Forms

What is Tai Chi Chuan? Part 1 Hand Form

Tai Chi Chuan is a health and self defence system.

There are various styles of Tai Chi and the major styles are Yang, Wu, Chen, Sun, Wu Hao, and all the styles comprise of five sections: The Hand Form – Push Hands – Chi Kung/Nei Kung – Self Defence – Weapons (sword, sabre, spear).

In this five part series I’ve selected one clip from each of the sections of Tai Chi to give you an appreciation of what they look like.

Part One – The Hand Forms selections are random, as there are a huge variety of Tai Chi examples on YouTube and they vary in techniques. I’ve selected samples of five of the major styles of Tai Chi

Tai Chi: Square Chair

By Chris Leave a Comment

Here’s a handy tip for beginners who practise a Tai Chi form.

By the way, the term ‘square’ refers to the stop start method of learning a Tai Chi form.

Whenever you are in an upright posture, as you move throughout the form, imagine you are sitting on a high chair (feet flat on the floor). Make sure the knees don’t go over the toes when you ‘sit on the chair’.

This square chair method will help you align your body correctly; helps avoid the common problems of rolling your hips forward and sticking your tailbone out.

Here are some examples in the Wu Style form where you can practice ‘square chair’ in the form:

Beginning
Seven Stars
Cross Hands
Fan Through the Back
Pat the Horse High
Golden Cockerel Stands on One Leg

I thought of this technique yesterday when I was practising the round form (continous flow) and imagined sitting on a high chair for a very brief moment as I moved into upright postures.

However, if you are a beginner, square up your form with ‘square chair’ Tai Chi.

Tai Chi Tip #65

By Chris Leave a Comment

When practicing your Tai Chi form feel the weighted foot penetrate deep into the ground – provides better stability.

Dog’s Breakfast Tai Chi

By Chris Leave a Comment

Hmm, I’ve just finished practicing my third Tai Chi session today: hands form and it was like a dog’s breakfast – scattered.

I felt calm before I started but for the some reason my Chi was scattered. I forgot bits of the form which I have practiced hundreds of times over the years.

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Tai Chi Lines

By Chris Leave a Comment

One of the ways I make sure my Tai Chi postures are precise is to move along an imaginary line/s.

For example, when practicising the As If Closing Posture I think of imaginary lines extending from the palms of my hands. As I lean forward and push, my hands move along the extended horizontal imaginary lines and stop when I’m in the correct position.

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