108 form Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Encyclopedia
The different slow motion solo form training sequences of T'ai Chi Ch'uan are the best known manifestation of T'ai Chi for the general public. In English
, they are usually called the hand form or just the form; in Mandarin it is usually called ch'uan: 拳 (in Wade-Giles
romanization
: ch'üan², in the pinyin
system: quán). They are performed slowly by beginners and are said to promote concentration, condition the body and acquaint students with the inventory of motion techniques for more advanced styles of martial arts
training. There are also solo weapon
s forms, as well as much shorter and repetitive sequences to train power generation leverages as a form of ch'i kung
. The various forms of Wu style pushing hands
have their own one person drill routines, as well, which fulfil some of the same functions as the power generation drills.
's Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Different schools will use different translations. Notably, the family's Shanghai
branch has a different enumeration scheme, numbering the same "long form" routine sequence with 89 posture names instead of 108. Almost all of the individual posture names are the same, however.
postures of the Wu family style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan are listed below. For each unique form name there is a literal translation, the Hong Kong school's translation and then the Shanghai school's translation in italics where they differ, followed by the original Chinese characters:
1. Begin T'ai Chi Form - The Beginning of T'ai Chi - The Preparation Form 太極起式
2. Raise Hands Above Posture - Raise Hands - Raise Hand and Step Up 提手上勢
3. Hand Plays P'i P'a
- Play Guitar - Hand Strums the Lute 手揮琵琶
4. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
5. Single Whip
單鞭
6. Slant Flying Posture
(also known as Slant Single Whip) - Flying Oblique 斜飛勢 (斜單鞭)
7. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
8. White Crane Spreads Wing
s - White Stork Flaps its Wings 白鶴亮翅
9. Brush Knee
Push Step Left and Right 4 Times - Brush Knee Twist Step 摟膝拗步左右四度
10. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
11. Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, Punch
- Step Up Diverting and Blocking Fist 進步搬攔捶
12. As If Seemingly Sealed Shut (also known as Push Forward) - As if Closing Up 如封似閉 (進按)
13. Carry Tiger
to the Mountain
- Tiger and Leopard Spring to the Mountain 抱虎歸山
14. Cross Hand
s 十字手
15. Slant Brush Knee Push Step 斜摟膝拗步
16. Turn Body
Brush Knee Push Step 轉身摟膝拗步
17. Grasp Bird
's Tail 攬雀尾
18. Single Whip (also known as Slant Single Whip) 單鞭 (斜單鞭)
19. Fist Under Elbow Punch 肘底看捶
20. Fall to Repulse Monkey
Left and Right 3 Times 倒攆猴左右三度
21. Slant Flying Posture 斜飛勢
22. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
23. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅
24. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
25. Sea Bottom Needle - Needle at Sea Bottom - Needle at the Bottom of the Sea 海底針
26. Fan Through Back - Play Arms like a Fan 扇通背
27. Rotate Body Away Body Punch - Strike Fist to Back - Parry and Punch 翻身撇身捶
28. Step Back, Deflect, Parry, Punch - Move Step Diverting and Blocking Punch 退步搬攔捶
29. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
30. Single Whip 單鞭
31. Cloud
Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
32. Single Whip 單鞭
33. Left High Pat Horse
左高探馬
34. Right Separate Foot
Kick
- Right Parting Leg 右分腳
35. Right High Pat Horse 右高探馬
36. Left Separate Foot Kick - Left Parting Leg 左分腳
37. Turn Body Kick with Heel
- Turn Body Pedalling Foot 轉身蹬腿
38. Brush Knee Push Step Twice 摟膝拗步二度
39. Step Forward Punch Down 進步栽捶
40. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
41. High Pat Horse 高探馬
42. Right Separate Hands 右分手
43. First Raise Foot Kick 一起腳
44. Step Back Seven Star
s 退步七星
45. Step Back Hit Tiger Posture - Retreat Step Beat the Tiger 退步打虎勢
46. Second Raise Foot Kick 二起腳
47. Double Peaks Pierce Ear
s - Strike the Ears with Double Fists 雙峰貫耳
48. Lean Back Kick with Toe
- Open Body and Kick 披身踢腿
49. Turn Body Kick with Heel 轉身蹬腿
50. High Pat Horse 高探馬
51. Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, Punch 進步搬攔捶
52. As If Seemingly Sealed Shut (also known as Push Forward) 如封似閉 (進按)
53. Carry Tiger to the Mountain 抱虎歸山
54. Cross Hands 十字手
55. Slant Brush Knee Push Step 斜摟膝拗步
56. Turn Body Brush Knee Push Step 轉身摟膝拗步
57. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
58. Single Whip (also known as Slant Single Whip) 單鞭 (斜單鞭)
59. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
60. Wild Horse Separate Mane - Parting the Wild Horse's Mane 野馬分鬃
61. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
62. Wild Horse Separate Mane 3 Times 野馬分鬃三度
63. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
64. Wild Horse Separate Mane 野馬分鬃
65. Jade Lady Works Shuttles Twice - Jade Girl Works at the Shuttle 玉女穿梭二度
66. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
67. Wild Horse Separate Mane 野馬分鬃
68. Jade Lady Works Shuttles Twice - Jade Girl Works at the Shuttle 玉女穿梭二度
69. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
70. Single Whip 單鞭
71. Cloud Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
72. Single Whip 單鞭
73. Downward Posture (also known as Snake
Creeps Down Posture) 下勢 (蛇身下勢)
74. Left Golden Rooster
on One Leg
- Golden Cockerel Standing on One Leg 左金雞獨立
75. Right Golden Rooster on One Leg 右金雞獨立
76. Fall to Repulse Monkey Left and Right 3 Times 倒攆猴左右三度
77. Cross Slant Flying Posture 橫斜飛勢
78. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
79. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅
80. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
81. Sea Bottom Needle 海底針
82. Fan Through Back 扇通背
83. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
84. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch 上步搬攔捶
85. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
86. Single Whip 單鞭
87. Cloud Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
88. Single Whip 單鞭
89. High Pat Horse 高探馬
90. Slap Face
Palm - Palm Goes to Meet the Face 撲面掌
91. Rotate Body Single Swing Lotus
- Turn Body Cross Swing Lotus 翻身單擺蓮
92. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
93. Step Up Finger Stop Punch - Pointing to the Crotch Punch 上步指擋捶
94. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
95. Single Whip 單鞭
96. Downward Posture (also known as Snake Creeps Down Posture) 下勢 (蛇身下勢 )
97. Step Up Seven Stars 上步七星
98. Step Back Ride Tiger 退步跨虎
99. Turn Body Slap Face Palm - Turn Body Hit Face Palm 轉身撲面掌
100. Rotate Body Double Swing Lotus - Turn Body Double Swing Lotus 翻身雙擺蓮
101. Bend Bow
Shoot Tiger - Curve Bow Shoot Tiger 彎弓射虎
102. High Pat Horse 高探馬
103. Slap Face Palm 撲面掌
104. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
105. Step Up High Pat Horse 上步高探馬
106. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
107. Single Whip 單鞭
108. Conclusion of T'ai Chi - Closing T'ai Chi 合太極
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, they are usually called the hand form or just the form; in Mandarin it is usually called ch'uan: 拳 (in Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
: ch'üan², in the pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
system: quán). They are performed slowly by beginners and are said to promote concentration, condition the body and acquaint students with the inventory of motion techniques for more advanced styles of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
training. There are also solo weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s forms, as well as much shorter and repetitive sequences to train power generation leverages as a form of ch'i kung
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
. The various forms of Wu style pushing hands
Pushing hands
Pushing hands, , is a name for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, T'ai chi ch'uan , Liuhebafa, Quan Fa, Yiquan.-Overview:...
have their own one person drill routines, as well, which fulfil some of the same functions as the power generation drills.
Differences between schools
The following list is an English translation from Chinese of the empty hand or fist form list published in Wu Kung-tsaoWu Kung-tsao
Wu Kung-tsao was a famous Chinese teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Hong Kong. The second son of Wu Chien-ch'üan, he was the grandson of the first teacher of Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Wu Ch'uan-yü. Wu Kung-tsao was the younger brother of Wu Kung-i and the...
's Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Different schools will use different translations. Notably, the family's Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
branch has a different enumeration scheme, numbering the same "long form" routine sequence with 89 posture names instead of 108. Almost all of the individual posture names are the same, however.
Wu style form list
The 108108 (number)
108 is the natural number following 107 and preceding 109.- In mathematics :One hundred [and] eight is an abundant number and a semiperfect number...
postures of the Wu family style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan are listed below. For each unique form name there is a literal translation, the Hong Kong school's translation and then the Shanghai school's translation in italics where they differ, followed by the original Chinese characters:
1. Begin T'ai Chi Form - The Beginning of T'ai Chi - The Preparation Form 太極起式
2. Raise Hands Above Posture - Raise Hands - Raise Hand and Step Up 提手上勢
3. Hand Plays P'i P'a
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...
- Play Guitar - Hand Strums the Lute 手揮琵琶
4. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
5. Single Whip
Single Whip
Single Whip is a common posture found in most forms of t'ai chi ch'uan. Typically at the end of the posture the left hand is in a palm outward push and the right hand held most commonly in the form of a hook or closed fist...
單鞭
6. Slant Flying Posture
Human position
Human positions refers to the different positions that the human body can take.There are several synonyms that refer to the human position, often used interchangeably, but having specific flavors....
(also known as Slant Single Whip) - Flying Oblique 斜飛勢 (斜單鞭)
7. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
8. White Crane Spreads Wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s - White Stork Flaps its Wings 白鶴亮翅
9. Brush Knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
Push Step Left and Right 4 Times - Brush Knee Twist Step 摟膝拗步左右四度
10. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
11. Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, Punch
Punch (strike)
A punch is a striking blow with the fist. It is the most commonly used attack in hand to hand combat. It is used in some martial arts and combat sports, most notably boxing where it is the only type of technique allowed...
- Step Up Diverting and Blocking Fist 進步搬攔捶
12. As If Seemingly Sealed Shut (also known as Push Forward) - As if Closing Up 如封似閉 (進按)
13. Carry Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
to the Mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
- Tiger and Leopard Spring to the Mountain 抱虎歸山
14. Cross Hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s 十字手
15. Slant Brush Knee Push Step 斜摟膝拗步
16. Turn Body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
Brush Knee Push Step 轉身摟膝拗步
17. Grasp Bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
's Tail 攬雀尾
18. Single Whip (also known as Slant Single Whip) 單鞭 (斜單鞭)
19. Fist Under Elbow Punch 肘底看捶
20. Fall to Repulse Monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
Left and Right 3 Times 倒攆猴左右三度
21. Slant Flying Posture 斜飛勢
22. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
23. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅
24. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
25. Sea Bottom Needle - Needle at Sea Bottom - Needle at the Bottom of the Sea 海底針
26. Fan Through Back - Play Arms like a Fan 扇通背
27. Rotate Body Away Body Punch - Strike Fist to Back - Parry and Punch 翻身撇身捶
28. Step Back, Deflect, Parry, Punch - Move Step Diverting and Blocking Punch 退步搬攔捶
29. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
30. Single Whip 單鞭
31. Cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
32. Single Whip 單鞭
33. Left High Pat Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
左高探馬
34. Right Separate Foot
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
Kick
Kick
In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...
- Right Parting Leg 右分腳
35. Right High Pat Horse 右高探馬
36. Left Separate Foot Kick - Left Parting Leg 左分腳
37. Turn Body Kick with Heel
Heel
In human anatomy, the heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.- Human anatomy :...
- Turn Body Pedalling Foot 轉身蹬腿
38. Brush Knee Push Step Twice 摟膝拗步二度
39. Step Forward Punch Down 進步栽捶
40. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
41. High Pat Horse 高探馬
42. Right Separate Hands 右分手
43. First Raise Foot Kick 一起腳
44. Step Back Seven Star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s 退步七星
45. Step Back Hit Tiger Posture - Retreat Step Beat the Tiger 退步打虎勢
46. Second Raise Foot Kick 二起腳
47. Double Peaks Pierce Ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
s - Strike the Ears with Double Fists 雙峰貫耳
48. Lean Back Kick with Toe
Toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being digitigrade. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being plantigrade; unguligrade animals are those that walk on hooves at the tips of...
- Open Body and Kick 披身踢腿
49. Turn Body Kick with Heel 轉身蹬腿
50. High Pat Horse 高探馬
51. Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, Punch 進步搬攔捶
52. As If Seemingly Sealed Shut (also known as Push Forward) 如封似閉 (進按)
53. Carry Tiger to the Mountain 抱虎歸山
54. Cross Hands 十字手
55. Slant Brush Knee Push Step 斜摟膝拗步
56. Turn Body Brush Knee Push Step 轉身摟膝拗步
57. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
58. Single Whip (also known as Slant Single Whip) 單鞭 (斜單鞭)
59. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
60. Wild Horse Separate Mane - Parting the Wild Horse's Mane 野馬分鬃
61. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
62. Wild Horse Separate Mane 3 Times 野馬分鬃三度
63. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
64. Wild Horse Separate Mane 野馬分鬃
65. Jade Lady Works Shuttles Twice - Jade Girl Works at the Shuttle 玉女穿梭二度
66. Hand Plays P'i P'a 手揮琵琶
67. Wild Horse Separate Mane 野馬分鬃
68. Jade Lady Works Shuttles Twice - Jade Girl Works at the Shuttle 玉女穿梭二度
69. Grasp Bird's Tail 攬雀尾
70. Single Whip 單鞭
71. Cloud Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
72. Single Whip 單鞭
73. Downward Posture (also known as Snake
Snake Kung Fu
There are several Chinese martial arts known as Snake Boxing or Fanged Snake Style which imitate the movements of snakes. It is a style of Shaolin Boxing. Proponents claim that adopting the fluidity of snakes allows them to entwine with their opponents in defense and strike them from angles they...
Creeps Down Posture) 下勢 (蛇身下勢)
74. Left Golden Rooster
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
on One Leg
Leg
Łęg may refer to the following places in Poland:*A former name for the town of Ełk *Part of the Czyżyny district of Kraków*Łęg, Pleszew County in Greater Poland Voivodeship...
- Golden Cockerel Standing on One Leg 左金雞獨立
75. Right Golden Rooster on One Leg 右金雞獨立
76. Fall to Repulse Monkey Left and Right 3 Times 倒攆猴左右三度
77. Cross Slant Flying Posture 橫斜飛勢
78. Raise Hands Above Posture 提手上勢
79. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅
80. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
81. Sea Bottom Needle 海底針
82. Fan Through Back 扇通背
83. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
84. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch 上步搬攔捶
85. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
86. Single Whip 單鞭
87. Cloud Hands (3 Times) 雲手 (三度)
88. Single Whip 單鞭
89. High Pat Horse 高探馬
90. Slap Face
Face
The face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can, depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, temple, teeth, skin, and...
Palm - Palm Goes to Meet the Face 撲面掌
91. Rotate Body Single Swing Lotus
Lotus kick
The lotus kick is also known as jump outside, outside spinkick, Wai Xuan Feng Tui, or Teng kong bai lian. This is a very popular jump in Wushu kung fu martial arts. The kick begins by launching off from the right leg into a 360° clockwise rotation that includes an outward snapkick in the air. The...
- Turn Body Cross Swing Lotus 翻身單擺蓮
92. Brush Knee Push Step 摟膝拗步
93. Step Up Finger Stop Punch - Pointing to the Crotch Punch 上步指擋捶
94. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
95. Single Whip 單鞭
96. Downward Posture (also known as Snake Creeps Down Posture) 下勢 (蛇身下勢 )
97. Step Up Seven Stars 上步七星
98. Step Back Ride Tiger 退步跨虎
99. Turn Body Slap Face Palm - Turn Body Hit Face Palm 轉身撲面掌
100. Rotate Body Double Swing Lotus - Turn Body Double Swing Lotus 翻身雙擺蓮
101. Bend Bow
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
Shoot Tiger - Curve Bow Shoot Tiger 彎弓射虎
102. High Pat Horse 高探馬
103. Slap Face Palm 撲面掌
104. Rotate Body Away Body Punch 翻身撇身捶
105. Step Up High Pat Horse 上步高探馬
106. Step Up Grasp Bird's Tail 上步攬雀尾
107. Single Whip 單鞭
108. Conclusion of T'ai Chi - Closing T'ai Chi 合太極