Tai Chi

From William C.C. Chen’s book - clear instruction. Updated demo in video below current with course program. Using Grandmaster’s books methods.

Critiquing video demo with instruction in book encouraged/compulsory for personal development of student. Moves done with deep complete inhales and exhales.

Deliberate. Slow. Gentle. Mindful. Gateway to present moment.

1st week moves

Preparation:

  1. Stand straight and relaxed, with heels together in a ‘V’ position.

  2. Shift weight to right leg 100%.

    Move left foot one step to the left, toes pointing forward.

  3. Shift weight to left leg 50%.

    Turn right foot in slightly until toes point forward and feet are parallel.

    Flex elbows slightly outward, with palms facing back.

Beginning:

  1. Raise wrists to shoulder level, arms extended, with hands hanging down.

  2. Raise palms to wrist level, facing down.

  3. Draw palms horizontally back toward shoulder, as elbows drop, palms still facing down.

  4. Raise palms until they face fowrard.

  5. Drop hands straight down next to hips, palms facing down.

  6. Drop palms until they face back.

Ward off with left hand

  1. Shift weight to left leg 100%. Turn right foot out on heel 90°. Turn body 90° to the right. Raise right palm in front of right chest, facing down. Drop left palm in front of right hip joint, facing up. (Palms are facing each other.)  

  2. Shift weight to right leg 100%, bending your knees slightly for the duration of the 60 movements. 

  3. Move left foot one step forward. Turn body 45° to the left. 

  4. Shift weight to left leg 80%. 

*Turn body another 45° to the left. 

*Raise left palm to the front of solar plexus, facing in. 

*Drop right palm next to right hip, facing back. 

*Turn right foot in on heel 55°

Ward off with right hand

  1. Turn body 25° to the left.

    Move left palm in front of left chest, facing down.

    Move right palm in front of left hip joint, facing up. 

  2. Shift weight to left leg 100%.

    Raise right heel, toes remain touching the ground.  

  3. Turn body 70° to the right.

    Turn right foot in on toes 55°.  

  4. Move right foot one step forward.

  5. Shift weight to right leg 80%.

    Turn body 45° to the right.

    Raise right palm to the front of solar plexus, facing in.

    Move left palm forward, as elbow drops until palm is between right palm and body, facing forward.

    Turn left foot ion on heel 55°.

 

Roll away

  1. Turn body and arms 15° to the right.

  2. Shift weight back to left leg 100%.

    Draw right palm back, as elbow drops, until palm is in front of shoulder, facing left. Move left palm in next to right elbow, facing up.

  3. Turn body 90° to the left.

    Curve right palm down in front of left hip joint, facing back. Move left palm back until palm is 1.5 feet behind hip, facing forward.

Press

  1. Raise right palm to chest level, facing back.

    Curve left palm up to shoulder level, facing down.

  2. Shift weight to right leg 80%.

    Turn body 85° to the right.

    Move right palm to the front of solar plexus, facing in.

    Move left palm forward to press right wrist lightly.

 

Push

  1. Shift weight back to left leg 100%.

    Draw palms back, as elbows drop, until palms are right in front of shoulders, facing down.

  2. Shift weight to right leg 80%, then move forearms forward until palms are 1.5 feet away from shoulders facing forward.

 

Single whip

  1. Shift weight back to left leg 100%.

    Move body back until arms are almost straight, palms facing down.

  2. Both arms follow as body turns 90° to the left.

    Turn right foot in on heel 90°.

  3. Shift weight to the right leg 100%

    Turn body 70° to the right.

    Move right hand in front of right chest while drawing fingertips together, pointing to the ground.

    Drop left palm in front of right hip joint, facing up.

  4. Turn body 110° to the left.

    Turn left foot in on ball of foot 90°.

    Push right wrist out until arm is almost straight.

  5. Turn body 20° to the left.

    Move left foot one step to the left front.

  6. Shift weight to left leg 80%.

    Turn body 15° to the left.

    Raise left palm to the front of left shoulder, facing in.

  7. Turn left palm out, as body turns 15° to the left.

    Turn right foot in on heel 55°.

 

Lifting the hands

  1. Shift weight to left leg 100%.

    Raise heel until toes are lightly touching the ground.

  2. Turn body 70° to the right.

    Turn left palm to face right.

    Open right hand into a palm as it turns to face left.

    Turn right foot in on ball of foot 90°.

  3. Move right arm to the front of right shoulder.

    Move left palm to the front of solar plexus, facing elbow.

    Move right foot one step to the front of left heel, touching ground with right heel only.

 

Shoulder strike

  1. Turn body 45° to the left.

    Drop left palm next to left hip, facing right.

    Drop right palm in front of right hip joint, facing left.

    Move right foot one step back in front of left heel, touching ground with toes only.

  2. Move right foot one step forward from left heel. Raise left palm to the back of left chest facing down.

  3. Shift weight to right leg 80%.

    Turn body 20° to the right.

    Move left palm in front of solar plexus.

    Turn right elbow out to point slightly forward.

 

White crane spreads its wing

  1. Shift weight to right leg 100%.

    Turn body 50° to the left.

  2. Move left foot one step to the front of right heel. touching ground with ball of foot only.

    Raise right palm next to right temple, facing out.

    Drop left palm next to left hip, facing back.

 

Cross over the knee and step

  1. Turn body 45° to the right.

    Drop right palm next to right hip, facing up.

    Raise left palm to the front of left shoulder facing down.

  2. Turn body 45° to the right.

    Move right palm back 1.5 feet away from right hip, facing in.

    Move left palm in front of right chest.

  3. Turn body 45° to the left.

    Raise right palm next to right temple, facing down.

    Drop left palm in front of right hip joint.

  4. Turn body 25° to the left.

    Move left palm next to left hip, facing down.

    Move right palm forward to the front of right shoulder, facing out. Turn right foot in on the heel 55°.

 

Playing the guitar

  1. Shift weight to left leg 100%.

    Raise right foot off the ground slightly.

  2. Step down with right foot at the same spot and immediately shift weight to right leg 100%.

    Raise left palm forward to chest level, facing right.

    Draw right palm in slightly as elbow drops next to ribs, facing left.

  3. Turn body 20° to the right.

    Move left foot one step to the front of right heel, touching ground with left heel only.

    Move left arm to the front of chest.

    Move right palm closer to left elbow.

 

Cross over the knee and step

  1. Turn body 70° to the right.

    Drop right palm and move it back 1.5 feet away from right hip, facing in.

    Move left palm in front of right chest facing down.

  2. Turn body 45° to the left.

    Raise right palm next to right temple, facing down.

    Drop left palm in front of right hip joint.

  3. Shift weight to left leg 80%.

    Turn body 25° to the left.

    Move left palm next to left hip.

    Move right palm forward to the front of right shoulder, facing out.

 

Step up, deflect. intercept, and punch

  1. Shift wight back to right leg 100%.

    Change right palm into a fist as it drops in front of groin, knuckles facing forward.

  2. Turn left foot out on heel 45°, as body turns 30° to the left.

    Move left palm back 1.5 feet behind left hip, facing in.

  3. Shift wight to left leg 100%, then move right foot forward until it is a half-step from left arch at 55° angle, as body turns 30° to the left.

    Move right fist back next to left waist.

    Move left palm back 1.5 feet behind waist.

  4. Shift weight to right leg 100%.

    Raise right fist in front of left chest knuckles facing up.

    Raise left palm next to face, facing out.

  5. Move left foot one step forward, as body turns 90° to the right.

    Drop right fist to waist level, as elbow drops, knuckles facing down.

    Move left palm forward to the front of left shoulder, facing right.

  6. Shift weight forward to left leg 80%.

    Turn body 30° to the left.

    Move left palm next to left hip, facing down.

    Right fist punches forward to the front of solar plexus, as a vertical fist.

 

Get the needle at the sea bottom

  1. Shift weight to left leg 100%.

    Raise right foot off the ground slightly.

  2. Step down with right foot at the same spot as before and immediately shift wieght to right leg 100%.

    Raise right fist, changing it into a palm, to the front of chest, fingers pointing to the ground.

  3. Move left foot back in front of right heel, touching ground with ball of foot only.

    Move left palm inward until fingers are lightly touching right wrist.

  4. Bend body and arms down together until right finger tips are five inches from the ground, right palm facing left.

 

Spread arms like a fan

  1. Raise body and arms until upper body is vertical.

  2. Move left foot one step forward.

  3. Shift weight to left leg 80%.

    Turn body 25° to the left. Move both hands to the front of left shoulder.

    (Body stays facing forward.

    Move left fingers forward 1.5 feet away from left shoulder, palm facing right.

    Move right palm next to the right side of face, facing out.)

 

Turn and Strike with back fist, chop with the fingers

  1. Shift weight back to right leg 100%.

  2. Turn body 65° to the right.

    Turn left foot in on heel 90°.

    Move left palm next to left temple, facing forward.

    Move right palm next to right temple facing forward.

  3. Shift weight to left leg 100%.

    Turn body 25° to the left.

    Move left palm in front of right chest, facing down.

    Change right palm into a fist as it falls down to the front of right hip joint, knuckles facing out.

  4. Turn body 70° to the right.

    Raise right foot off the ground and take a 180° twist step, touching the ground lightly.

    Swing right fist around as it follows the body’s turn to the right, until fist is one foot away from the front ot right chest, knuckles facing down.

  5. Shift weight to right leg 100%, then move left foot one step forward.

    Turn body 90° to the right.

    Move left palm forward 1.5 feet away from left chest, facing down. Move right fist inward next to waitst, knuckles facing down.

  6. Shift weight to left leg 80%.

    (Turn body 45° to the left.

    Move left palm inward to the front of right chest.

    Open right fist into a palm as fingers move forward 1.5 feet away from chest, palm facing up.)

 

Withdraw and push

  1. Turn body 30° to the left

    Cross right arm over left wrist slightly.

  2. Shift weight back to right leg 100%.

    Turn body 30° to the right.

    Draw right palm back, as elbow drops, until wrists are crossing each other,. palms facing in.

  3. Move left foot back one step parallel to right foot at a 55° angle. Move palms back in front of shoulders.

  4. Shift weight to left leg 100%, then move right foot at a 55° angle. Move palms back in front of shoulders.

  5. Shift weight to right leg 80%.

    (Push palms forward 1.5 feet away from shoulders, palms facing forward.)

 

Crossing hands

  1. Shift weight back to left leg 100%.

    Move body back until arms are almost straight, palms facing down.

  2. Turn body 90° to the left.

    Move left arm across the front to the left side of the body.

    Turn right foot in on heel 90°.

  3. Shift weight to right left 100%.

    ( Move left foot back slightly until it is parallel to right foot, then shift weight back to left leg 50%.

    Drop arms until right wrist crosses under left wrist in front of stomach, palms facing up. )

  4. Raise palms to the front of chest facing in.