This month’s newsletter is a little late. That is not unusual, is it? I do hope that it is as Mark says it is, and that our loyal band of subscribers are quite used to that! It is late this time for two reasons; both connected with our distance learning packages. All in all it is good news. The fact that we have to do what we need to do right now means that we have passed important landmarks in our development as a provider of Tai Chi and Tai Chi Ruler distance learning packages.

First, we nearly sold completely out of our simple and beautiful Tai Chi Rulers. That is all back under control now and the lathe turns even as I speak! Please go to http://www.wheelswithinwheels.net/taichidoshop/rulerdvd.htm for more details.

Our second landmark is that we are about to go to reprint with a version 2 of The Yang Long Form 'step-by-step' booklet included with our tipple DVD package on that form.

Over the years (about a decade!) an awful lot of work has gone into this magnum opus which not only describes every step but also every rotation of the wrists and movements of the arms, torso and legs. It has been a daunting task to undertake but I really do believe that with this most recent revision is about as good as it is going to get.

Doing the booklet in the first place was quite a daring and/or controversial thing to do. In the old days, before the practice of Tai Chi became 'westernised' it was urged that the movements of the Form be not written down at all ... i.e. never! To simply and silently copy a master was considered the only proper way to learn and teach Tai Chi. Basically it - the practice and 'mastery' of Tai Chi Form is an EXPERIENTIAL endeavour. Mark and I discussed the whole issue in detail before going ahead with the booklet and decided that as we had already, quite a few years earlier, published the complete Yang Long Form in video - with text instructions - online as the Taichido Net Guide anyway; we would go ahead. I guess that conditional to this was the fact that the process of the 'westernisation' of Tai Chi had already begun and sooner or later someone was going to be writing the whole Form down and (here I might overstep a mark a little into arrogance) I really did think that I could make as good a job of it as anyone else! I do not say such only out of arrogance. I would also cite the rather unique experience I had by then had - in teaching and writing in a certain way ... about the teaching and the learning of Tai Chi.

But enough of that trumpet blowing! There follows hard evidence of just how bad ... badly described Tai Chi could be!

In a recent email I was asked: Do you know what this form is called? I am trying to research the movements so I can practice at home.

It goes on (For clarity, some capitals and punctuation added. GR):
Breeze from the left bring both arms up and down slightly and move right foot. Bring both our arms up and over a barrel, both arms round in a circle. One arm stays up and the other continues to protect groin. Grasp swallows tail. Turn holding a small ball. Turn wrists over and sweep back to left hip; hard part of left hand on right wrist. Push forward and roll over hand and part close the door, left hand at right elbow with right hand drooping. Swing round to the left bringing hands round. Make a hook with right hand while left hand touches right elbow.

What do I think that is?! It is probably the Yang Short (and maybe shorten more!) Form - but that description above describes only a few isolated postures that are just a fraction of any true Form; and there is nowhere near enough detail to make any proper derivation. Technically, the main thing that differentiates one Form from another is the weight distribution. With Cheng man Ching's interpretation of the Yang Form it is, in general 70/30. With other Forms it is 'form' to assume 80/20 ... others more or less - one way or another. No mention of weight distribution is made in the description above.

"Breeze from the left bring both arms up and down slightly and move right foot."
My comments: I guess this describes some kind of (call it what you want) Attention to Preparation and - most important - a Beginning sequence.

The "Beginning" posture/movement is MOST IMPORTANT. On our taichido.com Net Guide http://www.soton.ac.uk/~maa1/chi/netguide/formsha1.htm I say:

1. PREPARATION / BEGINNING: 1. Stand erect, face (N), feet together. 2. Move the left foot to shoulder-width apart and equalize your body weight. 3. Both arms hang naturally by your sides (palms face the thighs). 4. Turn both palms to face backward (S). 5. Raise both arms to shoulder height, keeping them shoulder-width apart (palms downward - fingers pointing forward). 6. Bend the elbows slightly and move the hands inward toward each shoulder and then lower the arms to the front of the thighs (both palms downward and fingers pointing N). 7. Bend the knees slightly when you lower the arms.

Next: "Grasp swallows (or sparrow, or simply bird) Tail" i.e.: "Bring both our arms up and over a barrel, both arms round in a circle. One arm stays up and the other continues to protect groin. Grasp swallows (or sparrows, or simply birds) tail."

On our taichido.com Net Guide http://www.soton.ac.uk/~maa1/chi/netguide/formsha1.htm I say:
2. GRASP SPARROWS TAIL - WARD OFF LEFT: 1. Shift your body weight into the left leg. Turn the right foot (pivot on the heel) until the right toes point (E). 2. Raise the right hand (palm down) to the right shoulder. 3. Scoop the left hand (palm up) in a curve to the right side of the body, and stop underneath the right hand - hold a large ball vertically on your right hip. 4. Shift your body weight into the right leg and the left foot comes up onto its toes. 5. Step (N) with the left foot and shift 70% of your body weight into the left leg. 6. Raise the left arm in a curve to shoulder level, left palm is almost horizontal and the left wrist is centreline to the body. 7. Move the right hand forward horizontally to brush across the left hand (one inch apart) The right arm (palm down) falls in a curve coming to rest beside the right thigh.

In my book (sic) there is then supposed to be a "Grasp the Sparrows Tail - Right. This again is "Form". With beginning one first connect up and down and the, with Grasp the Sparrows Tail left the right, one connects diagonally up and down - and from right foot to left hand and the opposite. The other description here omits that altogether. It goes on then to "Ward Off". I say above that this might be the Short (or even shorted) Form - because here again there seems to be two postures missing. Whatever! For now I will restrict myself to commenting upon only those postures mentioned. Please go to the Taichido Net Guide to fill those spaces yourself. So now I add below my description of Grasp the Sparrows Tail - Right, if only because without it the player is already facing the wrong direction! Some might say that direction is not important. They are wrong. If Tai Chi is not 'about' spatial awareness - and your position within time and space ... then I don't know what it is about.

5. GRASP SPARROWS TAIL - PRESS: 1. Pivot on the right heel and turn the upper body counter clockwise to face (NW), sink slightly through the knees. 2. Pivot on the left heel (toes point NW) and begin to raise the left arm diagonally across the chest until shoulder height, and turn the left palm outward. 3. Keep the right hand at shoulder height and turn the right palm outward. 4. Shift 70% of your body weight into the left leg and push both hands toward (NW) at shoulder height. 5. Bring the right toes closer to the left heel and turn both palms to face each other (hold a large ball horizontally in front of your chest). 6. Turn the right knee to the (E) and pivot on the right toes, step with the right foot to the (E) and shift 70% of your body weight into the right leg. 7. Move the palm of the left hand toward the lower right forearm and lightly touch the right wrist. 8. Press the left palm forward and slightly upward by the strength in the rear leg.

There follows (omitting two postures) : "Ward-Off". that other description says:
"turn holding a small ball turn wrists over and sweep back to left hip hard part of left hand on right wrist push forward and roll over hand and part close the door. Turn wrists over and sweep back to left hip; hard part of left hand on right wrist. Push forward and roll over hand and part close the door, left hand at right elbow with right hand drooping."

In our Net Guide; effectively I say:
5. Bring the right toes closer to the left heel and turn both palms to face each other (hold a large ball horizontally in front of your chest). 6. Turn the right knee to the (E) and pivot on the right toes, step with the right foot to the (E) and shift 70% of your body weight into the right leg. 7. Move the palm of the left hand toward the lower right forearm and lightly touch the right wrist. 8. Press the left palm forward and slightly upward by the strength in the rear leg. This prepares you for:

6. WARD-OFF. 1. Slide the left hand over the back of the right hand. Separate your hands by stretching the arms forward in front of the shoulders (palms down, fingers pointing E). 2. Shift your body weight into the left leg. 3. Raise both arms (shoulder width) and circle backward to chest level (keep elbows close to the body). 4. Shift 70'-. of your body weight forward into the right leg. 5. Push forward and slightly diagonally upward with the arms. The arms remain at shoulder width and are kept slightly bent. Palms remain facing forward and the fingers pointing upward.
That other description then goes on to describe the key posture of "Single Whip" as:
"Left hand at right elbow with right hand drooping, swing round to the left bringing hands round make a hook with right hand while left hand touches right elbow."

I say:
7. SINGLE WHIP: 1. Shift your body weight into the left leg and turn the right heel so that the right toes point (N). 2. Both arms remain parallel at shoulder height (elbows slightly bent and palms down). Turn the upper body (NW) as far as possible. 3. Extend all finger tips (NW) with both palms facing each other. 4. Shift your body weight into the right leg. 5. Move the left toes toward, and slightly behind, the right heel. 6. Withdraw both hands to the right side of the body. The right hand forms a hook (fingers pinched together) at shoulder height (elbow below the wrist level), the left arm falls in a curve (palm up) to the right hip. 7. Turn the upper body to face (NE). 8. Extend the right hook (shoulder height) to (NE). 9. Raise the left hand to the right shoulder (palm facing the shoulder). 10. Turn the upper body to face (W) by pivoting on the left toes. 11. Move the left hand to the left shoulder, continue pushing outward with your left hand inward) at chest level and parallel to the body turn. 12. Step (W) with the left foot and shift 70% of body weight into the left leg. 13. Turn the left palm outward (away from your body) you extend the left arm (W) . The eyes look out over fingers. 14. Keep the right hand (hook) slightly behind a point at ear level height.

As you see above, I use more than 13 sentences to describe that one move/posture whereas the other description uses as many to describe six or seven 'complete' postures ... and links! I really do not say so much only because I enjoy covering a page with ink but because I feel that anything less is at best pointless and at worse an unforgivable dumbing-down of a sophisticated art form with intrinsic, tried and tested, holistic health benefits.

My point? The westernising of Tai Chi need not be the dumbing-down of it; and it (in my opinion) it really does not need shortening to anything less than what the Chinese (government?!) did long ago. We have the right to use our own more modern teaching or learning techniques and indeed, it is not so unusual to see the Form written down these days. But please, just because it is easier to write in a simple abbreviated manner, let us not drag this beautiful Art Form down to a level where it is just waiving the arms around and occasionally standing on one leg.

Gary Robinson, December 2007