Short Forms

Probably the most well-known and most often studied and practiced form of taichi just happens to be a short form. The Yang 24 was developed from the original 108 form by the request of the Chinese government in 1956 in order to promote taichi as a way to promote health and wellness. The parameters were simple: keep the integrity of the original form intact, while providing the same health benefits through an easier-to-perform form that takes less time to do.

Well, the designers did shorten the form down, paring the time required to perform the form from the original 108's twenty minutes to the 24's four minutes. The new short form also managed to retain the attractive flowing Yang look of the original, having kept the graceful butterfly-like quality of the original form. The designers also made the form easier to learn and perform, but easier does not necessarily mean easy. The fact that the government later asked for a yet shorter form to be created as much as confirms that point. The Yang 16 form that was the result of that request was essentially the 24 form minus the stumbling blocks, i.e., the bits that people were still having trouble with such as anything that required standing on one leg, such as Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, or lowering oneself down to the ground, such as Snake Creeps Down. While many people have no or little problem performing those moves, for others those stances can prove such a stumbling block that they just give up. That is a danger of starting with a short form: the hard bits come too soon. You can see the obstacle-free Yang 16 performed in the video below:

As an interesting side note, there are actually two different Yang 16 forms. The first, the one requested by the national government (the one shown above), is often referred to as the Beijing 16 form. The other was created by the Yang family itself. That form is often referred to as the Yang Family 16 from.

You see, most taichi masters create a short form by cutting out redundancies. In long forms, certain moves are repeated frequently, and the first third or so of most long forms is made up almost exclusively of easier movements, most repeated two or three times. In the Hao Shaoru lineage that I focus on in this blog, before the first kick or one foot balance move comes about, there are four instances of Single Whip, five of Hand Strums Pipa, three of Lazily Tie Coat, three Raise Hands, and three Brush Knee Quick Step, along with twenty-two other non-taxing moves. In a short form, on the other hand, that first kick would come much sooner. In the Yang 24 for example, the first kick comes at Move 13, whereas the first move in the long Yang 108 form comes at move #41. 

That all said, you can see that the creation of short forms, while not without uses for those already proficient in taichi, can also have the undesired effect of making the new shorter form harder since the tougher middle section of a form ends up rearing its head much earlier. If you think about it, it is a real pity as it is so silly. Rather than giving up because you can't get past the middle part of a 24-move form, it is actually much easier to focus, develop and perfect the 40 movements that you can do of the long form before your difficulties arrive. As through that process you will have gained more familiarity with the movements of the form, build up your body more, and hopefully gained more stability on your feet, which in turn will help you to better tackle the balance and kicking moves when they come. The fact that you by that time have already essentially learned what is a 40-move short form and are ready to tackle a new addition should in itself provide a great sense of accomplishment. Ah, but more on that shortly.

Not All Short Form are Hard, but Not All Are Created Equal

As we saw in the case of the Yang 16 form, not all short forms are hard. In fact, some are, if anything, too easy, but they are usually easy for a reason. For example, short forms such as Chen Bing's Chen 10, was really created as a demo form by which to allow get a quick feel for taichi and see a bit of what it is all about. The assumption is that the student will crave more, and as that is often the case, that particular pitch seems to be pretty successful. I know for a fact that such is the case since it was viewing a performance of the Chen Zhenglei's Chen 18 form on YouTube (the actual video shown below) that got me interested in Chen taichi enough to actually make me want to take classes an hour away and attend seminars in three different cities. 

Other short forms are designed with a specific audience in mind, usually to address a particular issue or problem. A very good example is Dr. Paul Lam's Taichi for Arthritis (and Fall Prevention). To create this short form, Dr. Lam took 13 easier-to-do movements from the Sun style long form and created a unique Sun subvariant form that was, per his prescription, easier to perform yet therapeutically beneficial for sufferers of arthritis. Some other organizations and private teachers have created their own Sun-based short forms that address the particular needs of their students or classes. You can see a rather soothing example of Taichi for Arthritis here.

In case you are interested, there is also an actual Sun short 42 move form, which is quite interesting and snappy. You can have a look at it here.

Wu (Hao) Style Short Forms

So, does Wu (Hao) have any short forms? As with any style, there are some, and like most they are pretty much branch, or even, teacher specific. To the best of my knowledge, these short-forms exist to different extents in the Hao Shaoru, Li Shengduan, and Li Xunzi branches.

Hao Shaoru Branch Short Form

The only short form I know of in the Hao Shaoru branch is the 49-movement form created by Liu Jishun (劉積順) and passed on to his student in the US, Chaosun Pang. Although this form was supposedly created by Liu at the request of Hao Shaoru, some sources claim that Hao Shaoru created it himself. I find that last claim a bit hard to believe though since none of Hao Shaoru's other disciples or students do that form, and I have yet to find even one of them so much as mention it. At any rate, you can take a look at it here as performed by Liu Jishun. The Hao Shaoru style is a small-frame style, so the movements tend to be smaller and a bit more discreet, and Liu Jishun tends even further towards the minimalist end of the spectrum in his performance. His student Chaosun Pang does a clearer, more flowing, and seemingly chi-rich performance below or here (for the first part) and here (for the second part).

Personally, I am not sure I would recommend pursuing this particular short form. It is not much easier than the long form since it is of the cut repetitions variety of short form. On top of that, if you are learning on your own using available materials and online videos, then you are not going to find much to help you. I know of only the videos I've shared here and just two others by another student, and there is a demonstration on Pang Chao's DVD, but no detailed instruction. On the other hand, there are plenty of videos out there of the full 96 movement form. I should mention that Pang Chao's DVD is very nicely done, and he has a way that makes the form seem quite attractive, especially to those from the Qigong world who are less oriented towards martial styles or applications.

Finally, Yohan Radomski, a student of Hao Yinru, proposed two short forms, a beginner's 24-move form, which consists of the first twelve movements of the long form followed by a mirrored version of the same. I have never been good at mirroring (my mind just can't seem to get it naturally), so it might not be easy for some, but if nothing else, just doing the first 12 moves as a short form works quite nicely too. The proposal for the short 24 form can be found here.

Radomski also proposed an intermediate form of 59 moves that consists of the first 12 movements then jumping to movement #32 (which is the same as movement #13). By cutting out the middle section, he is essentially cutting out all the kicks and hard bits which makes this short form actually quite beginner friendly. Have a look at the illustrated guide for the proposed 59-move form here. (Please note that most of Radomski's site is in French, but the translate function in your browser does a very good job of translating). 

It is worth noting that there is nothing inherently difficult in movements 13 to 35, all of which are included in the final section 50-96, so cutting them at the beginning is essentially just an a priori thinning of the form without depriving you of any of the "good stuff." Of course, including them would make the form a 71-movement form, which would eliminate some of the additional benefits of a short form

I should add that I have tried the 59-move form mentioned above, and I quite like it. It allows you to experience a lot of the movements that are common to most other styles of Taichi while not getting you bogged down in trying to master the various kicks of the middle section. 

DIY Short Form?

That all said, I would suggest to just learn the full form from the beginning to the point that you have enough moves to satisfy you but not so many as to overwhelm you and just practice up to that point. The full 96 form can be broken into 3 sections, the first part of which would consist of movements 1-12, or Begin Taiji to Diagonal Single Whip. This short section alone is actually a very important section as it contains most of the core movements of the form and thus would make an excellent practice form on its own. Great for practicing during lunch breaks or while travelling, for example. If you're really pressed for time or space, a single-move practice, can be effective, as suggested in the Liu Jishun website. Thus, just repeating and perfecting the Lazily Tie Coat Left and Right moves would be meaningful and beneficial as well.

A very natural cut off point would be to go a bit further into the next section of the form but stop right before the more difficult middle section (i.e., kicks). Learning from movement 1 to 31 (Single Whip) would be a good short form, though I think adding steps 33 (Cloud Hands) and finishing on move 34 (Single Whip again) is a more satisfying way to go.  In fact, here is an example of one of Hao Yinru's students performing that very 1-34 sequence. 

In my own case, I think that going a few more steps and stopping immediately at the gateway to the kicks section is an even better idea. You just do the 1-34 moves I just mentioned, and then add 35 (Raise Hands, which you would already know by then), 36 (High Pat on Horse), and then finish on the rather striking and powerful-looking #37 (Subdue the Tiger Left). Study, practice, and master to some degree of comfort all of that, and you might be tempted to just move on and try the first kick or two in time. 

Short Forms from Other Wu Hao Branches

Li Shengduan Branch Short Forms

From yet another lineage beneath the Hao umbrella, is Wu Hao master Jimmy K. Wong 王國强, a sixth generation master of the 108-movemenmt Li Shengduan (李聖端) lineage. Jimmy Wong operates a school out of Dallas, TX, but also travels to teach class and seminars all over the world. He offers two actual short forms, an 8 and a 13, both of which are short sampler forms, the 13 move form being actually quite nice. He also offers 24, 32, and 38 movement forms, and while each could stand as a short form on its own, the set is really just the first three sections of the full 108 form. In other words, if you start by learning the 24 movement form, you will have learned 1/3 of the 108 long from. You can order the DVDs from his website by clicking here. If you are curious, you can click here to see a student practicing his 24 form on her rooftop in Greece.

Zhong Zhenshan Short Forms

In the Li Xunzhi 李逊之 lineage (a lineage that does not fall under the Hao family), Zhong Zhenshan (钟振山), who I mentioned in an earlier blogpost, created an interesting and relatively easy 13-movement form that takes just under 3 minutes to perform. If you're really gung-ho on learning a Wu Hao short form, this one is interesting enough and seemingly easy enough to keep you satisfied without getting bored or frustrated. Mind you, the Li Xunzhi line is a bit different from the Hao Shaoru lineage, so don't be surprised by some of the movements, especially since Zhong Zhenshan seem particularly fond of jumps, kicks, and flicks of the wrist, only the last of which he managed to keep in this form. At any rate, you can view the form below in front view and here in rear view to see if it might be of interest to you. There is also a video of him leading a group of students in Italy in the form, at least the first 2/3 of the form. You can see that here.

Zhong Zhenshan also created a 37-move form, which is more of the repetition-reducing, rather than difficulty-reducing, variety. You can take a look at Zhong Zhenshan's 37 form here.

Zhai Weichuan Short Forms

Another master in the Li Xunzhi 李逊之 lineage is Zhai Weichuan 翟维传, though unlike Zheng Zhenshan, he was originally a student of Wei Peilin 魏佩林, only studying with Yao Jizu 姚继祖 after Wei Peilin passed away at a fairly early age. Zhai Weichuan offers several different short forms, consisting of a 13, 26, and 37 move forms. His 13-move form is a very easy to do and learn form with numerous video examples online. Although it is called a 13-move form, it actually consists of 17 movements, the number 13 coming only through the wonders of selective counting, i.e., counting the left and right Lazily Typing Coat movements as one and not counting the opening or closing forms or the Raise Hand movement. The actual movements are listed below, followed by a video example of the form.

01. 起势 - Opening Form

02. 左懒扎衣 - Lazily Tie Coat (Left)

03. 右懒扎衣 - Lazily Tie Coat (Right)

04. 单鞭 - Single Whip

05. 提手上势 - Raise Hands and Step Up

06. 白鹤亮翅 - White Goose Spreads its Wings

07. 左楼膝拗步 - Brush Knee and Twist Step (Left)

08.上步搬拦捶 - Step Up, Parry, Block, and Punch

09. 如封似闭 - Apparent Closing

10. 抱虎推山 - Carry Tiger Push Mountain

11. 左野马分鬃 - Part Horse’s Mane (Left)

12. 右玉女穿梭 - Jade Lady Works the Shuttles (Left and Right

13. 云手 - Cloud Hands

14. 对心掌 - Palm Strike to Heart

15. 双峰贯耳 - Double Peaks Pierce the Ears

16. 退步双抱捶 - Step Back with Double Embracing Punch

17. 收势 - Closing Form

n example of which (a 26-move form) you can see here. There is also more information available from this website. There is also a shorter 13-movement form, which seems quite easy to do, as you can see in this video performed by his son, Zhai Shizong.

Like Zheng Zhenshan, Zhai Weichuan also has a 37-movement form, but the two are quite different. While Zheng Zhenshan's form is one of those short forms which aims to reduce redundancies while keeping as many unique and challenging elements as possible, Zhai Weichuan's form is kick-free, having been designed to make it accessible to beginners, the elderly, or anyone with physical issues that make kicks a roadblock. It is a pretty nice, logical, and easy enough to learn form all in all, and there are a few renditions online that you can learn from.

翟维传老师-武式太极拳37式  Zhai Weichuan’s Wu3 37 Short Form Movements

01.起势 - Opening Form

02.左右懒扎衣 - Lazily Tie Coat (Left & Right)

03.单鞭 - Single Whip

04.提手上势 - Raise Hands and Step Up

05.白鹤亮翅 - White Goose Spreads its Wings

06.左右楼膝拗步 - Brush Knee and Twist Step (Left and Right)

07.上步搬拦捶 - Step Up, Parry, Block, and Punch

08.如封似闭 - Apparent Closing

09.抱虎推山 - Carry Tiger Push Mountain

10.左右野马分鬃 - Part Horse’s Mane (Left and Right)

11.左右玉女穿梭 - Jade Lady Works the Shuttles (Left and Right)

12.开合式 - Opening and Closing Form

13.云手 - Cloud Hands (2x)

14.高探马 - High Pat on Horse

15.对心掌 - Palm Strike to Heart

16.手挥琵琶 - Play Pipa

17.按式 - Pressing Down

18.青龙出水 - Green Dragon Rises from Water

19.左右更鸡独立 - Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg (Left and Right)

20.左右封肘式 - Sealing Elbow Form (Left and Right)

21.左右捞月式 - Scooping the Moon (Left and Right)

22.下式 - Lower Body Stance

23.上步七星 - Step up to Seven Stars

24.退步跨虎 - Step Back to Ride the Tiger

25.伏虎式 - Subduing the Tiger Form

26.翻身懒扎衣 - Turn Body and Lazily Tie Coat

27.倒撵猴 - Repulse the Monkey

28.挒手靠打 - Split-Hand Strike and Body Check

29.棚式 - Ward Off Form

30.挤式 - Squeeze Form

31.捋式 - Roll Back Form

32.按式 - Ward Off Form

33.弯弓射虎 - Bend Bow to Shoot the Tiger

34.进步懒扎衣 - Step Forward and Lazily Tie Coat

35.双峰贯耳 - Double Peaks Pierce the Ears

36.退步双抱捶 - Step Back with Double Embracing Punch

37.收势 - Closing Form