knee and Twist Step [Zhang Fuxing] Brush You Knee and Step ( Zuo You Lu Xi Niu Bu) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Brushing Your Knees and Step ping [M etzger & Zhou] Brushing the Knees and Taking Zigzag Step s [Chong] Brush Knee and Turn Steps [Zhao]

Twist Step, Brush Knee, Palm Strike Brush K nee [Garofalo]

 Avancer et brosser le genou. 3 fois.  Bürste Knie  Rodilla Del Cepillo 左搂膝拗步 :  Lou Xi Ao Bu : Brush Knee and Twist Step

5. Playing the Lute

(Shou Hui Pi Pa)

Play the Lute (Shouhui Pipa ) [Liang & Wu; Chong] Play "Pip a" [Zhang Fuxing] Playing the Lute (Shou Hui Pi Pa) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Playing the Pipa [M etzger & Zhou] Hand-hold the Lute [Zhao] Playing the Guitar  Strumming the Lute Playing the Pipa Playing the Lute [Garofalo]

 Jouer de la guitare (ou du luth) Spielen des Dichtungskitts Tocar el Laúd  手挥琵琶 : Shou Hui Pi Pa : Hand Strums the Lute

6. Step Back and Repulse Monkey

( Dao Nian Hou)

Reverse Reeling Forearm ( Daojuan Gong) [Liang & Wu] Step Back to Drive the Monkey Away [Zhang Fuxing; Chong] Step Back and Swirl Your Arms ( Zuio You Dao Jun Hong ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Fending Off the M onkey [M etzger & Zhou] Back-rolling the Forearms [Chong] Repulse the M onkey [Zhao] Repulse Monkey and Step Back Step Back and Drive Monkey Away Step Back and Repulse Monkey [Garofalo]

 Reculer et repousser le singe. 4 fois. Schritt Rückseitig und Repulse-Affe  Paso Trasero y Mono de la Repulsión 倒撵猴 :  Dao Nian Hou

7. Grasping the Sparrow's Tail - Left

( Zuo Lan Que Wei )

Left-Grasp the Sparrow's Tail ( Zuolan Quewei) [Liang & Wu] Grasp the Bird's Tail on the Left [Zhang Fuxing]

Grasp ing the Sparrow's Tail - Left ( Zuo Lan Qiao Wei) [Foen Tjoeng Lie: Metz ger & Zhou] Grasp ing the Bird's Tail, Left M ode [Chong] Left Grasp the Peacock's Tail [Zhao] Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to Left Side Grasping the Peacock's Tail to Left Four Gates Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to the Left Side ( Zuo Lan Qiaowei) Grasp ing the Sparrow's Tail - Left [Garofalo]

Saisir la queue de l'oiseau à gauche.  Fassen der Endstück-linken Seite des Spatzen  Agarrar el Llado Izquierdo de la Cola del Gorrión 拦雀尾左 :  Lan Que Wei Zou : Grasp the Bird's Tail Left

8. Grasping the Sparrow's Tail - Right (You Lan Que Wei ) Right-Grasp the Sparrow's Tail (Youlan Quewei) [Liang & Wu] Grasp the Bird's Tail on the Right [Zhang Fuxing] Grasp ing the Sparrow's Tail - Right (You Lan Qiao Wei) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Grasp ing the Bird's Tail, Left M ode [Chong] Right Grasp the Peacock's Tail [Zhao] Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to the Right Side Grasp ing the P eacock's Tail to Right Grasp the Bird's Tail to Right Four Gates Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to the Right Side ( You Lan Qiaowei) Grasp ing the Sparrow's T ail - Right [Garofalo]

Saisir la queue de l'oiseau à droite.  Fassen der Endstück-rechten Seite des Spatzen  Agarrar el Derecho de la Cola del Gorrión 拦雀尾右 : Lan Que Wei You : Grasp the Bird's Tail Right

9. Single Whip

( Dan Bian)

Single Whip ( Danbian) [Liang & Wu] Single Whip [Zhang Fuxing, Zhao] The Whip ( Dan Bian) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Simple Whip [M etzger & Zhou] Holding a Single Whip [Chong] Single Whip [Garofalo]

Simple fouet. Single Peitsche  Escoja El Azote 单鞭 :  Dan Bian

10. Waving Hands Like Clouds

(Yun Shou)

Wave Hands Like Clouds (Yunshou) [Liang & Wu] Wave Hands Like Clouds [Zhang Fuxing, Zhao] M ove Hands Like Clouds (Yun Shou) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] M oving Hands Like Clouds [M etzger & Zhou] Waving Hands Like Clouds Drifting By [Chong] Waving Hands Like Clouds Cloud Built Hands Wave Hands in Clouds Waving Hands Like Clouds [Garofalo]

 Agiter les mains comme des nuages. 3 fois. Wellenartig Bewegende Hände Mögen Wolken  Las Manos Que Agitan Tienen Gusto De las Nubes 云手 : Yun Shou

11. Single Whip

( Dan Bian)

Single Whip ( Danbian) [Liang & Wu, Zhang Fuxing] The Whip ( Dan Bian) [Foen Tjoeng Lie, Zhao] Simple Whip [M etzger & Zhou] Holding a Single Whip [Chong] Single Whip [Garofalo]

Simple fouet. Single Peitsche  Escoja El Azote 单鞭 :  Dan Bian

12. Pat the Horse on the Back

(Gao Tan Ma)

High Pat on Horse (Gaotan Ma) [Liang & Wu] Stroke the Horse From Above [Zhang Fuxing] Asking for Directions While Riding a Horse (Gao Tan Ma ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Patt ing the Horse's Neck While Riding [M etzger & Zhou] Patt ing the Horse on the Back [Chong] High Hand Pats the Horse [Zhao] Pat the Horse on the Back [Garofalo]

Caresser la crinière du cheval (ou Flatter l'encolure du cheval) Tappen Sie das Pferd auf der Rückseite  Acaricie al Caballo en la Parte Posteriora 高探马 : Gao Tan Ma : High Pat on Horse

13. Kick with Right Hee l

(You Deng Jiao)

Right Heel Kick (You Dengjiao) [Liang & Wu] Kick with Right Heel [Zhang Fuxing, Zhao] Right Heel Kick  (You Deng Jiao) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metzger & Zhou] Kicking Straight, Right M ode [Chong] Kick with Right Heel [Garofalo]

Coup-de-pied Avec le Talon Droit Stoß mit der Rechten Ferse  Retroceso con el Talón Derecho 右蹬脚 : You Deng Jiao : Right Heel Kick

14. Hitting Your Opponent's Ears with Both Fists

( Shuang Feng Quan Er)

Strike to Ears with Both Fists (Shuangfeng Guaner ) [Liang & Wu] Hit the Opponent's Ears with Both Fists [Zhang Fuxing] Hit Your Op ponent's Ears with Both Fists (Shuang Feng Guan Er ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Striking the Opponent's Ears with Both Fists [Chong] Strike Ears with Both Fists [Zhao] Box Op ponent's Ears with Both Fists Box Ears with Both Fist s [Garofalo] Hitting Your Opp onents Ears with Both Fists

 Frapper les oreilles du tigre (ou frapper aux 2 oreilles). Schlagen Ihrer Konkurrenten Ohren mit beiden Fäusten Golpear sus Oídos de los Opositores con Ambos Puños 双峰灌耳 : Shuang Feng Quan Er  : Twin Fists Strike Op ponents Ears

15. Kick with Left Hee l

( Zuo Deng Jiao)

Turn Body and Left Heel Kick ( Zhuanshen Zuo Dengjiao) [Liang & Wu] Turn Round and Kick with Left Heel [Zhang Fuxing] Left Heel Kick ( Zhuan Shen Zuo Deng Jiao ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Kicking Straight, Left Mode [Chong] Kick with Left Heel [Zhao] Kick with Left Heel [Garofalo]

Tourner vers la gauche et donner un coup de talon gauche Stoß mit der Linken Ferse  Retroceso con el Talón Izquierdo 左蹬脚 :  Zuo Deng Jiao : Left Heel Kick

16. Snake Cree ps Down, Golden Rooste r Stands on Left Leg  Li)

( Xia Shi, Jin Ji Du

Left Lower Body Then Stand on One Leg ( Zuo Xiashi Duli) [Liang & Wu] Squat Down and Stand on Left Leg [Zhang Fuxing] Climb Down and Stand on Your Left Leg ( Zuo Xia Shi Du Li ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Stoop ing Down and Then Standing on One Leg, Left M ode [Chong] Squat Down on Right Leg, Snake Creeps Down Left Leg, Stand on One Leg Crooked Whip Left [M etz ger & Zhou] Left Down One-leg Stand [Zhao] Squat on Right, Climb Dow n Left Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg Snake Creeps Down, Golden Roost er Stands on Left Leg [Garofalo] Snake Creeps Down

 Le serpent qui rampe à gauche.  Die Schlange Kriecht Unten  La Serpiente Se Arastra Abajo Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg

Coq d'or sur une patte.  Der Goldene Hahn Steht auf einem Bein  El Gallo de Oro Está Parado en Una Pierna 下势 :  Xia Shi : Snake Creeps Down 左金鸡独立 :  Zuo Jin Ji Du Li : Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg

17. Snake Creeps Down, Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg ( Xia Shi, Jin Ji Dui   Li ) Right Lower Body Then Stand on One Leg ( You Xiashi Duli) [Liang & Wu] Squat Down and Stand on Right Leg [Zhang Fuxing] Climb Down and Stand on Your Right Leg ( You Xia Shi Du Li ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Stoop ing Down and Then Standing on One Leg, Right M ode [Chong] Right Down One-leg Stand [Zhao] Crooked Whip Right [M etzger & Zhou] Squat Down on Left Leg Snake Creeps Down Right Leg Squat on Left, Climb Down Right Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg Snake Creeps Down, Golden Roost er Stands on Left Leg [Garofalo] Snake Creeps Down

 Le serpent qui rampe à droite.  Die Schlange Kriecht Unten  La Serpiente Se Arastra Abajo Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg

Coq d'or sur une patte.  Der Goldene Hahn Steht auf einem Bein  El Gallo de Oro Está Parado en Una Pierna 下势 :  Xia Shi : Snake Creeps Down 右金鸡独立 : You Jin Ji Du Li : Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg

18. Fair Lady Works the Shuttle s

(Yu Nu Chaun Suo)

Shuttle Back and Forth (Chuansuo) [Liang & Wu] Fair Lady Works with Shutt les [Zhang Fuxing] Throwing the Loom (Left and Right) ( Zuo You Chuan Zuo ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Met zger & Zhou] Shuttling Between Left and Right, Fair Lady Works at Shuttles [Chong] Works at Shutt les (LR) [Zhao] Jade Maiden Works at the Loom Two Corners Waking Wood Work at Shuttles on Both Sides Fair Lady Works the Shutt les [Garofalo] The Beautiful Lady Works at the Loom

 La fille de jade lance la navette à droite et à gauche (ou Lancer la navette à droite et à gauche).  Die schöne Dame Arbeitet am Webstuhl   La Señora Hermosa Trabaja en el Telar 玉女穿梭 : Yu Nu Chuan Suo : Fair Lady Works at Shutt les

19. Pick Up the Nee dle from the Bottom of the Sea

( Hai Di Zhen)

 Needle at Sea Bott om ( Haidizhen) [Liang & Wu]  Needle at Sea Bott om [Zhang Fuxing] A Needle at the Bott om of the Ocean ( Hai Di Zhen) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Looking for a Needle at the Sea Bottom [Chong] Find the Needle at Sea Bott om [Zhao] Pick Up Needle from the Bottom of the Sea  Needle at Bottom of the Sea Scoop Up the Needle at Sea Bottom Pick Up Needle from the Ocean's Floor  Needle at Sea Bott om Pick Up t he Needle from the Bottom of the Sea [Garofalo]

Chercher l'aiguille au fond de la mer.  Heben Sie die Nadel von der Unterseite des Meeres auf  Tome la Auja del Fondo del Mar  海底针 :  Hai Di Zhen : Needle at Sea Bott om

20. Flashing the Arms Like a Fan

( Shan Tong Bei )

Fan Through Back (Shan Tong Bei) [Liang & Wu] Fend Off and Push Aw ay with Arms [Zhang Fuxing] Unfolding Your Arms Like a Fan (Shan Tong Bi) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Shunting with Both Hands Fanned [Chong] Flash Arms [Zhao]

Fan Through the Back  Flashing the Arm Unfolding Arms Like a Fan Flashing the Arms Like a Fan

 Dos en éventail.  Blitzend Mögen die Arme einen Ventilator   Destellando los Brazos Tienen Gusto de un Ventilador  Fan Through the Back [Garofalo]

扇通背 : Shan Tong Bei : Fan Through the Back 

21. Deflect, Parry and Punch

( Zhuan Shen Ban Lan Chui)

Turn Body, Deflect, Parry, and Punch ( Zhuanshen Banlanchui) [Liang & Wu] Turn, Intercept, and Punch [Zhang Fuxing] Turn Around, Ward Off, and Punch ( Zhuan Shen Ban Lan Chui ) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Deflecting Downward, Parry ing and Punching [Chong] Turn to Deflect, Block, and Strike [Zhao] Turning Around, Warding Off, Punching [M etzger & Zhou] Turn, Shoulder Strike, Back Fist, Deflect, Parry and Punch Deflect, Parry and Punch [Garofalo]

Tourner, absorber, parer et frapper du poing en avançant.  Lenken Sie ab, Whren Sie ab und Lochen Sie  Desvíe, Parry y Perfore 进步搬拦捶 :  Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui : Step Forward, Parry Block and Punch

22. Apparent Close and Push

( Ru Feng Si Bi )

Ap pears Closed ( Rufemg Sibi) [Liang & Wu] As If Blocking and Closing [Zhang Fuxing] Closure ( Ru Feng Si Bi) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou] Acting to Close a Door [Chong] Seal as Close Up [Zhao] Clearing Cross Block and Pushing Ap parent Close and Push Ap pears Closed ( Ru Feng Si Bi) Withdraw and Push (Closing a Door) Ap parent Close and Push [Garofalo]

 Ramener à soi et repousser. Offensichtliches Nahes und Stoß Cercano Evidente y Empuje 如封似闭 :  Ru Feng Si Bi : Ap parent Close Up

23. Cross Hands

( Shi Zi Shou)

Cross Hands (Shizishou) [Liang & Wu, Zhang Fuxing, Zhao] Crossing Your Hands in Front of Chest Cross Your Hands (Shi Zi Shou) [Foen Tjoeng Lie] Crossing Your Hands [M etzger & Zhou; Chong] Close the Door  Cross Hands [Garofalo] Turn and Cross Hands in Front of Chest

Croiser les bras et reprendre la force. Tournez et Croisez les Mains Devant le Coffre  Drehen Sie und Kreuzen Sie Hände vor Kasten  Dé Vuelta y Cruce a las Manos Delante del Pecho 十字手 : Shi Zi Shou  : Cross Hands

24. Closing Posture of Taijiquan

( Shou Shi Tajiquan)

Closing (Shoushi) [Liang & Wu] Concluding Posture [Zhang Fuxing; Chong] Conclusion (Shou Shi) [Foen Tjoeng Lie; Metz ger & Zhou; Zhao] Taiji Ending Closing Post ure of Taijiquan [Garofalo]

 Fermeture. Schließende Lage von Taijiquan  Postura de Cierre de Taijiquan 收式 : Shou Shi  : Closing 还原 :  Huan Yuan : Return to Normal

Sources for Movement Names Standard Simplified Taijiquan 24 Form

[Liang & Wu 1996] T'ai Chi Ch'uan: 24 And 48 Postures With Martial Ap p lications. By Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching; and, edited by Denise Brieter. Boston, YM AA Publications. 2nd Edition, 1993, 1996. ISBN: 1886969337. [Zhang Fuxing 1996] Handbook of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Exercises. By Zhang, Fuxing. York Beach, M aine, Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1996. Index, 198 pages. ISBN: 0877288917. [Foen Tjoeng Lie 1988] Tai Chi Chuan: The Chinese Way. By Foen Tjoeng Lie. New York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1988. 126 pages, black and whit e illustrations , index. ISBN: 0806968265. [M etz ger & Zhou 1996] T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong: Techniques and Training. By Wolfgang M etz ger, Peifang Zhou, and M anfred Grosser. New York, Sterling Publishing Company , 1996. Index, 144 pages. ISBN: 0806959576.

[Chong 1981] Illustrations of Tai Chi Chuan Simp lified. By Y. W. Chong. In English and Chinese. Hong Kong, Wan Li Book Co., Ltd., 1981. 96 pages, black and white illustrations. [Zhao 2006] Tai Chi for Health: The 24 Simplified Forms. By Cheng Zhao and Dan Zhao. Indiana, Agilceed Books, 2006. 163 pages. [Garofalo 2008] Standard Simplified Taijiquan 24 Form. By M ichael P. Garofalo. Ap ril, 2008. Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California. Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb By M ike Garofalo.

Return to the Main Index for this Webpage

Descriptions and Instructions for the 24 Movements Standard Simplified 24 Taijiquan Form in the Yang Style Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of Movements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb By M ike Garofalo. I welcome your comments and suggestions for improving the descriptions and instructions for each of the 24 Form movements. In particular, I would like to have more color photographs of w omen and children doing the movements. Send your suggestions and contributions t o my email box.

S ections of the S tandard S implified 24 Form Yang Taijiquan

Section 1, Movements 1 - 5 Section 2, Movements 6 - 9 Section 3, Movements 10 - 15 Section 4, Movements 16 - 19 Section 5, Movements, 20 - 24

First Section of Standard Simplified 24 Form Tai Chi (Yang Style) Movements 1 - 5

Before you begin your Taijiquan form practice, be sure to do some walking and/or progressive warm up exercises. There are many sets of exercises t hat can be used to warm up that have been developed in Qigong  practices. Yang st yle Taijiquan players use many different Qigong sets for warming up the body before they begin Taijiquan form practice. I often use an exercise set like the Eight Section Brocade, Five Animal Frolics, Wild Goose, Nine Temple, Bagua Walking, gentle Hsing Yi drills, Sun Salutations, or a brisk walk as  part of my warm up exercises. Be creative and play ful in selecting your warm up p ractices.

1. Opening Posture of Taijiquan Variations of names for this movement include: WuJi, Standing Quietly, Reconnecting with O neness and Emptiness, Quiet Standing Mediation Beginning, Commencement, Starting Posture, Commencing ( Qishi), Taijiquan Op ening M ovement, and 预 备 : Yu Bei : Preparation Form.

Face N 12 (1a) . For an explanation of the directional scheme used in Cloud Hands webp ages, p lease see

 below. Stand at att ention for awhile. In Taiji and Qigong, st anding quietly in a meditative posture for awhile is t he first phase. Relax (Sung ). Shoulders are down, hands relaxed and gently touching the side of leg, and head is erect. This is the phase of WuJi (empty state), or standing like a tree ( Zhan Zhuang ), and Reconnecting with Oneness and Empt iness. Breathe easily and comfortably. Sink weight into right leg, and then st ep out to t he left to shoulder width (1b). Gently raise both arms up (1c), palms facing down, to about shoulder height (1d). Lower both arms, palms down, to  Dan Tien height, and lower knees (1e). The lower  Dan Tien is a sp here of energy located a few inches behind and below the level of the navel or belly button; the middle  Dan Tien is located in the heart area, and the upper  Dan Tien is located behind the eyes in the brain. The most important for Taijiquan is the lower  Dan Tien. Practitioners of Kundalini Yoga might consider  correspondences of the 3rd Chakra ( Manipurna) [Power, Will] with the Lower  Dan Tien, the 4th Chakra ( Anahata) [Compassion, Love] with the Middle  Dan Tien, and the 6th Chakra ( Aina) [Intuition, Vision, 6th Sense] with the Up per Dan Tien. The Chinese energetic sy st em is quite different from the Indian energetic system, so correspondences are weak in this case. This is movement often called "Raising Hands and Lowering Hands." Breathe normally as y ou st and, relax, and center in p osition 1a. Breathe in through nose, and out t hrough the nose. Slow the respiration rate to inhaling for 4-5 seconds, holding the full in-breath for 1-2 seconds, exhaling slowly for 4 to 5 seconds, pausing 1-2 seconds before beginning the yin/yang cycle of breathing again. Breathe in at 1a, breathe out as you step to 1b. Breathe in as arms float up 1b-1c, and breathe out as arms float down (1d-1e).

(1a)

(1c-1d)

Here is a description of the beginning of the Opening Posture of Taijiquan (#1, 1b) from the book  Traditional Chen Sty le Taijiquan by Fan Chun-Lei and A. Frank Shiery, p.37: "1. Preliminary Stance: Stand naturally upright wit h the feet placed shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly inward, and arms hanging naturally at t he side. The body should be kept up right with the shoulders relaxed, eyes slightly closed and breathing naturally. The body should face north. The mind should remain empty, calm and clear. This is the state of WuJi, (Negative Terminus in T aoist Teaching). 2. Commencing Form: The body should exhibit being relaxed externally while solid within. The head is held naturally erect as if pulled upward by an invisible string. Close the lips s lightly with t he tongue touching the upp er palate. The toes firmly grasp the ground with Yongquan point pulled upward. The eyes are looking st raight ahead with the chin drawn slightly inward. The hip is turned up and the coccyx turned back and upward with the waist directed downwards. The whole body should remain relaxed. A mind state of intent is maintained while the vital energy flows upward from the  Dantian to the  Baihui p oint,

while the turbid energy flows downward from the  Dantian to the Yongquan point. During this time, the  body exhibits no external movement. Yin/Yang , for example, closing/opening, supple-firm and fast-slow are manifested internally, portray ing the image of the Taiji, (Grand Terminus) (1b). Key Points to Remember: For the beginner, the p rimary concern should be to cleanse the mind and spirit of tension and anxiety, removing all negative thoughts. This develops even-temperedness and an alert mind for quick movement and resp onse. Once this t echnique has been mastered, the p ractitioner can begin to understand and practice Taijiquan more effectively." - Fan Chun-Lei and A. Frank Shiery, Traditional Chen Sty le Taijiquan

2. Wild Horse Shakes Its Mane Variations of names for this movement include: Parting the Wild Horse's M ane, Wild Horse Waves His Mane, and 野马分鬃 : Ye Ma Fen Zong  : Parting the Wild Horse's M ane. The general direction of movement is in a st raight line from E3 towards W9 in M ovement #2. Part t he Wild M ustang's M ane Three Times: 1. To the left side (2e), 2. To the right side (2j), and 3. To t he left s ide (2o). Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are performed.

When performing the short form, players should: move slowly, move continuously, keep the movements rounded, move without great effort, relax, keep t he head up , let t he mind direct the movements , don't  bounce, and maintain an upright p osture. Breathe in through the nose and out t hrough the mouth, breathe deeply and regularly, breathe in when pulling back or reaching up, and breathe out when going forward or  reaching down. All the basic p rinciples found in the T 'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics should be followed when doing the Beijing simplified Taijiquan form.

Gently rise up t o normal height (2a). Circle right arm counter-clockwise up t o chest height, with the palm

facing down. Draw left arm to waist, with t he palm facing up (2a). Imagine holding a ball between the t wo hands. Turn the waist to NE1 (2b). Draw the left foot to the side of the right foot (2b). Hold Tai Chi "energy ball" with right hand, palm down, at chest height; and left hand below, p alm up, at Dan Tien height (2b). Relax and gently inhale. "Part Wild Horse's Mane to the Left" by stepping diagonally with the left leg (2d), bring left hand out, palm up, to about chest height (2e). Exhale as the left arm extends. Left elbow is slightly bent. Right hand moves down to right hip (2e), with the right p alm down. End with chest facing W9, left hand to SW7. Left  bow st ance with 60% of weight in forward left leg (2e), left knee bent; and, 40% of weight in rear right leg, with leg bend. Head upright. Shoulders down. "Part Wild Horse's Mane to the Right" by first drawing the weight back into the right leg, pivot on left heel (2f), drawing the left hand back as the torso turns to face SW7 (2g). Step forward with the right foot to side of left foot (2g). Step out t he right leg to the diagonal (2i). Exhale as the right arm extends (2i). Right elbow is slightly bent. Left hand moves down to left hip (2j), with the left palm down. End with chest facing W9, left hand to NW11. Right bow st ance with 60% of weight in forward right leg (2j), right knee bent; and, 40% of weight in rear left leg, with leg bend. Head upright. Shoulders down. "Part Wild Horse's Mane to the Left" by first drawing the weight back into the left leg, pivot on left heel (2k), drawing the right hand back as the torso t urns to face SW7 (2k). Step forward with the left foot to side of right foot (2l). Step out the left leg to the diagonal (2m). Exhale as the left arm extends (2n). Left elbow is slightly bent. Right hand moves down to right hip (2o), with the right p alm down. End with chest facing W9, right hand t o SW7(2o). Left bow stance with 60% of weight in forward left leg (2o), left knee  bent; and, 40% of weight in rear right leg, with right leg bend (2o). Head upright. Shoulders down. Look  towards W9.

(2j)

(2f)

(2f)

(2f)

3. White Crane Spreads Its Wings Variations of names for this movement include: White Stork Spreading Its Wings, White Crane Lifts Its Wings, White Stork Cools Its Wings; 白鵝亮翅  : Bai E Liang Chi. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #3.

2o = 3a. From 3a draw the right foot forward a half st ep (3b). The right hand moves up ward (3b) as the left hand moves downward (3b). Draw the left foot backward (3c) as the right hand moves up and left hand moves down (3c). Finish (3d) with t he right hand above the head and palm forward, in a left toe st ance with 90% of the body weight in t he back right leg, and the left hand rests along left leg with palm down. End with chest facing W9. Face to W9. Relax and exhale as the weight sett les down in the back right leg.  Notice how the body t urns at t he waist slightly to left SW7 (3b) and then to the right NW11 (3c) before it sett les to face W9. This represents the subtle internal rotation of the Dan Tien, a "silk reeling" movement, more pronounced in the Chen Sty le of Taijiquan than in Yang Sty le Taijiquan, but still p resent in all styles of Taijiquan. M any movements in the 24 Form include this t urning of the waist from side to side, and rotation of the  Dan Tien.

(3d)

(3d)

(3d)

4. Brush Knee Variations of names for this movement include: Twist Step, Brush Knee, Palm Strike; Brushing Your Knees and Stepping; Brush Knee and Twist Step; and 左搂膝拗步 : Lou Xi Ao Bu : Brush Knee and Twist Step. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #4. Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are  performed.

3d = 4a. Brush left knee and right p alm st rike (4a-4h). Left Knee and palm Twist Step (4b), turn body clockwise (4c-43), Brush Left K nee (4f), Right Palm Forward Strike (4h). End with chest and face facing W9, look to W9 (4h). 4h = 4i. Brush right knee and left p alm strike (4i-4o). Twist Step (4j), turn body counter-clockwise (4k-4l), Brush Right Knee (4m), Left Palm Forward Strike(4o). End with chest and face facing W9, look to W9 (4o). 4o = 4p. Twist Step, Brush Left Knee, Right Palm Forward Strike. End with chest facing W9.

(4n)

(4o)

5. Playing the Lute

(4u)

(4u)

Variations of names for this movement include: Play the Guitar, Strumming the Lute, Hand-hold the Lute, Playing the Pipa, and 手挥琵琶 : Shou Hui Pi Pa : Hand Strums the Lute. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #5.

4u = 5a. End with chest facing W9, and look to W9. Here is a description of  Playing the Lute "Hand-hold the Lut e" (#5, 5a-5d) from the book 'T ai Chi for  Health: The 24 Simplified Forms" by Cheng Zhao and Don Zhao, p.88: "Form 5 resembles a person p laying a lute, a common music instrument in old China's time. It is more accurate to describe it as hands holding the lute, which is also a literal translation from its counterpart in Chinese. 1. Shift the body weight onto the left leg (5a). Life the right foot and move it a half step forward, placing it behind the left foot (5b). 2. Lightly s hift the body center back to sit on the right leg (5c). Extend the left heel a little forward touching the floor in an empty stance (5c-5d). At the same time, rotate the waist slightly to t he right (5b-5c), lift the left arm and hand upward to the nose level (5b-5c), lower the right hand to guard the inside of the left elbow (5d)." - Dr. Cheng Zhao

(5d)

(5d)

(5d)

Return to Index for Sections or Proceed to Second Section (Movements 6 - 9)

Second Section of Standard Simplified 24 Form Taijiquan (Yang Style) Movements 6 - 9

6. Step Back and Repulse Monkey Variations of names for t his movement include: Fending Off t he Monkey; Step Back to Drive the M onkey Away; Repulse Monkey and Step Back; Step Back and Swirl Your Arms; Reverse Reeling Forearm ( Daojuan Gong ), Step Back and Drive M onkey Away, Repulse Monkey, 倒撵猴 : Dao Nian Hou. The Direction of Movement is reversed. M ove backward in a straight line from W9 in the direction of E3. Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are performed.

6a = 5d. Right leg and right t wisting (reverse reeling forearm) arm back, left arm forward, st ep back wit h left leg (6d), exchange arms and move right palm forward (6d-6e). Left leg and leg twisting arm back, right arm forward, step back with right leg (6g), exchange arms and move

left palm forward (6g-6h). 6h = 6i. Right leg and right twisting arm back, left arm forward, step back with left leg (6k), exchange arms and move right palm forward (6k-6l). Left leg and leg twisting arm back, right arm forward, step back with right leg (6n), exchange arms and move left p alm forward (6n-6o).

Here is a detailed description of how to perform  Repulse Monkey (#6, 6a-60) taken from the very useful narrative document by David Hann: "Repulse M onkey (1): Turn y our right hand palm up and let it drop so that y our arm moves in an arc (6a-6b). Continue bringing your right arm back until your hand is level with y our right shoulder (6c). Turn your left hand palm up and flat, p arallel with t he earth (6c). Notice that y our torso is facing (6c) to the side (N12) (the same direction as y ou face when you first begin, Raising the Chi (1a). Step back with the left foot (6d-6e), taking care to maintain your stance about a two fist width from your right foot, or about shoulder width. Now t urn your torso to the left, bringing your right arm forward in a palm st rike and your  left arm backward as if grabbing an opp onent's arm and pulling (6d-63). Your right p alm will now be the most advanced hand (6e). Repulse M onkey (2): Turn y our left hand palm up and let it drop so that your arm moves in an arc (6e-6f). Continue bringing your left arm back until your hand is level with y our left shoulder (6g). Turn your right hand palm up and flat, p arallel with t he earth (6f). Notice that your torso is facing to t he opposite side (S6). Step back with the right foot, taking care to maintain your st ance about a two fist width from your left foot, or about shoulder width (6g-6h). Now t urn your torso to the right, bringing your left arm forward in a palm strike and your right arm backward as if grabbing an opponent's arm and pulling (6h). Your left p alm will now be t he most advanced hand (6h). Repulse Monkey (3): Turn your right hand palm up and let it drop so that your arm moves in an arc (6i). Continue bringing y our right arm back until your hand is level with y our right shoulder (6j). Turn y our  left hand palm up and flat, p arallel with t he earth (6j). Notice that your torso is facing (N12) to t he side (the same direction as you face when you first begin, Raising the Chi. Step back with t he left foot , taking care to maintain your stance about a two fist width from your right foot, or about shoulder width (6k-6l).  Now t urn your torso to t he left, bringing your right arm forward in a palm st rike and your left arm backward as if grabbing an opponent's arm and pulling (6l). Your right p alm will now be the most advanced hand (6l). Repulse M onkey (4): Turn y our left hand palm up and let it drop so that your arm moves in an arc (6l-6m). Continue bringing your left arm back until your hand is level with y our left shoulder (6m). Turn your right hand palm up and flat, p arallel with t he earth(6m). Notice that your torso is facing to t he opposite side (S6). Step back with the left foot, taking care to maintain your stance about a two fist w idth from your right foot, or about shoulder width (6n-6o). Now t urn your torso to t he right, bringing your left arm forward in a p alm strike and y our right arm backward as if grabbing an op ponent's arm and pulling (6n-6o). Your left p alm will now be the most advanced hand (6o)." - David Hann, Yang Sty le Short Form Tai Chi

7. Grasping the Sparrow's Tail - Left

Variations of names for this movement include: Grasp the Sparrow's Tail, Grasp ing the Peacock's Tail, Grasp the Bird's Tail, Four Gates, Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to the Left Side, Hold the Peacock's Tail, 拦雀 尾左 : Lan Que Wei Zou : Grasp the Bird's Tail Left. "Grasp ing the Bird's Tail" is t he most frequently occurring movement in t he Yang Sty le Long 108 Form. This movement consists of four parts: Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #7. Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are  performed.

7a = 6o. Generally, one is moving in the direction of W9, to your left side, in M ovement 7. Here is a detailed description of how to perform Grasping the Bird's Tail, Left Mode (#7, 7a-7m) taken from the book "Illustrations of Tai Chi Chuan Simplified" by Y. W. Chong, pp. 27-31: "1. Raise the left hand arch-wise to the right (7a-7b) and st op it before the right side of the waist (7c). At the same time bend the right hand horizontally before the chest as if grasp ing a ball with both hands (7c). Concurrently draw the left foot back and put it close to the right one (7b-7c), with the left t oes touching the ground (7c). 2. Lift the left hand outward in a bent manner to the left as if to ward off a blow (7c-7e) and bow it horizontally at the level of the shoulders (7e). At the same time swing the right hand downward to the right (7d-7e) and put it beside the right t high (7e). At the same time stretch the left foot out and bow it forward (7d-7e). The eyes are looking at the left forearm (7e). [ Ward Off Left ( Peng Zuo) I] 3. Stretch the left hand forward, turning its p alm downward (7f). Concurrently turn the right p alm upward and stretch it forward until it comes below the left wrist (7f). Then pull the tw o hands downward  past t he abdomen and swing them up backward to t he right unt il the right hand comes to the height of t he shoulders with its palm upward (7f-7g) and the left hand comes before the chest with its palm facing inward and the elbow bend horizontally (7g). At the same time shift the centre of gravity to t he right foot (7g). The eyes are looking at the right hand (7g). [Roll Back ( Lu) II] 4. Draw the right hand back and put it at t he inside of the left wrist (7g). Push both hands forward with the left p alm inward and the right one outward (7h-7i). At the same time bow the left leg forward (7h-7i). The eyes are looking at the left wrist (7i). [Press ( Ji) III]

5. Separate both hands at the distance of the breadth across the shoulders with both palms facing downward (7j-7k). Then lower the upper body slightly backwards (7k), shifting the centre of gravity t o the right foot (7k). At t he same time draw both hands back to the two sides of the waist with both palms facing forward slightly to the ground (7k-7l). The eyes are looking forward horizontally (7l). 6. Push both hands forward and upward (7l-7m). At t he same time bow the left leg forward (7m). The eyes are looking forward. [Push ( An) IV]" - Y. W. Chong

I. Ward Off Left ( Peng Zuo ) (7b-7e) Inhale 7b-7c, and exhale 7d-7e. Turn torso to the left towards W9 (7e). II. Roll Back ( Lu) (7f-7g) Inhale 7e-7g. Turn torso to right towards N12 (7g). The hand movements for  Roll Back are not shown clearly in the the above illustrations (7f-7g). Look at right hand in the direction of   NE2. III. Press ( Ji) (7h-7i) Inhale 7g-7h, and exhale 7h-7i. Torso facing W9 (7i). Turn torso to the left towards W9 (7i). The right p alm presses against the left forearm. The left p alm faces the body. IV. Push ( An) (7j-7m) Face W9. Push both hands, palms forward, towards W9 (7m). Inhale 7j-7l, and exhale 7l-7m. Torso faces W9 (7m).

(7e)

(7i)

(7m)

(7m)

8. Grasping the Sparrow's Tail - Right Variations of names for this movement include: Grasp the Sparrow's Tail, Grasp the Bird's Tail, Four Gates, Grasp the Sparrow's Tail to the Right Side, Hold the Peacock's Tail, 拦雀尾右: Lan Que Wei You : Grasp the Bird's Tail Right. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from W9 towards E3 in Movement #8. Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are  performed.

"Grasp ing the Bird's Tail" is t he most frequently occurring movement in t he Yang Sty le Long 108 Form. This movement consists of four parts: Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push.

8a = 7m. Generally, one is moving in the direction of E3, to y our right s ide, in M ovement 8. Here is a detailed description of how to perform Grasping the Sparrow's Tail - Right (#8, 8a-8o) taken from the book "Tai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong: Techniques and T raining" by Wolfgang M etz ger and Peifang Zhou,  pp. 106-109:

"Ass ume starting position (8a = 7m): Arch st eps to the left. Left foot load about 70 percent; right foot about 30 percent (8a). Shift weight to the right foot; left foot rotat es on the heel by 90° to 120° to the inside (8b). At the same time - with gently held, slightly rounded arms - the hands move with t he upp er   body to t he right (8b). Slowly bend arms, with right hand moving in an upward arc (8b-8c), and assume the  ball-holding position in front of the right side of the body (8c-8d). While in the ball-holding position, the right foot is pulled towards the left without the toes touching the ground (8d). 1.  Peng  M ovement: With an arched step t o the right, p ull the left hand as in Form 2 ("Parting Horse's M ane") in an arc down to hip level (8e-8f), while the right forearm - different from Form 2 - moves at a left angle in an arc forward and up (8e-8f) until level with t he chest (8f), harmoniously coordinating it with t he rotation of the body (8d-8f) and the shifting of the weight (8e-8f). Posit ion (8f) is the starting point for the second part of this form. [Ward Off Right ( Peng You) I] 2.  Lu Movement: This starts with a slight rotation of the body to the right SE4 (8g), not shown in the illustration. While the body rotates to the right, hands are rotating to face each other, the right hand moving towards the right. Both hands - while shifting the weight t o the left leg (8f-8g) and rotating the body to  NW11 - move in an arc down to the right hip level (8g). [Roll Back ( Lu ) II] 3.  Ji M ovement: Preceded by a small reaching back movement (8h), move the left hand towards the left;  both hands cross at the wrists and are pushed forward and out (8i-8k). When pushing forward, shift t he weight again to the right leg (8k). [Press ( Ji) III] 4.  An Movement: at the conclusion of the  Ji movement (8k), turn the hands so that they are crossed (8l) with t he palms facing down, right hand below the left (8l). As t he weight is s hifted to t he back left leg (8m-8n) - the t oes of t he right foot raised slightly off the ground (8n) - the crossed hands sep arate again and are pulled towards the body by t he elbows (8m-8n). They are then - with a slight shift of of the body's weight (8n-8o) - pushed forward (8n-8o). Do not straighten your arms out in the end position (8o). [Push ( An) IV]." - Wolfgang M etz ger and Peifang Zhou

I. Ward Off Right ( Peng You) (8a-8f) Inhale 8c-8d, and exhale 8e-8f. Turn torso to the right towards E3 (8c-8e). II. Roll Back ( Lu) (8f-8h) Inhale 8g-8h. Turn torso to right towards N12 (8h). The hand movements for  Roll Back are not shown clearly in the the above illustrations (8f-8h). Look at right hand in the direction of   NW10. III. Press ( Ji) (8j-8k) Inhale 8h-8i, and exhale 8j-8k. Torso facing E3 (8k). Turn torso to the right towards E3 (8i-8k). The left wrist presses against the inside of the right forearm. The right p alm faces the body. IV. Push ( An) (8l-8o) Push both hands, palms forward, towards E3 (8n-8o). Inhale 8m-8n, and exhale 8n-8o. Torso faces E3 (8o). Both palms face away from the body.

(8f)

(8k)

(8k)

9. Single Whip Variations of names for this movement include: Simple Whip, Whip, Holding the Whip in One Hand, Holding a Single Whip, 单鞭 : Dan Bian. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #9. From the Push phase (9a) at the end of the Grasping the Sparrow's Tail movement (9a = 8o), begin to rotate the arms from the left side to the right side. The arms draw across t he body at about chest height (9a-9c). After the arms reach the left side (9c), then they rotate back to the right side (9c-9d). The waist faces N12 (9c). As the right arm gets to t he right s ide (9d) then the hand extends in t he direction of NE1 (9e) and the hand is shaped into a beak sty le (thumb touches the other fingers and all fingers p oint down) (9e). The left arm is drawn up to the face level, with the p alm facing the face (9e). As the right hand forms into beak, the left leg steps to the right, bringing the left foot fairly close to the right foot (9d-9e), and the left toe touching the ground (9e). As t he left leg lifts and is placed to face W9, the left hand opens out towards W9 (9e-9f). As t he body set tles into a left bow stance (9g), the left hand pus hes forward, palm facing out. We end in Single Whip (9g) with the waist facing NW11, in a left bow st ance, pushing with the left p alm in the direction of W9, with the right arm lifted and p ointing towards N E1, beaked right hand, and looking towards W9 (9g). Inhale 9d-9e, and exhale 9f-9g.

(9g)

(9g)

Return to Index for Sections or Proceed to Third Section (Movements 10 - 15)

Third Section of Standard Simplified 24 Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Yang Style) Movements 10 - 15

10. Waving Hands Like Clouds Variations of names for this movement include: Moving Hands Like Clouds, Waving Hands Like Clouds, Cloud Built Hands, Wave Hands in Clouds, Cloud Hands 云手 : Yun Shou.

The whole Cloud Hands ( Yun Shou) movement flow is from t he left to t he right, from E3 towards W9. Cloud Hands is a gentle flowing movement that is rather complicated to describe. Please study the recommended online videos to see how t he series of p ostures in this p articular movement are p erformed.

From the Single Whip p osition (10a = 9g) begin to t urn the t orso to the right side (10a-10e) until the front of  the body is facing N12 (10c). At the same time as the torso turns t oward the right side, the right hand remains outst retched (10b-10c). The left hand moves downward and then up wards tow ard the right side (10b-10c) until it reaches t he level of the head (10d). The weight moves into t he bent right leg (10c). The head turns and looks towards the right side E3 (10d). The left hand, palm facing the body , remaining at about face level, moves across t he body towards the left side (10d-10f). The right hand, at about waist level, palm facing the body, moves across t he body towards the left side at the same time as the left hand moves (10e-10f). The waist turns to move the arms more than the shoulders move the arms (10e-10f). Turn t he waist and move the arms until you reach the left side and are looking towards W9 (10f). Step with the right leg and move it closer to the left leg as the arms move to the far left position W9 (10e-10f). Switch the p osition of the arms by moving the right arm to about face level (10e-10f), and the left arm down towards the waist level (10f). This completes t he first part of the Cloud Hands movement  by moving from the far left (10a) to t he far right (10c) and then from the far right (10c) to the far left (10f) in a gentle flowing manner (10b-10f), moving the hands like floating clouds. From the far left position (10f) with the right hand high (10f) and the left hand low at waist level (10g), with  both p alms facing the body , move both arms to the right across t he body (10g-10h). The waist turns to move the arms more than the shoulders move the arms (10f-10h). Turn t he waist and move the arms until you reach the far right side and are looking towards E3 (10h). When you reach the far right, exchange the arms by bringing the left arm up t o about face level (10i) and the right arm down to about waist level (10i-10j), and at the same time step t he left leg to t he left W9 (10h-10i). Now begin to move the left arm across the body to the left side at about face height, palm facing the body (10i-10k), at the same time as the right arm drops down to about waist level (10i-10j) and moves across the body, p alm facing inward, to t he far left s ide (10j-10k). When the left hand reaches t he far left side (10j), lift and step w ith t he right leg towards the left leg (10j-10k). This completes t he second part of the Cloud Hands movement by moving from the far left (10f) to the far right (10i) and then back to the far left (10k) in a gentle flowing manner,

moving hands like floating clouds. From the far left position (10k) with the right hand high (10k) and the left hand low at waist level (10l), with both palms facing the body, move both arms to the right across the body (10k-10n). The waist t urns to move the arms more than the shoulders move the arms (10k-10n). Turn t he waist and move the arms until you reach the far right side and are looking towards E3 (10m). When you reach the far right, exchange the arms by bringing the left arm up t o about face level (10n) and the right arm down to about waist level (10m-10n), and at the same time step the left leg to t he left W9 (10m-10n). Now begin to move the left arm across the body to the left at about face height, palm facing the body (10n-10p), at the same time as the right arm drops down to about waist level (10m-10n) and moves across the body, palm facing inward, to the far left side (10n-10p). When the left hand reaches the far left side (10p), lift and st ep with the right leg towards the left leg (10o-10p). This completes the third part of the Cloud Hands movement by moving from the far left (10k) t o the far right (10m) and then back to t he far left (10p) in a gentle flowing manner, moving hands like floating clouds.

(10l)

(10o)

11. Single Whip Variations of names for this movement include: Simple Whip, Whip, Single Whip, Holding the Whip in One Hand, 单鞭 : Dan Bian.

From the last posture of Cloud Hands (10p = 11a), step forward with the right foot a small step (11b). Begin to rotate the arms from the left side to the right side. The arms draw across t he body at about chest height (11a-11c). After the arms reach the left s ide (9c), then they rotate back to the right side (11c-11e). The waist faces N12 (11c). As t he right arm gets t o the right side (11d) then the hand extends in the direction of NE1 (11d) and the hand is shaped into a beak st yle (thumb touches the other fingers and all fingers p oint down) (11e). The left arm is drawn up to t he face level, with the palm facing the face (11d). As the right hand forms into beak, the left leg step s t o the right, bringing the left foot fairly close to t he right

foot (11c-11d), and the left t oe touching the ground (11d). As the left leg lifts and is p laced to face W9, the left hand opens out towards W9 (11d-11e). As t he body s ettles into a left bow stance (11f), the left hand  pushes forward, p alm facing out (11e-11f). We end in Single Whip (11f) wit h the waist facing NW11, in a left bow stance, pushing with the left palm in the direction of W9, with the right arm lifted and pointing towards NE1, beaked right hand, and looking towards W9 (11f). Inhale from 11b-11d and exhale from 11e-11f.

(11f) & (16e)

(11f)

12. Pat the Horse on the Back Variations of names for this movement include: High Pat on Horse, Patting the Horse's Neck While Riding, Stroke the Horse From Above, Asking for Directions While Riding a Horse, Pat the Horse's Back, Pat the Horse on the Back, 高探马 : Gao Tan Ma : High Pat on Horse.

From Single Whip (12a), draw the right foot forward a half-st ep (12b). The right hand changes from a  beaked hand into an op en hand (12b). The right arm moves forward at about face level from right t o left in the direction of W9 (12b-12c), and ends with p alm facing out in front of t he body at face level. The torso turns to t he left and ends facing W9 (12c-12d). The right hand stop s at face level, with t he palm facing out and away (12d). The left hand moves in a downward arc (12c-12d) to the  Dan Tien level, and ends with the left palm facing up (12d). The left leg is in an empt y toe st ance (12d) The body is facing in the direction of  W9 (12d). The final posit ion is called High Pat on Horse (12d). Inhale at 12c and exhale at 12d.

(12d)

13. Kick with Right Heel Variations of names for this movement include: Right Heel Kick, Kicking Straight Right M ode, Kicking with the Right Heel, 右蹬脚 : You Deng Jiao: Right Heel Kick. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #13. Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular movement are  performed.

Lift left leg and step forward (13a-13b). Circle both hands outward in a circle and down (13b-13c). Step with right leg forward to bring the right foot next to t he left foot (13c-13d). At the same time, circle both hands up wards and bring the right hand in front of t he left hand, crossing the hands in front of the face (13d-13d). Left the right leg as both hands move away from each other towards the sides (13e), palms facing out and fingers up (13f). Turn t he body slightly to t he left so that instead of your waist facing W9 it faces SW7. Kick with the left heel in the direction of NW10 (13f). Inhale 13c-13d, and exhale 13e-13f. Some persons may not be able to kick high with a straight right leg and right toe drawn back - a right heel kick (13f). Instead, substit ute a toe kick, while kicking lower if necessary, or bending the knee if necessary. Don't let the inability of executing a movement perfectly , according to a standard, prevent y ou from  practicing Taijiquan. Adapt accordingly t o accommodate for injuries, balance problems, inflexibility , or  weakness. Be practical and smart; and, make reasonable adjustments. Keep p racticing, and you will  probably see steady improvements, increased st rength, and greater flexibility .

(13f)

(13f)

(13f)

14. Hitting Your Opponent's Ears with Both Fists Variations of names for this movement include: Box Ears, Box Op ponent's Ears with Bot h Fists, Strike to Ears with Both Fists, Strike to Temple with Both Fists, 双峰灌耳 : Shuang Feng Quan Er  : Twin Fists Strike Opponents Ears. The general direction of movement is in a st raight line from E3 towards NW10 in M ovement #14.

.

From the Right Heel Kick position (14a = 13f), draw the right knee back into the body to waist level (14a-14b). Draw both hands down and bring the elbows to the sides of the body , closing the op en hands into fist s and holding the hands level with the knee (14b-14c). Step forward with t he right leg (14c-14d) in the direction of NW11. Circle the arms outward from the body (14d), and then draw both fists towards the head level of an imaginary opponent to st rike the opponent's temples with both fists (14d-14e). Sett le into a right bow stance (14e). The imaginary opponent is in the direction of NW10 or NW11 (14e). Look  intensely at the imaginary op ponent. Inhale 14b-14d, and exhale 14d-14e.

(14e)

(14e)

15. Kick with Left Heel Variations of names for this movement include: Turn Around, and Kick with Left Heel; Left Heel Kick, Turn Around and Kick with Left Heel, 左蹬脚 : Zuo Deng Jiao : Left Heel Kick. The Direction of Movement is reversed. M ove backward in a straight line from NW10 (15a) in the direction of E3 (15b-15g). Please study the recommended online videos t o see how the series of pos tures in this particular movement are p erformed.

Turn 270 degrees clockwise, face to NE2. Cross and sep arate hands at face, heel kick with left foot. Left arm in front and right arm in back at shoulder height. Inhale 15c-15e, exhale 15f-15g.

(15g)

(15e-15g)

Return to Index for Sections or Proceed to Fourt h Section (Movements 16 - 19)

Fourth Section of Standard 24 Form Taijiquan (Yang Style) Movements 16 - 19

16. Snake Creeps Down, Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg Variations of names for this movement include: Squat Down on Right Leg, Snake Creeps Down Left Leg: Crooked Whip to Right Side: Squat on Right, Climb Down Left; Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, Left Down One-leg Stand, 下势 : Xia Shi : Snake Creeps Down, 左金鸡独立 : Zuo Jin Ji Du Li  : Golden Rooster  Stands on Left Leg. The Direction of Movement is reversed. M ove backward from in a st raight line from W9 in the direction of  E3 (16a-16h). Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of p ostures in this  particular movement are performed.

16a = 15g. Squat down and balance on right leg (16d-16e). Right arm draws back in single whip (16c), and right hand makes a beaked fist (16c). Extend left leg low to E3 (16e). Draw t he left arm down along inside of left leg towards left ankle ... the snake creeps down (16d-16e). Stand up on left leg (16f-16h). Draw right leg up until level with hip (16h). Right elbow is over right knee, right had p ointing up (16h). This final  posture, facing E3, is called "Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg, Golden Bird Standing Alone" (16h).

(16e)

(16e)

(16e)

(16h)

17. Snake Creeps Down, Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg Variations of names for this movement include: Squat Down on Left Leg, Snake Creeps Down Right Leg; Crooked Whip to the Left Side: Squat on Left, Climb Down Right; Golden Roost er Stands on One Leg, Right Down One-leg Stand, 势 : Xia Shi : Snake Creeps Down, 右金鸡独立 : You Jin Ji Du Li : Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from W9 towards E3 (17a-17h). Please study the recommended online videos to see how t he series of p ostures in this p articular movement are p erformed.

17a = 16h. Squat down and balance on left leg (17d-17e). Left arm draws back in single whip , and left hand makes a beaked fist (17c). Extend right leg low to E3 (17d-17e). Draw t he right arm down along inside of  right leg towards ankle ... the snake creeps down (17d-17e). Stand up on right leg (17g-17h). Draw left leg up unt il level with hip (17g-17h). Left elbow is over left knee, left had pointing up (17h). This final  posture, facing E3, is called "Golden Rooster Stands on Right Leg, Golden Bird Standing Alone" (17h).

(17h)

(17h)

(17h)

18. Fair Lady Works the Shuttles Variations of names for this movement include: Throwing the Loom to the Left Side and Right Side, Shuttle Back and Forth, Two Corners, Work at Shuttles on Both Sides, Jade Maiden Works the Shuttles, 玉女穿

梭 : Yu Nu Chuan Suo  : Fair Lady Works at Shuttles . The general direction of movement is in a straight line from W9 towards E3 (18a-18m). Please study the recommended online videos to see how t he series of p ostures in this p articular movement are p erformed.

18a = 17h. From "Golden Rooster on Right Leg (18a) step left foot forward and diagonally (18b-18c), draw right foot to left foot (18e), step out with right foot diagonally to right (18f-18g). Raise right arm to block  out above head (18g-18h), palm facing out. Left palm st rike (18h). Right leg bow st ance (18h). Bring left leg up by right leg (18h-18j), and bring arms to chest (18i). Step diagonally to the left side with left foot (18k-18l). Raise left arm to block out above head, palm facing out (18k-18m). Right p alm st rike (18m). Left leg bow stance (18m). Here is a description of how to perform  Fair Lady Works the Shuttles ("Works at Shuttles") (#18, 18a-18m) from the book 'T ai Chi for Health: T he 24 Simplified Forms" by Cheng Zhao and Don Zhao,  p.126: "Form 18. Fair Lady Works at Shutt les (Left and Right Sides.). (1) Step forward on your left foot; shift your body weight onto the left leg (18b-18c). Draw you right foot forward in such that the toes touch the ground beside your left foot (18c-18d). At the same time, your  arms hold a large ball in front of y our chest with the left hand above the right (18e). Face NE2 (18e). (2) Rotate your waist to the right and place your right foot forward with the right heel touching the ground first (18e-18f). Then shift 70% of your body weight ont o the right leg and from a right bow st ance (18h). At the same time, rotate the right arm up so the hand is level with y our forehead and the p alm faces out (18h). Face SE4 (18h). [Inhale 18e-18f, exhale 18g-18h.] (3) Shift y our body weight back to the left leg, and rotate your waist slightly to the right (18i-18j). Shift your body weight back to the right leg, drawing your left foot up to rest beside your right foot with the toes touching the ground (18j-18k). At the same time, both arms hold a large ball in front of y our chest with t he right hand above the left (18k). Face SE4 (18k). (4) Rotate your waist t o the left and place your left foot forward with the left heel touching the ground first (18l-18m). Then shift 70% of the body weight onto the front leg forming a left bow stance (18m). At the same time, rotate t he left arm up so the hand is level with y our forehead and the palm faces out (18l-18m). Face NE2 (18m)." [Inhale 18j-18k, and exhale 18l-18m.] - Dr. Cheng Zhao

(18h)

(18h)

(18m)

(18m)

19. Pick Up the Needle from the Bottom of the Sea Variations of names for this movement include: Pick Up Needle from Bott om of the Sea, Needle at Bot tom of the Sea, Find the Needle at t he Sea Bottom, Reach for t he M oon in the Lake, 海底针 : Hai Di Zhen :  Needle at Sea Bott om. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from W9 towards E3 in Movement #19.

From the last posture of "Fair Lady Works the Shuttles" (18m = 19a), begin by stepping forward a half step with t he right leg (19a). The right hand moves back and up t o the right (19a) until it is drawn up to around face level on the right side (19b). The left hand moves down in an arc until it comes to st op at about waist height over the left leg (19a-19b). Lift up t he left leg and step forward a half step into a left toe stance (19b-19c). Sett le the body weight into the right leg (19c). Reach down with t he right hand, fingers pointing downward, until the right hand is below the waist. Face the body in the direction of E3 (19c). Inhale 19a-19b, exhale 19c.

(19a)

(19a)

Return to Index for Sections or Proceed to Fifth Section (Movements 20 - 24)

Fifth Section of Standard Simplified 24 Form Tai Chi (Yang Style) Movements 20 - 24

20. Flashing the Arms Like a Fan Variations of names for this movement include: Flashing the Arms, Fend Off and Push Away with Arms, Unfolding Arms Like a Fan, Fan Through the Back, Flashing the Arms, Shunting with Bot h Hands Fanned, 扇通背 : Shan Tong Bei : Fan Through the Back. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 in Movement #20. From the final posture of "Pick Up the Needle from the Bottom of the Sea" (19c = 20a), begin by lifting the left leg up and then stepp ing forward onto the left heel (20b-20c). Lift the left hand and move it forward towards E3, fingers upward, palm facing S6 (20b-20c). The right hand moves up and back to the left, finishing above head level, palm facing S6, fingers p ointing upward (20c-20d). Sink the body weight int o the left leg, and take a left bow st ance (20c-20d). Inhale 20a-20c, and exhale 20c-20d.

(20d)

(20d)

(20d)

21. Deflect, Parry and Punch Variations of names for this movement include: Turing Around, Warding Off, Punching; Turn, Intercept and Punch; Turn Body, Shoulder Strike, Back Fist, Deflect, Parry, and Punch, Turn to Deflect Block and Strike, 进步搬拦捶 : Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui : Step Forward, Parry Block and Punch. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 (21a-21h). Exhale on the punch (21g-21h). Please study the recommended online videos to see how the series of postures in this particular  movement are performed.

21a = 20d. Here is a detailed description of how to perform  Deflect, Parry and Punch (#21, 21a-21h) taken from the very useful narrative document by David Hann: "Turn, Intercept, and Punch: Turn t o the right on y our left heel so that y ou are facing to y our rear, looking over your right shoulder (21b). Your left hand is held, palm facing out, at least a hand's width from your head. Your right hand is formed into a fist, held about chest level, with t he elbow below the fist (21c). Step out with your right foot and strike out and downward with the back of your fist (21d). Step up to your right foot with y our left foot, toe down, heel up (21e). Bring your right fist back to y our right waist (21f). Bring your left arm across your body as if blocking an opp onent's p unch and bring your left hand,  palm open, facing and in front of y our right fist (21f). Step forward with the left foot (21g) and punch with your right fist (21g-21h), moving it over your left hand, which is now turned flat, palm up (21h)." - David Hann, Yang Sty le Short Form Tai Chi

(21e-21f)

(21h)*

*  Note:

In this photo, we see more of the Wu Style of Taijiquan realization of Punch (21h). Notice how far forward the man leans, with his feet rather close in a right bow stance. Notice how the left hand touches the right arm on the insi de of the forearm near the elbow. In the 24 Form, the final posture (21h) is much more upright, without leaning forward so much.

22. Apparent Close and Push Variations of names for this movement include: Clearing Cross Block and Pushing, As if Blocking and Closing, Ap pears Closed, Withdraw and Push, Closing a Door, 如封似闭 : Ru Feng Si Bi : App arent Close Up. The general direction of movement is in a straight line from E3 towards W9 (22a-22g).

From the end of Deflect, Parry and Punch (21h = 22a), begin by drawing the left hand under the right hand from the forearm towards the right hand (22a-22b). Both hands come together in front of the body facing W9 (22c). Draw both arms backwards towards the body (22d-22e) as the weight shifts backwards into the right leg (22d). As both hands reach the waist (22e) the weight is in the back right leg (22e) and the left toe rises (22e). Begin to move forward again in the direction of W9, drawing the weight int o the left leg and taking a left bow st ance (22f-22g). Both arms Push ( An) forward, palms out, elbows bent, pushing in the direction of W9. The waist faces W9 (22g) and the eyes gaze towards an imaginary op ponent in front of  you (22g). Inhale 22c-22e, and exhale 22f-22g.

(22g)

(22g)

23. Cross Hands Variations of names for this movement include: Crossing Your Hands in F ront of Chest, Close the Door, Cross Hands, Cross Your Hands, 十字手 : Shi Zi Shou : Cross Hands.

Begin from the Push ( An) position (23a = 22g. Gradually t urn the front of the body to t he right so as to face N12 (23a-23b). Draw the right hand in an arc out and across t o the left (23b). Draw the weight into the right leg (23c). Op en the arms wide to both sides (23c), palms facing forward, arms about shoulder  height. Step t he right foot back to shoulder width stance (23d). Draw both arms down in an arc (23d) then up to cross the hands in front of the chest , holding the right hand in front of left hand (23e). Face in the direction of N12 (23e). Inhale at 23b-23c, and exhale at 23e.

(23e)

24. Closing Posture of Taijiquan Variations of names for this movement include: Conclusion, Concluding Posture, Taiji Ending, Ending Post ure, Closing Post ure of Taijiquan, 收式 : Shou Shi : Closing.

From the final posture of the "Cross Hands" movement (23e = 24a), begin by moving both arms down and outward (24a) until they reach the waist level (23a-24b). The arms continue downward until they are fully extended downward, hands resting against the sides of the thighs (24c). Step t o the right with the left leg (24c) until the left foot is immediate beside the right foot (24d). The final position is identical to p osture 1a. Keep in mind all the principles discussed for the p osture 1a. You have now finished a full performance of the Tai Chi 24 Form. Inhale at 24a, exhale at 24c. Inhale at 24c, exhale at 24d. The body is facing in the direction of N12, as it was in posture 1a.

Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of M ovements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb

Chart of 24 Form: B&W Drawing of Movement Sequence (Step ping Diagram) [170Kb, .jpg, 1008p x x 591px] The Stepping Chart show above came from Zhang Fuxing's " Handbook of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Exercises," Samuel Weiser, 1996, p. 65. 9"w x 6"h.

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Quotations Taijiquan: Standard Simplified National 24 Taijiquan Form Standard Simplified Version, 24 Movements, 1956, Yang Style Taijiquan

"While making a st ride, it is as quietly as a cat walks, and while putting forth st rength the exertion is so mild that it looks like reeling off raw silk from a cocoon. The movements, like clouds floating in the sky, are spry and light, but well-balanced and steady. M otion is even and fluid, the muscles neither stiff nor rigid. Breathing should be deep and even ... the mind is t ranquil but alert, with consciousness commanding the  body. In practicing T'ai Chi Ch'uan it is essential that movements be guided by consciousness and that t here  be stillness in movement - a unity of stillness and motion." - Official Chinese instruction manual for the 24 movement short form, quoted by H oward Reid in his book  "The Way of Harmony," p . 90.

"The China National Forms developed by China's State Physical Culture and Sports Commission was a result of Chairman Mao's call for the nation to use sp ort t o increase phy sical well-being. In 1956 a research team extracted 24 step s from t he Yang sty le Taijiquan and rearranged these into the 24 Steps Simplified  Taijiquan . The process took six years." - Davidine Sim and David Gaffney , Chen Style Taijiquan , 2002, p. 27.

Thousands of People Doing the Tai Chi 24 Form

"In order to popularize Taijiquan, the Chinese National Sports Committee authorized the country's four  most renowned Taijiquan teachers to compose the 24 Forms Taijiquan. It is based mainly on the Yang st yle, eliminating many repetitions and retaining most of the essential principles of Taijiquan. The 24 Forms is easier to learn and shorter to p ractice. The whole set takes around 5 minutes. A busy person in this modern age can do three rounds in 20 minutes (including warm up exercises). This will be quite adequate t o improve and maintain good health. M ost clinical studies of t he benefits of Taijiquan are based on peop le practicing this set of forms. The 24 Forms very quickly became the most p opular form in the world." - Paul Lam, An Evaluation of the Combined 42 Forms , Tai Chi, Vol 18, No. 5, October, 1994, pp.26-28.

Li Tian-Ji (1914-1996) "At the request of Chou En-Lai, China's Prime Minister, Li Tian-Ji formed the committ ees of which he was chairman, to create t he 24 Step Simpified Taijiquan, 32 Sword Rout ine, 66 Combined Routine, 48 Combined Routine and the 88 Yang Sty le Routine." Li Tian-Ji is the uncle of  Professor Professor Li Deyin, one of the creators of the 42 Form Taijiquan competition routine.

"The 24 p osture Simplified Form of T ai Chi Chuan, sometimes called the "Beijing form" for its place of  origin, is the result of an effort by the Chinese Sports Committee which, in 1956, brought together four tai chi teachers t o create a simplified form of tai chi as exercise for t he masses. T he creators truncated t he Yang st yle hand form to 24 p ostures; taking between four and eight minutes to p erform and to give the beginner  an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi chuan, yet retain the traditional flavor of Yang style's longer hand forms (generally 88-108 p ostures). [1] Henceforth this form was avidly promoted by the People's Republic of China for general exercise, and was also taught to internees in Communist "re-education" camps. Due to this official promotion, the twenty-four form is most likely the tai chi form with the most practitioners in China and the world over (though no surveys have been performed)." - 24 Simplified Form - Wikipeda

"Li Yulin tuvo dos hijos, Li Tianchi y Li Tianji. El primero optó por la carrera de la medicina tradicional, mezclando sabiamente los conceptos clave de la medicina, el Tuina (terapia manual) y las bases de las artes marciales y el Qigong. El segundo ha llegado a ser conocido como "el Padre del Taijiquan moderno", por su incansable labor en pro de la difusión del Taiji y por haber participado en la confección de algunas formas famosas en todo el mundo, como el Taijiquan simplificado en 24 movimientos (Jianhua Taijiquan). Li Tianji (1914-1996) nació en el condado Anxin, provincia de Hebei, y comenzó su aprendizaje de Wushu bajo la tutela de su padre, Li Yulin, a la edad de siete años. Luego pasó a ser discípulo de Sun Lutang (1861-1933), y de Li Jinglin, con quien estudió Wudang Jian. Graduado como profesor de Wushu de la Academia Central a los diecisiete años, Li estaba convencido de la utilidad del Taijiquan como herramienta  para el mantenimiento de la salud y la forma física. Fue así como llegó a ser el primer profesor que fomentó la práctica del Taiji entre la gente mayor y enfermos, logrando resultados altamente satisfactorios. Cuando el Taijiquan fue rehabilitado en la década de los cincuenta, el gobierno chino estableció una Comisión Estatal de Cultura Física y Deportes, y Li Tianji fue escogido como su director. F ue así como a mediados de los cincuenta aparecieron los textos de la forma simplificada en 24 movimientos de Taijiquan, la forma de 66 movimientos, la forma de espada simplificada en 32 movimientos y la forma de 88 movimientos, todas ellas dictadas por el grupo de maestros tradicionales dirigidos p or el M aestro Li. También publicó, en 1980, un texto comprehensivo sobre la espada de Wudang. M ás adelante, el Wushu siguió evolucionando, y Li Tianji siguió trabajando incansablemente en el desarrollo de las artes marciales, llegando a ser considerado "Pionero de las Wushu en la nueva China" y "Padre del Taijiquan contemporáneo", y se p remió toda su vida de esfuerzo ot orgándole el título de "uno de los diez mejores Grandes M aestros del Wushu". Hasta el día de su muerte, el M aestro Li Tianji formó parte del cuadro de profesores del Instituto de Educación Física y Deportes de Beijing. Puesto que su trabajo ha consistido en enseñar Wushu durante toda su vida, Li Tianji ha tenido grandes seguidores y alumnos. Entre los que continúan la tradición de la esgrima Wudang, cabe mencionar a su hija, Li Defang, y su sobrino, Li Deyin (1938-), quien estudió T aijiquan y Wudang Jian con su tío, y posteriormente pasó a ser alumno de Li Jingwu (estilo Chen), Xu Zhiyi (estilo Wu), Sun Jianyun (est ilo Sun) y Hao Jiajun (estilo Yang). Viajó a Shaolin y Wudang Shan para profundizar en sus estudios. Actualmente, el Maest ro Li Deyin es vicepresidente de la Asociación China de Wushu y actúa en las comisiones de investigación y desarrollo de nuevos materiales de Wushu y Taijiquan, como formas de competición, arbitraje y edición de textos." - Wudang Jian

"To have something to promote and maintain the general health for t he large p opulation, the Chinese government in Beijing designed in 1956 a "simp lified Taijiquan." They selected 24 postures from the Yang's series without t he essential characteristics of Taijiquan. In their written and TV instructions, only the external forms are taught. This p ermits large scale teaching. The result is that many p ersons do it either to rigidly or t oo meekly. This was severely criticized by the p rominent T aijiquan expert Li Yaxin of Szechuan Province who trained with Yang Chengfu for 18 years. While the government accomplished its original objective, the popular appeal of this series did hinder the healthy development of the real art of Taijiquan. This is one of the series M r. M ozell called the "watered down version." It is no more than a new set of  continuous callisthenic movements imitating certain external forms of Taijiquan." - M aster Wu, Ta-yeh, "Supp leness and Strength in Taijiquan,"  Internal Arts , Vol. 3, No. 6, November, 1988, p. 8

"Li Tianji studied wushu from his fat her, Li Yulin, as well as from his fat her's masters, Sun Lutang and Li Jinglin. He graduated from the Shandong Wushu Inst itute, became a college professor, t he executive of the H arbin Wushu Federation, and the first chief coach of the China Wushu Team. Li Tianji has been memorialized as one of t he "Ten Best Wushu M asters of China (Zhongguo Shi Da Wushu M ingshi). In 1956 Li Tianji created the first st andardized simplified taijiquan in Chinese history : 24-Form Simplified Taijiquan and 32-Form Simplified Taiji Sword. Both forms opened the door of t aiji to novices and non-athletes, and bot h are now extremely  popular all over the world. For t his, he earned the title "Father of Contemporary Taijiquan." - Siu-Fong Evans

"No school of Chinese martial arts is as well known and popular as Taijiquan. It is s uitable for both t he young and the old, not only because Taijiquan p ossesses s pecial features of st retching, flexing the joints, softly twining, exercising both the inside and the outside, dispelling diseases and prolonging life, but it is also the martial art that best reflects Chinese traditional philosophy . M ore and more people from other  countries, esp ecially those interested in Chinese culture, are beginning to p ractice Taijiquan. Taijiquan is  becoming popular all over the world. Because of this, T aijiquan has no national boundary and is beyond t he category of culture, and belongs t o p eople everywhere." - Fan Chun-Lei and A. Frank Shiery, T raditional Chen Sty le Taijiquan.

"Aft er reaching for the needle at the bott om of the sea, I looked up, one summer's eve, to see old Chang San-Feng open the garden gate, and join me for Tai Chi. We said not a word hands moving like clouds,

fingers grasp ing sp arrow's t ails, faces smiling, feeling the sun drop, glimpsing a half moon climbing the clear sky. Time flowed without a ripple of memories, Space embraced a crane cooling its wings, Being began to sing softly in tune with the moon. My dusty black dog barked, sensing something on the warm wind; speaking her mind, ears up. M aster Chang was gone. Leaving one shoe on a beanpole, and a page of poems mementos for mortals. Two black butterflies danced wing to wing in love." - M ike Garofalo, Encounters with Master Zhang Sanfeng 

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Performance Times for a Complete Performance Of the Standard Simplified Taijiquan 24 Movement Form, Yang Style

Time

Performer

Source

6:25

Paul Lam

DVD 1999, UTube of DVD

4:44

M Deu Fu

UTube 2007

4:37

Graceful Lady Master

UTube 2007

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Strategies for Learning the Standard

24 Tai Chi Form Suggestions from Mike Garofalo

The general approach I would recommend is similar to that which I recommended for learning the 32 Sword Form. 1. You must have a desire to learn, a drive to learn, and a passion for learning and play ing Taijiquan. You must have a motivation for learning and a reason for learning, otherwise no tactics for learning will be of  help to you. 2. You might want t o save this webp age to a folder on your hard drive. Print out t his webpage. Place the  printout of this webpage in a three ring binder. Keep y our study notes while learning the 24 Taiji Form in your three ring binder. 3. You might w ant to save the useful webp age Yang Style Short Form Tai Chi. Print out David Hann's description. Add his description to y our three ring binder of study materials. 4. Purchase some instructional media (DVD or VHS format) to use to learn the 24 Taiji Form. Here are my recommendations for some useful instructional media to p urchase:

Tai Chi: The 24 Forms. By Dr. Paul Lam. A 120 minute videotap e or DVD that t eaches the Simplified 24 Form, Beijing 1956 version, Yang st yle T'ai Chi Ch'uan. This excellent instructional videotape/DVD includes warm up exercises, 6 qigong exercises, 7 movement drills, and extensive and clear step by step instructions and numerous multi-angle demonst rations of the 24 post ures in this p opular short form. Dr. Lam, a family physician in Aust ralia, has won gold medals in international Taiji competitions, and has  published many good books, newslett ers, articles, and produced many fine Taiji instructional videotapes. VHS videotap e (ISBN:1583500197) and DVD version (ISBN: 1583501088). $30.00. Produced  by WellSpring M edia, 1999. Reviews VSTLC. Compact T ai Chi for Healing in Simplified Form 24. Instruction by M aster Jesse Tsao, San Diego, Tai Chi Healthways. Instructional DVD, 60 minutes. $34.95. VHS version is also available. "Compact Tai Chi for  Healing in Simplified Form 24 is an easy-t o-follow and s low-moving, y et p owerful, workout. Detailed instruction of each pos ture in front view and 3 repetitions in back view are given. The self-healing asp ects of each post ure will surely enhance your health and release your stress . At the end of the video, Master  Tsao also p erforms t he standard routine of Simplified Tai Chi Form 24. Teaching is in English. (Difficulty : Beginner Level)." 24 Forms Tai Chi Chuan Simplified. Instruction and demonstration by M aster Jiang Jian-ye. Instructional DVD or VHS videotape, 120 minutes. "This video teaches the st andardized 24-movement form based on the Yang st yle that has been pop ularized in China. Jiang demonstrates the form and then teaches it step by step. Each form is taught with multiple views and repetitions. There are reviews of segments and the form is demonst rated multiple times at the end, front and rear." Available from Wayfarer Publications Catalog.

5. I recommend you p urchase a couple of good books to use when beginning to s tudy and learn the Tai Chi 24 Form. M ost good beginning texts p rovide little or no information on the martial arts ( Quan) aspects of  Taijiquan. Here are my recommendations for some good books on the subject of the Tai Chi 24 Form: Tai Chi for Health: The 24 Simplified Forms. By Cheng Zhao and Dan Zhao. Indiana, Agilceed Books,

2006. 163 pages. ISBN: 0976118319. There is also an instructional DVD to accompany t his book by Cheng Zhao and Don Zhao. Overview of 4 Form, detailed descript ions of each movement, general  principles, questions and answers, flow charts. Hundreds of black and white phot ographs, illustrations, artwork, and graphics. This is a much better book than the 32 Sword Form book by t he same authors. Dr. Cheng Zhao is a full professor at Indiana State University. VSTLC. Tai Chi Chuan: The Chinese Way. By Foen Tjoeng Lie. New York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1988. 126  pages, black and white illustrations, index. ISBN: 0806968265. Excellent photos of M r. Lie doing the form, informative descript ions, and a good introduction. VSTLC. Tai Chi for Body, M ind and Spirit: A Step -by-Step Guide to Achieving Phy sical and Mental Balance. By Eric Chaline. New York, Sterling Publishing Co., 1998. $14.95. Index, 127 pages. ISBN: 0806963212. Detailed Instructions and lovely color phot ographs for the 24 movement standard short form. Includes some qigong exercises. VSTLC. 6. View some of the online videos of p ersons doing the 24 T aiji Form. 7. M emorize the names of each movement in the 24 Tai Chi Form and the numbered order of the movements from 1 to 24. Print out my list of the names of the movements: Standard Simplified 24 Tai Chi Form, Names of Movements 1-24, 1 Page, PDF Format, 11Kb.

8. Gain a better overall underst anding of the art of T aijiquan by reading some general introductions t o the subject. I have list ed a number of these general introductions in the above bibliography. I recommend the general introductions to Taijiquan by Paul B. Gallagher, Bruce Frantzis, Wong Kiew Kit, Yang Jwing M ing, and Jou Tsung Hwa. Read widely, keep an open mind, and discover, through your daily practice, what works best for you. Avoid any Taiji dogmatist; they will very likely end up treating you like a disobedient dog. 9. Gain a bett er overall understanding of the art of Qigong by reading some general introductions to the subject. I have listed a number of these general introductions in my Qigong bibliography . I recommend the general introductions t o Qigong by Kenneth Cohen, Roger Jahnke, Yang Jwing M ing, and Daniel Reid. 10. Break the form into Sections for learning. Learn one M ovement at at time. Be p atient! Little by litt le, day by day ... you get the idea. 11. Carefully study t he instructional DVD or VHS that y ou have chosen and purchased. This will be your  main method for learning the Taijiquan 24 form. M y students have told me that the instructional DVDs by Master Lam, Master Tsao, and Master Jiang are the best instructional tools for learning the Taijiquan 24 Form.

"Whereas a form-instruction video is no s ubstitute for a qualified teacher, those who live far from any teacher are still bett er off learning from a video than if they had no instruct ion at all. For t hose who have a teacher, a video can augment and accelerate the learning process. Finally, those who have had prior  instruction in internal arts should be able to att ain a substantial benefit from a video. One method of learning a form from a video is to repeatedly do t he entire form or blocks of the form along with the video. However, this method is not efficient because there is insufficient opportunity to reinforce each movement. A better way is t o refrain from doing movement while watching the video. Rather, it is good to choose a small block of material, watch it a few t imes. T hen, without any major physical action, visualize

the sequence of movements as clearly as possible. Next, go back to the beginning of that block of material, and view and visualize it again a few times. Only after clear and complete visualization is achieved should the movements be attempt ed phy sically. At first it will seem extremely difficult to work this way. With persistence, however, it is possible to achieve a level of visualization so intense that t he imagined movements are almost as vivid as t hose seen on a TV screen. The dividends of the process of visualization are twofold: (1) By subduing the physical aspects of movement (e.g., balance, coordination, kinetic sense, t iming), y ou can completely focus t he mind on t he details of the movement. (2) By cultivating the ability to visualize and mentally encompass complex details, you become increasingly able to observe and learn new movements quickly, especially in situations where it is not feasible to move while observing (e.g., dreams, teacher showing movements while the class watches). Referring to the dimension of self-defense, t he more you can observe and mentally encompass the movements of the opponent, t he greater the advantage achieved." -

Robert Chuckrow, The Tai Chi Book , YMAA Publication Center, Boston, M A, 1998, pp . 119–120

12. When performing the short form, players should: move slowly, move continuously, keep the movements rounded, move without great effort, relax, keep t he head up , let t he mind direct the movements , don't bounce, and maintain an upright p ost ure. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth,  breathe deeply and regularly. All the basic princip les found in the T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics should be followed when doing the Beijing Simplified Taijiquan 24 Form. Special attention needs to be given to the understanding and practice of "relaxation ( Sung )" during Taijiquan movements. 13. Pay attention to p roper breathing during the p ractice of Taijiquan. Generally exhale when the arms move out and away from the body, and inhale when the arms come closer to t he torso. Breathe in when  pulling back or reaching up, and breathe out when going forward or reaching down. Exhale on kicks. Exhale on punches and elbow st rikes (e.g., Ward Off). Generally, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. The mouth is kept slightly open with a soft smile, teeth slightly separated, and with the tip of t he tongue touching the roof of the mouth behind the teet h. Use natural, relaxed diaphragmatic breathing, wherein the abdomen relaxes and opens on inhaling, and the abdomen draws in slightly when exhaling. Breathing should be deep, full, slow, gentle, relaxed, and effortless. The concept of Chi (Qi) is very much connected with breathing and the storing, circulating, and use of "energy ( Qi)" in Taijiquan and Qigong. In hatha y oga, Prana is associated with breath and energy, and breathing exercises are called  Pranayama. 14. After you are familiar with the Tai Chi 24 Form, and can do the 24 movements on your own and with some degree of confidence and comfort, y ou should begin your st udy of the martial arts ( Quan) aspects of  Taijiquan. The following books will be very useful to you: T'ai Chi Ch'uan: 24 And 48 Postures With Martial Ap plications. By M aster Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching; and, edited by Denise Brieter. Grandmaster Yang Jwing-M ing was involved with creating this excellent book. Boston, YMAA Publications. 2nd Edition, 1993, 1996. ISBN: 1886969337. Index,  bibliography , glossary, 153 pages. In my op inion, this is the best book to p urchase when engaged in 2nd level learning of the Taijiquan 24 Form. Detailed inst ructions, excellent p hotographs, and extensive martial app lications make this a first choice for students. There is an accompany ing instructional DVD for this textbook: Simplified Tai Chi Chuan. VSTLC. Books by Grandmast er Yang Jwing-M ing are of very high caliber and are excellent reference tools for long term studies of the martial arts and theoretical aspects of Taijiquan : Tai Chi Theory and Martial Power:

Advanced Yang Sty le Tai Chi; Taijiquan, Classical Yang Sty le: The Complete Form and Qigong; Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Sty le; Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming: The Root of Taijiquan. 15. You must st udy and practice on a daily basis. One saying is that "t hick ice is not formed by one freeze." You must be diligent in your p ractice. You must p ractice to learn.

Again, my very best wishes to you in your study and practice of the popular and delightful Standard Taijiquan 24 Form.

Mike Garofalo, M.S. January 2009, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California Playing the Pipa #5

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Cloud Hands Homepage

Michael P. Garofalo's E-mail Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A. Cities in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City, Orland, Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber, Manton, Cottonwood, Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, and Redding, CA © Green Way Research, Michael P. Garofalo, 2001-2010, All Rights Reserved First published on the Internet WWW in February of 2001.

Qigong: Links and Bibliography Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung Website Chen S tyle Taijiquan Taijiquan and Qigong S un S tyle Taijiquan Taijiquan and Qigong Biography of Michael P. Garofalo Green Way Research Fitness and Well Being Detailed Index to the Cloud Hands Website Disclaimer

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Directional Scheme for Describing Movements For the 24 Form, Simplified Short Taijiquan Form, Yang Style, 1956

Key

Clock Hour Direction

Compass Direction A

N 12

12:00 o'clock

Nor North - Fro Front Si Side of Body

NE 1

1:30 o'clock

N ort heas t

E3

3:00 o'clock

Eas t - Right Si Side of Body

SE 4

4:30 o'clock

Sout heas t

S6

6:00 o'clock

Sout h - Back Side of Body

SW 7

7:30 o'clock

Sout hwes t

W9

9:00 o'clock

Wes t - Left Si Side of Body

NW 10

10:30 o' o'clock

N ort hwest

Some might find other diagrams for the four cardinal directions more useful for their Taijiquan workout environment environment and situat ion, and these can be found on my webpag webp agee which describes describes the t he alternatives for this nomencla nomenclature ture more completely. There are directional directional keys for all four cardinal cardinal directions directions on that t hat webpage w ebpage.. Some adjustments in the directions for facing and moving must, of course, be modified depending upon the space available in your practice area. When the center of your chest and navel face the 12 o'clock position or north, your right or east side faces 3

o'clock, your back or south side faces 6 o'clock, and your left or west side faces 9 o'clock. . This method can be used to describe a posture like Single Whip (Chest W 9, R Arm N 12, L Arm and Palm W 9, Face and Eyes W 9). Or, Diagonal Slant Flying (Chest NW 10, Right Arm NE 1, Left Arm SW 7, Face and Eyes NE 1). Remember that "NE 2 is a key, or abbreviation for facing roughly t o the northeast (NE) to the 2:00 clock position; or "SW 7" is the abbreviation or key for facing roughly to the southwest towards the 7:00 clock position. In the description above, the direction key gives the bearing of the center of the chest and the navel at the end of that particular numbered phase of that particular movement. Use t he numbering found under each line drawing of the phases of a movement, e.g. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d. Return to the Descriptions of the Movements of the Taijiquan 24 Short Form, Yang Style

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