Tai Chi Chuan Resources

This web page is a list of references to learn more about the Yang style short form.

Recorded Virtual Tai Chi

Here is a group of previous classes for you to use until I an recovered enough to teach Tai Chi again over Zoom. Virtual Tai Chi classes.

Training Video from JCC

This is a video of the Tai Chi Short form done by John Moore. The form is visible from the front, side, and back due to the mirrors. The audio will talk you through the form as done in the class. This is a medium paced form.

Training Audio from JCC SLOW

Here is an audio only recording of stepping through the form done at a slow pace.

Tai Chi Lessons from Robert Chuckrow

My teacher Robert Chuckrow is starting a series videos explaining some of the aspects of the Short Form.

These videos are available on Robert’ web page Analysis of Individual T’ai-Chi Movements

Music for Tai Chi

The music I have been playing in the class comes from the artist Tilopa. You can listen to or purchase the music at Healing magic of the japanese zenflute.

Tutorial DVDs

I find the following DVD by Terry Dunn useful for studying Tai Chi on my own.

T’ai Chi for Health: Yang Short Form with Terence Dunn

37 Step form names

First source: The Complete Book of T’ai Chi by Stewart McFarland, consultant Tan Mew Hong, published by DK Publishing (I own this book.)

Second source: T’Ai-Chi: The Supreme Ultimate Exercise for Health by Cheng Man-ch’ing and Robert W. Smith (I do not own this book.)

Cheng Man Ching created this form from the original Yang long form, simplifying the form and modifying the dynamics and skills involved. The book I own doesn’t number the postures, so I wasn’t sure how to get 37 (the typical number) from the list. While searching for information, I found the second source at Amazon.com where I could look inside it and view the table of contents. It gives all the postures and numbers them, so I’ve adjusted the form list here to match the numbering scheme from this second book (which I don’t own). Given that the creator of the form is one of the authors of the book, I think it’s a pretty reliable source. But what’s different about the numbering scheme here is that only unique postures are numbered, repetitions of previous moves are not. That’s probably what caused my confusion before, but hopefully things will make sense when you look at the form list.

Preparation
Beginning
Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Left Ward-off
Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Right Ward-off
Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Rollback
Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Press
Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Push Turn the Body and Lower the Hands [1]
Single Whip
Lift Hands
Shoulder Strike / Lean Forward
White Crane Spreads Its Wings
Brush (Left) Knee, Twist Step
Strum the Lute / Play the Guitar 13A. Brush (Left) Knee, Twist Step [repeat 12]
Step Forward, Move / Deflect (Downward), Parry, and Punch
Apparent Close-Up / Withdraw and Push
Cross Hands
Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain Ward-off 2 17A. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Rollback [repeat 5] 17B. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Press [repeat 6] 17C. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Push [repeat 7] Turn the Body and Lower the Hands [1] 17D. (Diagonal) Single Whip [repeat 8]
Fist/Punch Under Elbow
Step Back to Repulse the Monkey, Right
Step Back to Repulse the Monkey, Left 20A. Step Back to Repulse the Monkey, Right [repeat 19]
Diagonal Flying
Cloud Hands, Right / Wave Hands in Clouds, Right
Cloud Hands, Left / Wave Hands in Clouds, Left 23A. Cloud Hands, Right / Wave Hands in Clouds, Right [repeat 22] 23B. Cloud Hands, Left / Wave Hands in Clouds, Left [repeat 23] 23C. Single Whip [repeat 8] [3]
Descending/Squatting Single Whip
Golden Rooster/Cock Stands on One Leg, Right
Golden Rooster/Cock Stands on One Leg, Left
Right Toe Kick / Separate Right Foot
Left Toe Kick / Separate Left Foot
Turn Body, Heel Kick / Turn and Strike with Heel 29A. Brush (Left) Knee, Twist Step [repeat 12]
Brush (Right) Knee, Twist Step [4]
Step Forward and Plant a Punch (Strike with Fist) 31A. Step Forward to Right Ward-off / Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Right Ward-off [repeat 4] 31B. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Rollback [repeat 5] 31C. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Press [repeat 6] 31D. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Push [repeat 7] Turn the Body and Lower the Hands [1] 31E. Single Whip [repeat 8]
Fair Lady Works Shuttles, Right
Fair Lady Works Shuttles, Left 33A. Fair Lady Works Shuttles, Right [repeat 32] 33B. Fair Lady Works Shuttles, Left [repeat 33] 33C. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Left Ward-off [repeat 3] 33D. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Right Ward-off [repeat 4] 33E. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Rollback [repeat 5] 33F. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Press [repeat 6] 33G. Grasp Sparrow’s Tail: Push [repeat 7] Turn the Body and Lower the Hands [1] 33H. Single Whip [repeat 8] [3] 33I. Descending/Squatting Single Whip [repeat 24]
Step Up/Forward to Seven Stars
Step Back to Ride the Tiger
Turn Body, Lotus Kick / Turn Body and Sweep Lotus with Leg
Draw/Draw a Bow to Shoot the Tiger 37A. Step Forward, Move / Deflect (Downward), Parry, and Punch [repeat 14] 37B. Apparent Close-Up [repeat 15] 37C. Cross Hands [repeat 16] 37D. Close T’ai Chi

Footnotes: [1]: quoting the book I own, “Turn the Body, and Lower the Hands may have been added to Master Cheng’s original form to facilitate a difficult change of postures from the Push stance to the various Single Whip sequences.” My book (first source) lists it as a posture in the form, but the other book (second source) that I’m using to group and number the postures doesn’t. So I’ve left it in where my book has it, but not given it a number in the form.

don’t own it, I don’t know for sure if it’s not included or just combined with an adjacent move.

[3]: In the book I own (first source), this Single Whip is listed under the Descending/Squatting Single Whip posture, basically as a sort precede to it.

[4]: In the book I own (first source), this Brush (Right) Knee, Twist Step is listed under the previous Brush Knee, Twist Step, basically as a follow to it.

Copied from Various Tai Chi Forms