Hand Forms
The hand forms are normally learned in the order Square Form, Round Form, Mirror Form and Reverse Form.
- Long Form
- Short Form*
- Advanced Short Form*
Weapon Forms
Weapon forms are also learned and performed as Mirror Form.
- Sabre Form – Xuan Xuan Do (太極玄玄刀)
- Sword Form – Qian Kun Jian (太極乾坤劍)
- Spear Form – 13 Techniques Spear (太極十三勢搶)
- Two Man Weapons Forms – (兩人對武器順序)*
Applications
San Sau (散手) self-defense applications are divided into the following subdivisions
- Die Pu (跌撲)
to make the opponent fall and then hit him (or hit him so that he falls) - Shuai Jiao (摔角)
grappling techniques including throwing, sweeping and tripping - Qin Na (擒拿)
seizing and holding, including locking and grip strike techniques - Dim Mak (Dian Xue) (點穴)
48 San Sau Applications – 四十八散手
- 七星勢 – seven stars style
- 攬雀尾 – grasping bird’s tail
- 單鞭 – single whip
- 斜飛勢 – flying oblique high and low
- 提手上勢 – raise hands and step up
- 白鶴涼翅 – white crane flaps its wings
- 摟膝拗步 – brush knee twist step
- 手揮琵琶 – stroke the lute
- 搬攔捶 – parry, deflect and punch
- 如封似閉 – as if shutting a door
- 抱虎歸山 – embrace tiger, return to mountain
- 十字手 – cross hands
- 肘底看捶 – fist under elbow
- 倒攆猴 – step back repulse monkey
- 海底針 – needle at sea bottom
- 扇通背 – fan through the back
- 撇身捶 – swing fist
- 雲手 – cloud hands
- 高探馬 – pat the horse high
- 左右披身 – drape body to left and right
- 左右分腳 – separate legs left and right
- 轉身蹬腳 – turn body and kick
- 進步栽捶 – step forward punch down
- 翻身撇身捶 – turn body and swing fist
- 卸步七星 – step back seven stars
- 打虎勢 – to beat the tiger
- 披身踢腳 – twist the body and kick
- 雙峰貫耳 – box the ears
- 野馬分鬃 – parting wild horse’s mane
- 玉女穿梭 – fair lady works shuttle
- 蛇身下勢 – snake creeps down (low style)
- 金雞獨立 – golden cockerel stands on 1 leg
- 撲面掌 – slap the face
- 擺蓮腿 – single hand sweep lotus leg
- 指擋捶 – punch the groin
- 退步跨虎 – step back to ride the tiger
- 雙擺蓮腿 – double hand sweep lotus leg
- 彎弓射虎 – draw the bow to shoot the tiger
- 雙抽腿 – double seizing legs
- 折臂式 – break arm style
- 迴旋手 – gyrating arms
- 虎抱頭 – tiger embraces head
- 白蛇吐信 – white snake spits out tongue
- 先鋒臂 – vanguard arms
- 飛花掌 – flying flower palm
- 五行肘 – 5 element arm
- 奔雷手 – running thunder hand
- 單抽腿 – single seizing leg
Note that techniques that the following pairs of techniques are very similar: 17 (swing fist) and 24 (turn body and swing fist), 1 (seven stars) and 25 (step back seven stars), 39 (double seizing legs) and 48 (single seizing leg).
However there are 6 distinct techniques in the form that are not named as applications in the above list, these are:
- 太極起式 beginning style
- 太極收式 completion style
- 分手 separate hands
- 出手 extend hands
- 上步七星 step up seven stars
- 擺肘逼門 use the forearm [zhou] to force the door
Weapon Applications
Applications are taught for each weapon, but do not form part of the core syllabus and are not listed here.
Nei Gong (內功)
Comprising 12 Yin (十二陰內功) and 12 Yang (十二陽內功) Exercises
Qi Gong (氣功)
‧ Immortal Family Eight Pieces of Brocade (仙家八段錦)*
Pushing Hands – 推手
Training in understanding jin (勁) – force. This includes 13 tactics (十三勢) which comprises the 8 forces (八勁) and 5 steps (五步), ting jin (聽勁) – listening for jin, hua jin (化勁) – using jin to redirect the opponents jin and fa jin (發勁) – discharging jin.
fixed step – 定步
- 4 Directions (四正推手) – Peng, Lu, Ji, An (掤,(手履),擠,按)
- Zhou Lu (肘履推手)
- Fu Yang (俯仰推手) – bow down, look up
- Reeling Silk (纏絲推手)
moving step – 活步
- Da Lu (大履步) – big diversion – Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao (採,(手列),肘,靠)
- 9 Palace Step (九宮步推手)
- 7 Stars Step (七星步推手)
- Gather the Wave (採浪推手)
Auxiliary Exercises*
- single hand pushing hands (單推手)
- push absorbtion training
- fixed step pushing hands (自由定步推手)
- restricted step pushing hands (自由限步推手)
- moving step pushing hands (自由活步推手)
Six Secret Words (六秘密字)
These words represent practical fighting concepts.
Note
Items marked * are taught, but do not form part of the core syllabus