The Short Form Solution

Authored by Alan Ludmer

Some years ago, Master Tuey Staples became concerned that his students were not absorbing his internal energy (chi) teachings.  They were unable to transition from physical movement to energetic movement.  He tried several solutions, but none seemed to work.  He came to realize that traditional Tai Chi forms (TCC) were a major impediment to learning.  Although he felt that all forms were valuable; long, intricate forms complicated understanding of how energy works.  The principal problem was that traditional forms mandated so much time to learn their choreography that they didn’t allow students to focus on key fundamentals. 

Master Tuey understood that all successful teaching begins with mastering fundamentals. Tai Chi learning begins with understanding body mechanics and energy movement.   Accordingly, Tuey’s solution was to develop a short TCC form that addressed student’s issues with traditional form. It addressed the extensive time commitment necessary for a plethora of moves and transitions.  The time commitment alone necessary to perform long forms is a major distraction from critical repetitive drilling on energy application.

Master Tuey understands that the ability to utilize internal energy is critical to the integrity of Tai Chi.  It doesn’t matter if your goal is health, martial ability, meditation, etc., if you can’t integrate internal energy into movement, then you have an external art, not an internal art. Practicing an external art will not give the benefits that one can harvest from an internal art.

Short form benefits

Master Tuey’s form is approximately 8–10-minutes long.  It is based upon the Cheng Man Ching Yang form with considerable input from Yang and Chen Forms and Baguazhang. He used large moves with basic stances and transitions to create time to allow focus on centering, continuous circles and non opposition.  Simple moves and transitions enabled students to address a few things rather than many things.  A short form allows focus on energy principles as opposed to focusing on the next move.  The primary goal was to initially execute each move slowly and softly with a complete chi application.  In time, our class was able to transition from physical movement to energetic movement.

This approach conforms to traditional TCC teaching which taught form in small sections of several moves. Years were spent learning how to perform  moves singularly. Once the moves were mastered, they were then linked into a larger form. When students understood internal energy applications they were then introduced to more complex forms. 

Basic Features

Master Tuey’s form stresses martial applications to understand internal energy.  He believes the ability to execute a slow, soft, and effective martial application against opposition is the acid test of energy understanding.  You can talk about swimming, but you learn to swim by getting into the water. If you can’t make your moves work against slow, focused opposition, then you don’t understand your art.  Tuey teaches that Tai Chi is boxing for physical and mental health, however learning the martial application is the key to understanding Chi dynamics.

Learning any art is based upon knowledgeable teachers and their ability to effectively communicate. Good Tai Chi teachers use form as a vessel to communicate knowledge.  When Master Tuey teaches his form, he focuses on several critical points.

1.  Constant centering.  Every move begins with centering. All moves are constant centering moves.  All moves are centripetal circles coming back to your center, not centrically circles which move away from your center.    Centripetal focus makes all moves energetic pulling moves, not physical strength moves.  Centering promotes physical and mental clarity and introduces awareness.

2.  Empty and full weighting.  Our movement stances use the classic 100% weight on one foot, zero weight on the other.  Why, because it clearly defines empty steps and helps make successful transitions from one stance to another.  Empty steps are critical to eliminate stops and leans which impede chi flow.  This weighting promotes increased center awareness which is the basis of energy awareness. 

3.  Lead hand focus.  If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will take you there.  With Tai Chi, it is critical to know where you are in any given moment to determine your direction.  Practitioners need to always know where your center is, where are your medians, and what leg you are on.  Focusing on the lead hand helps determine an appropriate movement circle and with locating both cardinal (N, S, E, W, up and down) and corner (NE, NW, SE, SW) directions.  Knowing your direction helps ensure continuous non-oppositional circles, which then facilitates the acceptance and redirection of an opponent’s movement. Eventually, this awareness of your location helps one to catch their opponent in a circle as opposed to blocking or batting a move away.  

4.  Less is more.  A short form with fewer moves, simpler transitions, and larger size moves creates more opportunity to constantly center and to visualize circles and direction. Students can evaluate if they are circling around an object and that their circles are always centripetal.  Fewer moves and transitions facilitate focus on critical energy fundamentals. 

Master Tuey has only two absolutes regarding Tai Chi principals, don’t stop and don’t oppose.  Fewer moves allow students more opportunity to integrate these principles into applications.  More time can be spent on understanding context. For example, concentrating on a few basic moves can more clearly demonstrate that power comes from mass in motion. The look determines direction, the energy follows, then the body.  The body always moves as a sequential unit.

Form Evolution

Question.  A farmer buys an axe.  Over 10 years, he replaced the blade once and the handle twice.  Is it the same axe?  The point is that Tai Chi forms don’t always have to be one way and never another way.  The only constant in life is change.  Tai Chi evolves or it dies.  Tai Chi forms can and should evolve to become better teaching tools. If they adhere to the basic principles of energy movement, they are valid.

Master Tuey teaches that TCC is an art of constant change which is always contextual.  He explains context as like having a number of different clubs in your golf bag. Each club is designed for a different situation.  Context determines which club is used.  It is unfortunate that traditional teaching often fosters inflexibility and rigidity.  Many teachers present a move as always, the same regardless of context.  This defeats the entire concept of flexibility and awareness. From a health perspective, exact repetition of movement can foster mental and emotional rigidity and create repetitive stress injuries. 

Summary

The philosopher Thoreau said that it doesn’t matter what you look at, it matters what you see. Shorter simplified forms allow students to see more by focusing on less.  Constant repetition provides valuable insight on integrating principles and movement. If more exercise is desired, then the form can be repeated several times. When students are ready, they can be introduced to more complex forms.

The critical learning ingredient is a teacher who understands energy movement and has good communication and teaching skills.  Forms are important learning tools, but it all begins with the teacher.  Master Tuey’s goal was to create a Tai Chi Chuan Rosetta Stone or guide for understanding internal movement.  The insights gained from the simple form are easily transferred to more complex forms.  The art remains the same regardless of style. Once a student understands the basics, then they have unlimited learning possibilities. However, without the basic understanding of internal energy application, students can’t grow.

About the Author

Alan Ludmer is a St. Louis, Missouri Tai Chi Chuan and Baguazhang teacher, author, and student.  He has over 50 years of experience in internal and external martial arts. His initial training was in western boxing.  He later attained a Ni Dan (2nd Black Belt) rank in Shotokan Karate. In 1969, he began Tai Chi Chuan study with Professor Huo Chi Kwang. Alan was a private student and primarily studied the Yang Family Form with the Professor through 1978. After moving to St. Louis in 1975, Alan began study with Master Tuey Staples. He has been studying Tai Chi Chuan and Baguazhang with Tuey for almost 50 years.  He can be reached at alanludmer@gmail.com.