Part

4

Learning a T’ai Chi Long Form

In This Part

Part 4 introduces the Kuang Ping Yang right style’s approximately 20-minute long form, augmented by this edition’s new Web Video Support, which provides a video exhibition of the entire form, with QiGong breathing, and video-augmenting text and graphic instruction of each individual movement in the long form. Chapter 12 helps you prepare mentally for the physical experience presented in Chapter 13. You will learn how T’ai Chi movements aid certain organs and what T’ai Chi has in common with the ancient Chinese I Ching, or The Book of Changes. Chapter 13 illustrates the 64 postures of the Kuang Ping Yang style’s forms in detailed sketches that help you analyze and study each move individually, as well as see how they flow together. The text accompanying the images further details how movements are performed.

Detailed lessons for a few of the more complicated movements taught in Chapter 13 includes Web Video Support, showing you the very first movement video, overlaid with the instructional illustrations in the book to help you better understand how the illustrated/text instructions in Chapter 13 work. The Web Video gives overviews of several styles. Excerpts from my DVD (Appendix C) bring life to the instructional methods in Chapter 13 in a big way.

Many of these forms can be seen performed in other styles of T’ai Chi as well. So the explanations of the benefits each movement provides and the T’ai Chi principles and insights explained can also benefit those practicing other forms. As you learn and practice T’ai Chi, you will constantly ask yourself one recurring question: How did I ever get along without this?