Nothing under heaven is more pliable than water.
But when amassed, there is nothing on earth that can withstand its force.
That the soft overcomes the hard, and the yielding conquers the rigid,
is a fact known to all men, yet utilized by none.
Tai Chi Chuan applies the power of fluidity to ease man's struggle for existence.
Tai Chi Chuan is the classic Chinese exercise for health, self-defense, and spiritual growth.
Graceful in movement, slow in tempo, relaxed and fluid in beautiful natural postures,
Tai Chi is meditation in movement, practiced throughout the world for its many great health benefits.
For many centuries, Western visitors to China have been intrigued at seeing Chinese of all ages
engaged in this slow, apparently effortless, calm and beautiful exercise.
Emphasizing relaxation, breath control, visual and mental concentration, and slow, balanced movement,
Tai Chi Chuan imparts great health benefits, improved posture, circulation, metabolism, and neuromuscular functioning,
as well as accelerated healing of disease.
The often amazing results of proper practice suggest that in some way not fully known to Western science,
Tai Chi can indeed relieve many chronic ailments and impart longevity.
The Chinese say that those who practice Tai Chi will achieve the pliability of a child,
the vitality of a lumberjack, and the wisdom of a sage.
Although Tai Chi Chuan has become popular worldwide for its healthful benefits,
it is first and foremost a martial art.
The title Tai Chi Chuan means the grand terminus boxing.
The grand terminus, also sometimes translated as the supreme limit, does not claim Tai Chi's invincibility,
but it is rather a concept in an ancient Chinese philosophy known as Taoism,
describing the process by which energy is transformed in the universe.
This universal energy is depicted by the popular yin-yang symbol, called the Tai Chi Tu,
in which two polar opposite forces are in a perpetual, interpenetrating, and balancing relationship.
In the land that cradled the martial arts of the world, and in a culture known for understatement and modesty,
the title Tai Chi Chuan also implies that no other art is more refined or profound in its oneness with the laws of nature.
The Asian martial arts have been adopted by the West primarily for physical exercise and self-defense,
but Tai Chi Chuan is like no other method of martial art or gymnastic exercise.
Other Asian martial arts, such as karate, judo, and kung fu, emphasize powerful linear movements,
heavy-fisted strikes, and acrobatic kicks, all motivated by brusque muscular compression and dynamic tension.
Tai Chi Chuan's movements are, in contrast, circular, relaxed, fluid, and rooted to the earth, but are extremely powerful just the same.
Progress in Tai Chi depends not on outer strength, but on inner awareness to control subtle energy flows of the body.
Thus, Tai Chi is known as an internal martial art.
Whereas most forms of Western exercise focus on outer movements and the development of the body,
Tai Chi Chuan develops both mind and body through its integrative principles.
Tai Chi practice harmonizes breath, physical movement, mental concentration,
and visual focus to cultivate one's internal intrinsic energy, or life force, which the Chinese call qi.
The origin of Tai Chi Chuan is shrouded in the myth and folklore of China's antiquity.
The most popular theory holds that Cheng Sun Fung, a Taoist priest of the Yuan dynasty,
sometime in the 13th century, created Tai Chi Chuan when inspired by a dream.
Legend also states that Cheng Sun Fung was inspired by the agile and fluid movements of a snake and crane in combat to create the Tai Chi method,
which emphasizes constant balance, suppleness, and yielding as opposed to rigidity, tension, and direct confrontation.
The cornerstone of Tai Chi practice is the performance of the solo exercise,
or what Tai Chi players simply refer to as the form.
Form practice, as seen here, is but the tip of the iceberg in the study of Tai Chi Chuan.
In the form practice, there is Tai Chi sparring practice called push hands, which imparts benefits beyond good health,
notably the mastery of a practical and noble method of self-defense and the transcendence of fear.
Masters of the art explain that we practice the form to know ourselves,
and then practice push hands to know how to interact with others.
Tai Chi Chuan's technique, mechanics, and physiology are rooted in the principles of Taoism,
a timeless philosophy from China based on living and acting in accord with nature's cyclical patterns of change.
Tai Chi is one method of developing structural sensitivity to all-encompassing nature, which the Chinese call Tao, or the way.
Within every movement of Tai Chi is the principle of yin and yang, which is action based on the awareness of implicit unity within all apparent opposites,
positive and negative, full and empty, dark and light, hard and soft.
Thus, in Tai Chi practice, one manifests stillness within activity. The entire body is relaxed.
Breathing is deepened and quiet as in meditation, and each movement is performed with full concentration.
The body's weight shifts fully onto one leg, which becomes yang, before the empty or yin leg is moved.
Once the yin leg is set in position, it becomes yang as weight is transferred to it from the other leg.
This yin yang flux originating in the legs permeates the entire body.
Tai Chi movement is rooted in the ground, accelerated by the legs, controlled by the waist,
conducted along the spine and into the arms, and manifested through the fingers.
This type of fluid synchronization is described as moving like a string of pearls.
The integration of mind and body, which comes from diligent practice, eventually leads to deeper self-understanding,
a greater awareness of life, and the wherewithal to act appropriately in any given situation.
In contrast to the violent machismo image that has been popularized by sensational B-movies,
the mark of true martial excellence, according to the Taoist sage, Sun Tzu, is to win without fighting.
With the clarity of mind that comes from spiritual growth combined with physical prowess,
the true warrior can defeat an opponent's strategy before violence occurs.
Tai Chi Chuan and the art of war, as it has been handed down through the ages, is most essentially an art of peace.
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi is a timeless and proven method for self-empowerment that addresses the totality of the human process.
With the upper body held alight and cloud-like, and the lower body firmly rooted to the ground,
every Tai Chi posture reminds us that we are creatures between heaven and earth,
and reveals to us personal power to create our own unique existences.
Tai Chi for Health
Hello, my name is Terry Dunn, and welcome to Tai Chi for Health.
We will now together learn, step by step, how to do the Tai Chi exercise that you have just seen.
We'll begin our practice with some Tai Chi warm-up exercises.
We'll focus our warm-ups on one of the most vital human processes,
but a process which is often overlooked in our busy day-to-day lives, and also in many forms of our exercise.
That vital process is breathing.
In Tai Chi, breathing is naturally deep, relaxed, and quiet.
Let's begin by putting our left thumb in our navel, draping our left hand over our lower abdomen,
and then putting our right hand over our left hand.
Now breathe only through the nose, close the mouth,
and keep your tongue comfortably touching your palate, the roof of your mouth.
As we inhale, imagine that your lower abdomen is filling up.
As we exhale, imagine that it contracts and empties, so that your hands gently follow inward.
Again, inhale, expand the lower abdomen, exhale, contract.
Inhale, expand, exhale, contract.
This relaxed breathing using the diaphragm muscle is essential for Tai Chi practice and good health.
If you look at infants, you'll notice that is how they naturally breathe.
We are all born breathing this naturally loose, relaxed way.
Let's take a few more deep, relaxed breaths, allowing ourselves to relax with every breath,
and feel your weight sink into the soles of your feet.
Maintain a comfortable erect posture by imagining a string attached to the crown of your head,
so that you're suspended from the above rafters.
Suspended from above, your head tilts downward ever so slightly.
Now lower your hands to your side, and continue to breathe naturally,
focusing your attention to the soles of your feet.
Bend both knees now, while keeping your back straight, and sink into what we call the Wu Chi position,
also known as the horse riding step.
Make sure your feet are parallel and at shoulders width.
And now for some movement.
Slowly come up, straightening your legs.
Keep your head facing forward, and just turn the waist, swing your torso and arms.
Like so.
Completely relax.
Drive this movement with your waist, and let your arms swing like a raggedy-and-doll.
By keeping your head facing forward, you also stretch and relax the muscles of your shoulders and neck.
Good.
Now let's take a wider stance, to shoulder widths apart.
Feet also parallel.
Now do the same action, except now we shift to one side, and then the other.
Keeping your breathing calm and relaxed.
One of the most vital coordinations in Tai Chi practice is shifting the weight and turning the waist simultaneously.
That's exactly what we're doing now.
Make sure you're moving your body from one side over to the other.
Keep your back straight, breathing deep and relaxed, and your feet planted to the floor.
After we've done about 20 of these, I want you to pause on your right side,
and turn left towards your extended leg, and now continue shifting, opening your torso towards your extended leg.
Shift and turn in the same movement.
I want you to imagine that you're sitting on an office stool, a chair that rolls across the floor and also swivels.
Your back is straight, you're sitting comfortably with no tension in your torso.
Just shifting and turning, shifting and turning.
Another analogy you can use in doing this warm-up is that of a potted plant.
Imagine that your pelvic area, your waist area, is a pot.
Imagine that your back is the stem of a plant, and imagine therefore that your arms are the branches of this plant.
What we're doing here is simply moving the pot in which the plant rests.
We move the pot, shift and turn.
The stem and the branches just naturally move as we move that pot.
Shift and turn smoothly, comfortably.
Then concentrate on relaxation, that is one of the key principles of Tai Chi.
We want to remember this relaxation and deep breathing in every movement we do from here on.
Very good. Now on to another warm-up exercise.
Adjust your feet comfortably, roughly two shoulder widths apart again.
Cross your hands in front of your body along your midline.
It's an imaginary line that splits your body in two halves, right down your middle.
Inhale, raise both hands straight up over your head.
Then start exhaling, separate your hands and lower them to the side.
As they come down, sink your torso straight down into your hips.
Let your hands swing forward.
Inhale, rise again, lifting, expanding, opening the arms, exhaling straight down.
Inhale, expand and rise.
Keep the back straight.
Exhale lower, keeping your back straight as well.
Sinking into the earth.
Inhale again.
Exhale down.
And let's do one more.
Come up, open, stay standing, exhale, lower your arms to your side.
Now we're going to continue with a variation of this exercise by turning both feet out 45 degrees.
Start the same way. Inhale, raise the arms straight up.
Only this time, as your arms separate, come down over your right side, keeping your back straight.
Then come to center, cross the hands along your midline.
Inhale, rise and lift.
Open, and now come down to your left side, turning your torso 45 degrees to the right.
Then square off, face front, cross hands, lift and rise again.
Exhale, lower.
Center, inhale up.
Lower to the left, calmly, quietly.
And center, once again.
You'll notice that these warm-up exercises concentrate on loosening your hips and shoulders.
These are very important joints in our lives and in Tai Chi practice.
In order to have free fluid arm movement, we have to have loose and relaxed shoulders.
In order to have free limber leg movement, we have to have relaxed hips.
So concentrate on relaxed breathing and loosening of the shoulders and hips.
Now we're going to add some additional coordination to this exercise.
As we come down to the right, form a hook with the right hand and open your left hand vertically.
On your hook, your thumb touches all four fingers and it points downward.
Keep your right shoulder relaxed and your right elbow slightly bent.
This posture is called squatting single whip, and it's also called snake creeps down.
You get the feeling of this imagery of the snake creeping down.
Center.
Let's do a couple more of these.
Remember, keep your breathing deep and relaxed.
Keep your feet firmly flat on the floor.
It doesn't matter how high or low you are.
For those of you just beginning, this high is fine.
Just keep your back straight and keep your weight over to one side as you shift.
With deep, relaxed breathing and concentrated movement,
as you practice this day in and day out, you will limber up and be able to go down lower with greater relaxation and comfort.
Now let's finish by coming to center, rising, opening the arms, and exhaling, bringing your hands to the side.
That was great.
Now let's bring our feet back to shoulders width.
Put your left thumb in your navel again and put the hand over the lower abdomen.
Now place the right hand once again over the left hand, and let's refocus our breathing to our lower abdomen.
Remember, expand on the inhale, contract gently on the exhale.
The area where your hands are covering in Chinese is called the Dan Tian, T-A-N-T-I-E-N, pronounced like a D.
The Dan Tian translates into the elixir field.
This is a rough translation from the Chinese, but the elixir, or Dan, is really your vital essence, your intrinsic energy, and the seed of your good health and longevity.
The Chinese believe that through their yogic and martial art practices, that the Dan Tian is the source of energy of your body,
the field in which this energy, this vital essence is cultivated.
So thus, in all we do in Tai Chi, our mind is always anchored with our breathing to the Dan Tian, the lower abdominal region, which is two inches below the navel.
And now let's lower our hands to our sides.
And from here, we'll begin three basic postures of Tai Chi form practice.
Just like in ballet, where there are five basic positions, in Tai Chi there are three basic postures, three building blocks on which the entire form or exercise is based.
We're already standing in the first one. It's called the Wu Chi position.
Bend the knees over your ankles, align your shoulders over your hips, and now cross both hands in front of your chest like so.
Remember to keep your breathing deep, calm, and relaxed.
Wu Chi means primordial unity. That is, the state before the separation of opposites occurs.
In Chinese, these polar opposites are referred to as Yin and Yang.
This Yin-Yang polarity creates, arises from an intrinsic harmony and unity.
This intrinsic unity is represented by this posture, Wu Chi.
This posture is very important in all forms of Chinese yoga and martial arts.
It is a meditative position and a training position for overall conditioning, especially of the legs.
Breathe deeply and naturally, and let your weight sink into the soles of your feet.
As you breathe, imagine every single muscle and fiber in your body relaxing, just letting go like loose rubber bands.
Open your arms, separate your hands to a distance of about 6-7 inches, and imagine that you're hugging a tree trunk.
In your daily practice, try and hold this position for first one minute or two minutes, then up to three.
Usually, you'll be able to increase it to five, ten, fifteen minutes.
At advanced levels, many Tai Chi practitioners hold this position for a solid hour, if you can believe that.
But here, we'll do it long enough just so you get the feel of it.
From here, we'll move on to the second basic posture, which is called the T-Stance.
I'm going to shift my weight to the left leg and turn 90 degrees to the right, letting my left foot naturally pivot on the heel.
My hips and shoulders are square to the right. My hands are still in front of my shoulders.
And my right foot is relaxed, with the knee and ankle both relaxed and comfortable.
All my weight is in my left leg, and my hips are open.
This is a very difficult posture at first, and you'll probably wind up standing something like this.
But be aware that we want to open up square to the right and sit comfortably on the left leg.
You should be able to check your right foot by picking it up one inch off the floor.
And then let's put it back down.
This T-Stance, or Sit Step, is vitally important.
It manifests the separation of yin and yang.
In gross anatomical terms, all your weight is in your left leg, that is yang.
Your right leg is empty, therefore yin.
Now let's adjust our hands.
Move your left palm back opposite your right elbow, extend your right arm forward just slightly.
Keep your back straight and relaxed.
Now let's turn back to the Wu Chi position, and hands in front of our shoulders.
Keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows sunk.
Remember to align your knees over your ankles, your shoulders over your hips.
And now let's move to the left side.
Sit on your right leg, turn the waist 90 degrees to the left, pivot on your left heel.
Keep your breathing deep, natural, smooth, and relaxed.
Now let's adjust our arms by extending the left arm and bringing the right palm opposite the left elbow.
This on guard position is called play guitar.
Now let's turn back, point your left foot straight ahead, swing the arms down, sit back to the other side.
This position with the right foot forward is called lifting hands.
And let's shift once more back to the left.
Hold your hands as if lines running from each arm converge at a point in front of you,
so that both hands are aligned with your center line.
And let's shift again.
And lower the hands, turn to the front.
The third posture in Tai Chi is called the bow stance.
We begin with our feet shoulder width again.
Turn your right foot out 45 degrees and step straight out with your left foot two feet.
Put your left knee directly over the toes, square your hips and shoulders straight ahead, keep your rear foot flat.
70% of your weight is on the forward leg, 30% on the rear.
You must square hips and shoulders straight ahead.
And here also get the idea of sitting in a chair.
This posture is vitally important because virtually every technique maneuver in Tai Chi goes through this posture in some form or another.
Now let's add some upper body posture to it.
Hold the ball again, chest level.
Keep your back straight, your chest relaxed, slightly drawn in and empty.
Lower your right hand in front of your right thigh, move your left hand in front of your heart.
Maintain a smooth curve in your upper body, a nice round half circle with your left arm.
This position is called ward off left and it is a basic position found in the Tai Chi form.
Here we're using it to learn the third basic posture, the bow stance.
Remember, keep left knee forward over the toes, rear foot 45 degrees.
Good. Now let's step back to shoulders width again and do the right bow step.
From feet, shoulders width, turn left foot 45 degrees and step straight ahead two feet, this time with your right foot.
And bring your weight forward, bring your right knee over your toes, square hips and shoulders straight ahead.
Bring both arms up, embracing that tree trunk again.
Sit comfortably, breathe naturally.
And now drop your left elbow back and closer to your body, bring your left palm behind the right palm.
Align both hands at about throat level, right with your center line.
This position is called ward off right and it too comes straight out of the Tai Chi form.
Again, the basic specs of this posture are right knee over your toes, hips and shoulders squared straight ahead.
Your front foot points straight ahead, your rear foot points to the side 45 degrees.
And always remember to keep a shoulders width between the two lines that your feet fall on.
That is, if I were to put my feet straight back and parallel, I have the shoulders width.
So that I have the shoulders width constantly across my stance.
This gives me lateral stability.
Now from this position, I'm going to lower my left hand and we will now do a very important exercise,
which links together these various basic postures.
This exercise is called circling.
I'm going to do it first with one arm.
I'm going to turn my waist, extend my right arm 45 degrees to the right.
Then slowly sit back to my left leg, letting this arm trail and move with gravity and then swing up across my body.
Now I shift forward, turn the waist, bring my right knee over my toes and circle the arm out clockwise again.
I constantly imagine that I'm holding a ball against my chest, that I'm rolling and massaging it with this right arm.
Sit back on your left leg, then shift forward, turn the waist, bring right knee over the toes,
and bring the right hand to the corner.
Now the next time I come forward, I'm going to let my left hand rise and pass inside my right elbow.
Now I will shift back and circle the left hand back going counterclockwise and continue circling with my right arm.
Shift the weight, turn the waist, go through the right bow stance.
Cover your body with your arms circling outward.
Remember, keep your breathing deep and relaxed.
Focus your eyes on your upper active hand.
Watch it express and extend and then watch the other hand take its place as you change direction of your movement.
Now shift your weight forward to your right leg, extend the arms forward to the right,
step left keeping a shoulder's width between your feet, then shift forward into your left bow stance,
turn in the right toes, and hold ward off left.
That was a natural transition which occurs over and over in Tai Chi.
Now let's circle with our left arm.
Keep your right arm still, relaxed by your side.
Notice that I move the arm by shifting my weight and turning my waist.
Now I bring my right hand into play and bring it inside my left elbow.
And now I circle both arms and I imagine that I'm massaging a big balloon against my chest, big ball of energy.
When my hands pass in front of my body, the palms face the body.
When they turn outward, my left palm turns down, my right palm turns upward.
Then they change position, they turn towards the body, and as I shift back they turn away once again.
This circling exercise contains the five essential principles of Tai Chi Chuan.
The first principle is complete relaxation.
When we relax, we're able to sink our body and root to the earth.
This brings about overall conditioning and develops a structural sensitivity throughout our body.
One of the key goals of Tai Chi practice is developing what we call the root, that is a calm, natural attachment to the earth.
In order to develop root, we must relax.
The second principle is called the separation of yin and yang.
It means to separate the polar opposite aspects of our lives.
Body and light, substantial and insubstantial, tense and relaxed, full and empty.
By becoming aware of these opposites, we are able to balance them and bring them into harmony.
The third principle is turning the waist.
Our movement in Tai Chi is controlled by turning the waist.
By turning the waist and observing the other principles of Tai Chi, we are always, constantly massaging our internal organs as we practice.
This improves circulation and creates fullness and vitality.
The fourth principle is keeping the back straight and erect.
In the back are all the nerves which govern our organic functions.
If the back is straight, these nerves are not impinged or obstructed.
And again, we're able to maintain good health and ultimate longevity.
By keeping a straight, erect back, we keep our balance, a mental equilibrium and physical well-being.
And lastly, the fifth principle is called beautiful ladies' wrists.
The wrists are held supply, smoothly, with no bends and no tension.
This principle was developed by a very famous Tai Chi master, my teacher's teacher, whose name is Professor Chun Man Ching,
one of the greatest Tai Chi masters of this century.
He developed this technique, this principle, because he felt that students would be able to experience the phenomenon of energy,
which the Chinese call qi, much more readily by following this principle.
So there you have it, the five principles of Tai Chi form practice.
And let's shift to the right bow stance and our right circling exercise.
Another image to follow in doing the circling is that of a water hose.
Imagine that your rear foot is connected to a hydrant.
You turn on the water and the water courses up the body, flowing up the leg, up the back, and spraying out the arms.
Likewise, you can use the same image as you shift back.
Water flowing through a hose.
Now step forward with your left foot to about two shoulders width apart and continue circling side to side with your feet parallel.
Again, I want to reemphasize these five basic principles of Tai Chi.
Number one, complete relaxation.
Two, separate yin and yang.
Three, turn the waist.
Remember that turning the waist is almost always simultaneous with the weight shift.
Four, keep the back straight.
And five, beautiful lady's wrist.
Remember also that circling is the most important exercise outside of the solo form itself.
Now cross your right hand in front of the left.
Center yourself over your legs.
Sit in this wide wu chi position, which is also known as the horse riding stance.
Knees over your ankles, shoulders over your hips, back straight, breathing calm, deep, and relaxed.
Let's sit in this position for just a few seconds here.
We'll begin by standing in this posture. We're balancing yin and yang.
We're balancing the yang of our activity in circling with the yin, which is stillness in the standing meditative position.
Now slowly stand up, relax, lower your arms, and know that we've just completed the warmups and the basic postures of Tai Chi.
Now we can go ahead and move into the step-by-step instruction of the Tai Chi solo exercise.
The yang style short form begins with our heels together and feet pointing outward about 20 degrees.
Let's just stand here calmly and deepen, focus our breath in the lower abdomen.
Now bend both knees and sink all your weight into the right leg.
When your left leg is empty, slowly step a shoulder's width to the left and put the foot down.
Slowly shift all your weight to the left, keeping your back straight, sitting low.
And when your right foot is empty, turn the right toe in, pivoting on the heel so that both feet are parallel.
Now slowly shift back to center, to the Wu Chi position.
Now slowly rise, straightening the legs, rotate the elbows outward and angle your palms 45 degrees.
The first move of the form after this preparation is an opening and then closing of the upper body.
Inhale and imagine you're inflating a balloon underneath your arms, bringing your arms to shoulder level.
Then exhale and flow your fingers forward as if you're projecting energy straight forward through your fingertips.
Then inhale, sink the elbows and draw your hands straight back towards your shoulders.
When you feel the slightest amount of tension in your biceps, let your fingertips float up, your palms slide down.
Let's try that again.
Inhale.
Also imagine strings pulling your wrists upward.
Exhale, fingers straight ahead.
Inhale, sink the elbows, draw the hands back to the shoulders, and exhale, float the hands downward.
Make sure as you do this movement that your torso is still and erect, only the arms move.
And now we do it for this third time in one breath.
Inhale until your hands are in front of your shoulders, then exhale.
From the side, it looks as if your arms are rounding, shaping a ball.
Once more, inhale up, roll the shoulders, sink the shoulders, elbows, and then wrists.
Returning to this preparation position, elbows turned outward, fingers forward, palms angled 45 degrees.
The next move in the form is Wardoff Left, which begins with a pivot to the right.
Slowly shift your weight to your left leg and turn 90 degrees to the right, shaping a ball with your arms.
Your right hand is above your left, your left hand is in front of your right hip.
Square your shoulders and hips squarely to the right.
Breathe calmly with all your weight in the right leg.
Then slowly shift your weight forward, keeping your back straight and staying low until all your weight is on your right leg.
Look over your left shoulder, then step out with your left heel straight out from where your shoulders are.
Touch the heel downward.
Then slowly shift your weight forward, turning your waist, and raise your right forearm to the Wardoff Left position.
As you turn your waist, pivot your right foot 45 degrees.
This position is Wardoff Left.
Then slowly shift forward, bring your right hand to your left hip, left hand above it holding a ball,
and come up on your right toes so that all your weight is on your left leg.
Keep your back straight and sink your weight into your left hip.
Again, we move our yin or empty leg and put it down, heel first.
Now slowly shift the weight forward, bring both hands to throat level, bring right knee over your toes,
turn the waist, turn your left foot 45 degrees, and come to Wardoff Right.
Your left palm is behind the right, both hands are along your center line at throat level.
Remember to keep your back straight, sink as if you're sitting in a chair, and keep that right knee directly over your toes.
From Wardoff Right, we do a sequence of movements called Grasp the Sparrow's Tail.
It consists of the roll back, press, and push.
To do the roll back, keep your right knee over the toes, turn the waist, and carry the arms 45 degrees to the right.
Keep your arms within the frame of your shoulders.
Then turn your right palm forward, left palm up, point your left fingers towards your right elbow.
Then slowly shift and turn left, swing your left hand down with gravity and back 45 degrees,
waving your right arm back 45 degrees as well, holding the ball at chest level.
Then once your weight is firmly rooted in the left leg, shift and turn back to the right bow stance,
your left hand approaches the right palm, and then press your left palm on your right when your right knee is over your toes.
Once again, your hips and shoulders are square to the right.
As seen from the front, this press position shows the forearms in a triangle with the elbows at the base of that triangle.
After the press, we sit back, let our hands separate, fold back to the shoulders,
hold all our weight on our left leg, and then push off the rear leg, sponging our arms forward.
This is the push.
Elbows point downward, the forearms are at 45 degrees, your hands and elbows are at shoulders width.
After the push, we do a movement called single whip.
Shift and turn left, and float your arms across at shoulder level.
As you relax and turn, you pull the right toes inward towards the left foot.
When you can't turn your waist anymore, slowly shift back onto your right foot, and form a hook with your right hand,
holding that hook in front of your right shoulder, and your left palm is underneath the hook by your right hip.
Imagine you're holding an egg under your right armpit, so your arm is not too high or too close to your body.
Your feet are pigeon-toed, and all your weight is in your right leg.
Now slowly turn the waist, put your hook out to the corner 45 degrees, and pivot on your left toe.
Now slowly pick up your left foot, and step wide to the left, getting a shoulders width, anticipating the next bow stance.
Now slowly shift forward to the left bow stance, turning the waist and arcing your left arm upward.
When your knee is almost over your toes, turn your left palm forward, and your right foot 45 degrees.
This position is called single whip.
Your left arm is in line with your left leg, your left elbow points to the ground,
and your left forearm is at a 45 degree angle from the vertical.
Your right hook is pointed back 45 degrees, hook pointing downward, shoulder relaxed, and right elbow slightly bent.
In this posture, your hips can be held slightly open, as opposed to square towards left.
This is a very vital posture, for it opens all the joints in the body.
Take a few deep relaxed breaths here, and focus your eyes over your left fingertips.
With every breath, feel your entire body relaxing and all your joints opening.
From single whip, we do a movement called lifting hands.
Slowly shift your weight to your left leg, open the hook, pivot on your right toes, and hold your arms in a wide embrace.
Then slowly close your arms and move your right heel in front of your left heel, aligning your right foot and both arms along your center line.
All your weight is in your left leg, and the right side of your body is empty.
Then slowly stay the same height, lower the arms, and bring your right foot back, just in front of your left ankle.
Slowly step forward and outward six inches to the right, and touch the heel down.
Shift forward, bring your right knee over your toes, and swing your left hand behind your right elbow.
This movement is called the shoulder stroke, and its martial application is a butting with the shoulder.
Now pay careful attention here to the body's alignment.
Your right knee is directly over the ankle, your right shoulder is directed forward.
If at home you look in a mirror, you should see a straight vertical line through your right shoulder, your right hip, the right knee, and your right ankle.
Your weight separation here is not as extreme as your regular bow step.
It's about 60% forward, 40% on the rear leg.
You're holding discreetly a ball with your arms.
One thing that you'll notice when we do the Tai Chi form is that your upper body is constantly in the shape of a circle.
So here we are shouldering, and our left hand is ready to further action.
Let's use this as a nice rest position.
When you stand in this position, you should feel as still and as massive and immovable as a mountain.
After the shoulder stroke, we do a movement called white crane cools its wings.
Stay the same height, shift your weight to your right leg, look to the left.
Simultaneously, raise your right arm, lower your left hand, and drop your left toe in front of your right heel.
Square your hips and shoulders to the left, hold your right hand outside your temple, blocking upward.
Hold your left hand just outside your thigh.
Now this is a tough position, it's another T-stance where all your weight is in the right leg.
Try and tweak that left hip back even with the right, so you're square to the left.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and level even though your right hand is up.
Now slowly lower the right hand, turn the waist, bring your left hand around as if you're cradling a child.
Then circle the left palm in front of the body and the right arm back 45 degrees.
Now bring your right hand to the ear and simultaneously step out wide left with your left heel.
Then with the back straight, shift forward to a left bow stance, turning the waist, shifting forward.
Brush your left knee with your left hand, turn your right foot 45 degrees, square hips and shoulders to the left.
This position is called brush knee and twist step.
Again make sure you're in a correct bow stance, left knee over the toes, shoulders width between your feet, that is the two parallel lines that your feet rest on.
The next movement is called play guitar.
Moving forward with your don tin, that is your lower abdominal center, keep your back straight, center your weight on your left leg and pick up the right foot.
Then slowly sit back on the right foot, float the left arm up, adjust your left heel in front of your right heel and hold your right palm opposite your left elbow.
From play guitar we do another brush knee and twist step. From here we swing the right hand down, circle left hand across the body, raise the right arm back 45 degrees, bring the right hand to the ear, step out left, shoulders width again.
Then slowly shift forward to another bow stance, brush the knee and push the right palm forward, watching our palm come into our field of vision as we push.
After the second brush knee and twist step we do a series called deflect, intercept and punch.
Form a fist with the right hand, slowly sit back on your right leg, turn your waist to the left and swing your left hand across the body to the left side.
Then slowly shift your weight forward, back straight and bring your right foot into the left, staying low, sinking anchoring into your left hip and left foot.
Then slowly step forward to the right 45 degrees with a natural extension.
Then shift to the right, swing the fist upward and then downward at 45 degrees. When your weight shifts to your right leg, step up with a door like swinging action, move the left foot up to shoulders width, your right fist comes to your hip and your left hand is on guard in front of your center line with your torso angled 45 degrees.
From this on guard position we next shift forward, square the hips and punch in a left bow stance.
Left knee is over the toes, back is straight, your punching forearm is horizontal and your right elbow is close to the body, maybe about a hands distance right here.
Your left hand as seen from the front is covering your heart with the palm angled opposite your right elbow.
Now open the fist, turn the waist and extend the hand to the left corner and place your left palm behind your right elbow, palm facing upward.
The next movement is called withdraw and wipe off.
We sit back now onto our right leg and turn our waist to the right, pulling our right arm off our left forearm, wiping off.
As we sit back on our right leg, our hands separate and palms turn forward.
All the weight here for a moment is on our right leg.
Now we shift forward, square the hips and push in our left bow stance, softly sponging our arms forward stopping at 45 degrees.
The next movement closes the first third of the short form.
Here we stay the same height, shift and turn to the right, slowly spreading the arms.
As we turn we pull the left toes towards the front and our hands spread outward even more.
When our hands come down past our shoulders, we slowly shift back to the left pivoting on the right toes.
When all our weight is on the left leg, move your right foot back, shoulders width and parallel to your left.
Then slowly shift to center, double weight and cross your right hand in front of your left back in the centered wu chi position.
Stay seated here as comfortably and as low as you can.
By now I think you have gathered that this rather simple, smooth looking exercise is extremely rigorous.
You want to do this entire exercise in this low wu chi position with both knees bent.
Now I'd like you to stand up, shake off your legs, take a break.
I'm going to stay right here in this position, allow you to go rest up, you can even put your machine on pause
and then come back when you're rested and assume this position.
We're now going to proceed to learn part two of the form.
Part two begins with the first movement called carry tiger to the mountain.
Slowly shift your weight to your left hand, lowering both hands in front of your left thigh.
Now swing up your left arm up 45 degrees and move at the same time your right heel back almost behind you.
Touch the heel down and bring your left hand to your ear.
We're going to prepare to shift to a right bow stance facing 45 degrees to the rear corner.
Now shift the weight, turn the waist, brush the right knee with your right hand and turn left foot 45 degrees,
pushing with your left palm.
This movement is just like brush knee and twist step,
except that after your right hand brushes the knee, the palm turns forward.
Again, right knee over the toes, your back is straight, chest holding a big ball, eyes focused over your left fingertips.
Your eyes are focused over your left fingertips.
From here, we do another roll back.
Sit straight back to your left leg and raise your right forearm with your left fingertips pointing to the right elbow.
Once your weight is on your left leg, continue turning the waist and flow both arms back 45 degrees.
Remember you're holding a big ball at chest level.
Now slowly shift and turn to the right, closing the circle of your arms and press to the rear corner.
Then we sit back and do another push.
The sequence is identical to grass the bird's tail that we did in the first third.
After the push, we do another single whip.
This movement is called diagonal single whip
because we are going to stand and move along this diagonal line,
45 degrees relative to our normal line of movement.
Left heel is out, weight is on the right leg, your right hook is out.
Then slowly shift forward, circle up the left arm,
turn left palm forward and right foot 45 degrees.
From diagonal single whip, we do a sequence of movements called fist under elbow.
We sit back on our right leg, holding our upper body in the single whip position.
Then we pick up our yin foot, the left foot,
move the left side of our body towards the normal line of movement.
Then slowly shift our weight forward, bringing left knee over the toes.
Empty the right foot, come forward on the left foot
and step right with a natural extension and touch the right heel downward.
Now slowly shift the weight to the right leg,
open the hook, turn the waist left, pivoting on the left toe
and slap with your right hand lightly at around head level.
Now bend both elbows, bring your left foot in to your right ankle,
extend your left heel out and jab your left hand vertically,
placing your right fist under the left elbow.
You're now in a tea stance or a sit stance.
Keep your entire body relaxed and root in your right leg.
From this position, we do a series of movements called repulse the monkey.
Open the waist and swing your right arm back 45 degrees.
Bend the right elbow, bring your right hand to the ear,
bring your right palm upward and step back with your left foot behind you.
Touch the left toe downward, slowly shift your weight backward
and as you shift, pull your left hand back to your hip,
turning the waist and push your right palm forward.
On this first one, make an adjustment
and turn your right foot straight ahead.
Now we open the left side, bring left hand to the ear,
turn the right palm up, sitting comfortably still on our left leg,
then take the step back with the right foot.
Toe down, slowly sit back, roll the weight back to the right foot,
turn the waist, push out left, bring right hand back to your right hip.
Notice here that our feet are parallel.
This takes quite a bit of getting used to,
but this is a very important feature of the sequence.
Keeping your feet parallel as we do, repulse the monkey,
opens the lower back, which is an important energy center
and allows us to further develop our rooting capability,
that is our grounding to the earth.
After three of these repulsed monkeys,
we now turn the waist to the left, circle our arms and hold a ball.
Now I turn back to the right, keeping my weight on the left leg,
I pick up my right foot and extend it way to the right 45 degrees
and take a long extension.
Keeping my weight on the left leg, I hold the ball
and now I shift forward to an open right bow stance,
swinging my right arm up in line with my right leg,
turning my left foot 45 degrees.
This position is called slant flying.
My focus is up along my right arm
and I gaze through the gap between my right thumb and forefinger.
This focus is known as the eye of the tiger.
From slant flying, I now shift forward and hold the ball on the right side of the body.
Step up with my left foot and proceed into a circling sequence of movements
known as wave hands like clouds.
I shift and turn to the left, holding a ball across the body,
turn the right foot parallel to the left as I come midway,
shift all the way to the left, turning my waist,
take a half step in with the right foot,
I put it down, then I very solidly shift and turn all the way to the right side,
keeping knees bent, my back straight.
Once my weight is on my right leg and I'm turned towards the right,
I take a natural extension with the left foot,
I put it down flat, and then shift and turn to the left.
Then I take a half step in with the right, put the right foot down,
then I shift and turn to the right again.
I step out left once more for the third wave hands like clouds.
This movement is delicate, relaxed, and you should feel,
you should impart the image of billowing clouds being driven by the wind.
After the third wave hands like clouds,
we now step out with the right heel once we have our hands on our left side.
Now we shift forward to the right foot, hold a ball on the right side of the body,
forming a hook with the right hand.
From here we give a slight body turn, pivoting on our left toes,
and we put out the hook.
Now we simply step forward with our left heel, keeping the shoulders width,
and then shift into a single whip,
turning the waist, focusing left palm with the right foot.
That is, they move together.
From the single whip now, we move into a movement called squatting single whip.
We did this movement earlier in the form during our warm-ups.
We first turn our right foot back 45 degrees,
then shift back to the right leg, lowering the left palm
so that the back of the hand touches the inside of your left thigh.
You can let your left toe turn inward slightly.
Now keeping the back straight, squat straight down over the right foot,
extending your left hand forward slightly.
Keeping your back straight, remember.
Again, you don't have to go this low.
You could stay pretty high, but just keep your back straight.
With practice, you'll get down lower more comfortably.
From this position now, we shift forward, slicing up with the left hand,
turn the left foot outward 45 degrees, we release the hook with the right hand,
and then we pick up the right foot, and as we bring the right leg forward,
we press down with the left hand.
Now we raise the right knee and touch our right elbow
in this one-legged position called Golden Fesset, stands on one leg.
Now make sure your left foot is pointed outward 45 degrees.
The left knee is bent, your back is straight,
and most importantly, your abdominal muscles are relaxed.
If you're just beginning, hold your knee just to waist level.
That's fine.
With more practice, you'll be able to touch knee to elbow comfortably.
After this first Golden Fesset, we step back with the right leg,
touch the toe behind us, and slowly sit back,
lowering the right hand and raising the left side of our body,
bringing left knee to the left elbow.
Again, sit comfortably, and let your left foot hang relaxedly, pointing downward.
Now you know why in Tai Chi circles, this art is called the one-legged boxing.
Now step back 45 degrees, turn both palms upward,
point your right fingers toward your left elbow.
Slowly sit back, extend your right palm outward, chopping like so,
and turn your right foot on the heel.
Let your arms swing down with gravity as you turn the waist.
Swing your arms up to the left and then in front of the body.
As they come in front of the body, bring your right toes inward.
Firmly, comfortably root in your left leg.
From this covering position, we now open the arms, palms outward,
trace big eyebrows with our arms, and kick low to the corner 45 degrees with our right foot.
The right hand is at shoulder level, left hand is at head level.
Our right thigh is horizontal, and the right foot kicks at knee level.
Then lower the right hand and bring the right foot in, center on the left foot again.
Now take a natural step to the right, put the heel down.
Slowly shift the weight forward, your left hand blocks in front of the body,
and swing your right arm back behind you.
Turn the waist to the left, bring in your left foot,
and cover yourself, right wrist on top of left.
Now open arms, trace eyebrows, and kick left 45 degrees with your toe at knee level
and your thigh horizontal to the ground.
Imagine that your entire body is feeling plastered against a big ball.
Now bring in the left leg, bring both arms to your right side,
swing the arms, turn, pivot on the heel, and now we open,
raise the knee, open the hips, and kick left sole outward.
This is called turn body and kick with left sole.
Bring in the left foot, step out left, shoulders width,
then shift forward, brush the left knee, push right palm forward.
Keeping the back straight, sit back on the right leg,
turn your waist left, turning out the left foot, blocking with the right hand.
Shift forward slowly, block down with the right hand,
bring left hand to your ear as you step right with the right heel.
Touch the heel down and get the shoulders width, getting ready for another bow stance.
Now slowly shift forward, bring right knee over the toe,
turn the waist, turn left foot 45 degrees, and push left palm forward,
brushing your right knee with your right hand.
Remember to hold a good bow stance.
Right foot straight ahead, left foot 45 degrees,
shoulders width between your feet, right knee over your toes.
Sink your torso as if sitting in a chair.
Now sit back on your left foot, turn the waist, block your left hand across your face,
shift forward blocking down with your left hand,
step forward with your left foot, again getting shoulders width,
and form a fist with your right hand against your right hip.
The next movement is called the low punch.
Here we shift forward, brush the knee again, come to a left bow stance,
lean forward and punch low.
Your left hand is outside your left knee, your hips and shoulders are squared straight ahead,
and your right punching forearm is parallel to your left thigh.
It's important here to keep your tailbone pointed downward.
That's your root once again.
Breathe, relax your abdominal muscles.
Now sit back, release the punch, sit back on the right foot,
turn out your left foot 45 degrees, shift forward weight to your left,
hold the ball on the left side of your body.
Now slowly step through with your right foot.
Get your shoulders width again, touch your right heel downward,
shift forward to ward off right.
So there we've just done four consecutive bow stances.
We've done brush knee twice, a low punch, and now ward off right.
From ward off right we do another repetition of grass the bird's tail.
That is the roll back, let's flow,
relax,
and the push.
Next we do another single whip.
Shift and turn left, turning right toes in towards your left foot,
keeping your hands at shoulders width.
Sit back on your right foot, get the hook, left hand to the right hip,
underneath your hook, slowly turn the waist, pivot on the left toe,
put your hook out to the corner, look left, step wide left,
and then shift into single whip.
From the single whip we now do a series of movements called Fair Ladies Works the Shuttles.
This is a four part movement, that is four postures each facing a 45 degree corner.
Begin by shifting and turning to the right, turning in your left toes,
bringing left hand to your right elbow.
Then sit back on your left foot, release the right hook, pivot on your right toes,
and sink all your weight in your left leg.
Step to the right with your right heel, point the toe outward,
shift your weight forward and center on your right leg.
Next step forward to the corner 45 degrees, touch the heel down.
Again keep shoulders width in anticipation for your next bow stance.
Slowly on the exhale we shift forward, turning the waist, wiping left hand up our right forearm,
blocking up with the left hand, pushing out with the right palm.
We reach the spinal hand position as our hips square to the corner.
In Fair Ladies Works the Shuttle, the upper blocking hand is at forehead level, like so.
The right pushing hand has the fingertips at chin level, like so.
The right pushing hand extends further beyond the left upward blocking hand.
Make sure you're seated comfortably, firmly in your left bow stance.
Step knee over the toes, back straight, breathing deep and relaxed.
It's important here to keep your back straight,
because in this move particularly if your back is not straight it really shows.
Now shift and turn to the right, comfortably turn your palms inward as if rolling back.
When you turn pull your left toes in towards your right foot as far as they will go.
Then sit back on your left foot and you can pivot on your right toes, sinking all your weight on the left.
You're cradling a ball, left forearm is vertical, and your right fingertips point to your left elbow.
When you're rooted in your left leg, pick up the right foot and step out towards the right corner.
Touch the heel down, keep your hips open, weight in the left leg, then shift forward,
turn the waist, turn left foot towards the normal, block up right, push left.
This is the second Fair Lady Works the Shuttle.
The name of this posture, Fair Lady Works the Shuttles, imparts a sense of softness and subtlety.
Tai Chi as an art uses softness and subtle natural movement to release and issue tremendous energy.
At this point in our practice, I'm sure you can feel some of this energy being mobilized in your body.
Let's move on now to the third Fair Lady Works the Shuttle posture.
Sit back on your left leg, rolling the palms inward, holding the ball.
Move your right foot towards the normal, put your right heel down.
Shift your weight forward, bring weight to your right leg, then step out left 45 degrees, getting a shoulder's width.
Now shift forward, turn the waist, block up with left hand, push right palm outward by turning the waist.
This is the third Fair Lady Works the Shuttle.
Now on to the fourth.
Shift and turn to the right, pull the left toes in towards the right foot.
Slowly sit back on the left leg, pivot on the right toes, pick up the right foot and step back to the corner 45 degrees.
Put your right heel down and now shift towards the 45 degree angle, swing up your right arm, blocking, turn the waist, push left palm forward.
This completes the sequence known as Fair Ladies Works the Shuttles.
Make sure on each of these postures facing the corners that you have a shoulder's width between your feet on the Bow Stance.
That is, if you were to pull your right foot back facing the corner, you should be at shoulder's width, like so.
Now back to that movement.
The fourth Fair Lady Works the Shuttle.
We next shift forward to the right leg, sink into the right hip and hold the ball.
We open our left leg, get shoulder's width, and then shift to ward off left.
The same posture that we did very early on in the form.
And after ward off left, what do we do?
Ward off right, of course.
Shift forward, get the ball, pivot on the right toes, centering on your left hip.
Step out long with your right heel and shift forward to ward off right.
Just as we did in the first third, we do another series now of Grasp the Bird's Tail.
Roll back, remember all the principles here.
Complete relaxation, separate yin and yang.
Here we press, turn the waist, keep the back straight, and beautiful lady's wrist.
After the push, we do another single whip.
Shift and turn left, float the arms across at shoulder level.
As you turn, your right toes pull inward towards your left foot.
Then sit back on your right foot, forming the hook, holding the ball, left hand by your right hip.
Turn the waist, pivot on your left toe, put your hook out to the corner, keeping right arm relaxed.
Now take a long step left with the heel, touch the heel down.
Now feel that nice stretch from your right hook to your left heel.
Now we shift forward, arc up the left arm, turn the waist, focus left palm forward and right foot 45 degrees.
Next we move into squatting single whip.
Turn the right foot back, sit back, lower the left hand, back of the left hand touches your thigh.
Squat straight down, keep your hook up at the same level, don't move it.
Then shift forward, turn out your left foot, and as you rise this time, form a left fist, bring your right fist underneath it.
Cross fist as you step through with your right toe.
This is called step forward into seven stars.
This is a T-step or sit stance where all your weight is in your left leg.
Now step back with the right foot, holding your upper body position.
Plant the toes downward, then sit back, let your arms swing downward.
At the bottom of the swing, your fists open, you turn your waist slightly to the right,
then raise the arm by turning your waist square to the left again.
Now you're on a right T-stance.
Left toe is in front of your right heel, hips and shoulders squared, left palm outside your left thigh,
your right elbow is at shoulder level, and your right forearm is vertical, angled slightly forward.
This movement is called step back and ride the tiger.
Now bring your right hand to your left side, right palm up.
Now we're going to turn and step left behind the right, plant the left foot, twist out,
turn both palms downward at about solar plexus level.
From here we do the horizontal kick, also known as the lotus kick.
We root in the left leg, circle the hip, knee, and right foot,
bring the foot in, and hold the ball.
Now we step right 45 degrees, touch the heel down,
and now shift forward into a bow stance, swing a ball in front of your right knee,
turn the left foot in, let your arm swing upward to the right, back over to the left, forming fifths,
and hold a double punch 90 degrees from the direction that your right bow stance is in.
This posture is called shoot tiger with bow.
Your right fist is outside your right temple, your left elbow is outside your left ribs,
and both fists are punching this way 45 degrees.
Make sure your back is straight and you're seated low in your bow stance.
Coming now down the home stretch of this form, we now shift forward,
weight to the right leg, extend the left palm upward, right fist by the left elbow.
Then we plant the left foot behind us, roll back, swing down the fist by turning the waist,
centering on the left foot, bringing in the right foot, step out again with the right heel,
then shift into another intercept and punch, step up left, right fist by your right hip,
left hand guarding your center line, then shift forward, square the hips, and punch to the body.
Open the fist, extend to the left corner, open left palm behind the right elbow,
sit back, turn the waist, wipe off, hands separate, palms forward, and push.
Now we shift and turn to the right, spreading our arms out to shoulder level.
As the hands come down past the shoulders, shift back left, pivot on the right toes,
step back with the right foot, then double weight to the wu chi position,
and cross hands in front of the chest.
Now slowly stand up, lowering your hands to your side.
Coordinate this so that your hands come to your side right when your legs straighten.
We formally close the yang short form by shifting to the left leg,
turning our right toes outward about 10 degrees, pivoting on the heel,
and now shift to the right leg, and bring in your left heel to the right heel.
Center your weight and now stand up.
Now that we've learned the structure of the form, that is each posture,
we can now put these different postures together into one fluid flow.
That is the traditional method in teaching tai chi form.
First we learn structure, and then we learn flow.
As we flow through the form, do not worry too much about particular details of each posture.
Concentrate rather on doing all movements as one total movement.
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