This is a list of postures in the traditional form of Yang style Taijiquan.
Since Taijiquan was first introduced to English speakers as “Tai Chi,” many of the original Chinese posture names have generated more than one translation. Some were meant to be literal, others more evocative. The most popular translations are given here.
Each “posture” consists of one to four distinct movements, sometimes even more.
This sequence is counted differently by various schools. For example, “Separation Kicks” contains a kick to the right, then to the left; some teachers call this one posture, others two postures. The same form is thereby identified as containing 85, 103, and 108 postures. Counting methods used by Fu Zhongwen (“85 form”) and the Yang Family (“103 form”) are both included below.
Due to the length and complexity of this form, it is occasionally split into three sections. These sections are delimited by the “Cross Hands” posture.
| Fu # | Posture in English | Chinese | Pinyin | Yang # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preparation | 预备 | Yùbèi | 1 |
| 2 | Beginning | 起式 | Qǐ shì | 2 |
| 3 | Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 揽雀尾 | Lǎn què wěi | 3 |
| 4 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 4 |
| 5 | Raise Hands and Step Forward | 提手上势 | Tí shǒu shàng shì | 5 |
| 6 | White Crane Spreads its Wings | 白鹤亮翅 | Bái hè liàng chì | 6 |
| 7 | Left Brush Knee and Push | 左搂膝拗步 | Zuǒ lōu xī ǎo bù | 7 |
| 8 | Play the Pipa | 手挥琵琶 | Shǒu huī pípá | 8 |
| 9 | Brush Knee and Push (3 times) | 搂膝拗步 | Lōu xī ǎo bù | 9-11 |
| 10 | Play the Pipa | 手挥琵琶 | Shǒu huī pípá | 12 |
| 11 | Left Brush Knee and Push | 左搂膝拗步 | Zuǒ lōu xī ǎo bù | 13 |
| 12 | Step Forward, Parry, Block, and Punch | 进步搬拦捶 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 14 |
| 13 | Apparent Closing | 如封似闭 | Rú fēng shì bì | 15 |
| 14 | Cross Hands | 十字手 | Shí zì shǒu | 16 |
| Second Section | ||||
| 15 | Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain | 抱虎归山 | Bào hǔ guī shān | 17 |
| 16 | Fist Under Elbow | 肘底捶 | Zhǒu dǐ chuí | 18 |
| 17 | Step Back and Repulse Monkey (3 times) | 倒撵猴 | Dào niǎn hóu | 19-21 |
| 18 | Diagonal Flying | 斜飞式 | Xié fēi shì | 22 |
| 19 | Raise Hands and Step Forward | 提手上势 | Tí shǒu shàng shì | 23 |
| 20 | White Crane Spreads its Wings | 白鹤亮翅 | Bái hè liàng chì | 24 |
| 21 | Left Brush Knee and Push | 左搂膝拗步 | Zuǒ lōu xī ǎo bù | 25 |
| 22 | Needle at Sea Bottom | 海底针 | Hǎi dǐ zhēn | 26 |
| 23 | Fan Through Back | 扇通背 | Shàn tōng bèi | 27 |
| 24 | Turn Body, Chop with Fist | 转身撇身捶 | Zhuǎn shēn piē shēn chuí | 28 |
| 25 | Step Forward, Parry, Block, and Punch | 进步搬拦捶 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 29 |
| 26 | Step Forward, Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 上步揽雀尾 | Shàng bù lǎn què wěi | 30 |
| 27 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 31 |
| 28 | Cloud Hands (3 times) | 云手 | Yún shǒu | 32-34 |
| 29 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 35 |
| 30 | High Pat on Horse | 高探马 | Gāo tàn mǎ | 36 |
| 31 | Right Separation Kick | 右分脚 | Yòu fēn jiǎo | 37 |
| 31 | Left Separation Kick | 左分脚 | Zuǒ fèn jiǎo | 38 |
| 32 | Turn Body and Kick with Heel | 转身左蹬脚 | Zhuǎn shēn zuǒ dēng jiǎo | 39 |
| 33 | Brush Knee and Push (2 times) | 搂膝拗步 | Lōu xī ǎo bù | 40-41 |
| 34 | Step Forward and Punch Down | 进步栽锤 | Jìn bù zāi chuí | 42 |
| 35 | Turn Body, Chop with Fist | 转身撇身锤 | Zhuǎn shēn piē shēn chuí | 43 |
| 36 | Step Forward, Parry, Block, and Punch | 进步搬拦锤 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 44 |
| 37 | Right Heel Kick | 右蹬脚 | Yòu dēng jiǎo | 45 |
| 38 | Left Strike Tiger | 左打虎式 | Zuǒ dǎ hǔ shì | 46 |
| 39 | Right Strike Tiger | 右打虎式 | Yòu dǎ hǔ shì | 47 |
| 40 | Turn Body, Right Heel Kick | 回身右蹬脚 | Huí shēn yòu dēng jiǎo | 48 |
| 41 | Twin Fists Strike Ears | 双峰灌耳 | Shuāng fēng guàn ěr | 49 |
| 42 | Left Heel Kick | 左蹬脚 | Zuǒ dēng jiǎo | 50 |
| 43 | Turn Body, Right Keel Kick | 转身右蹬脚 | Zhuǎn shēn yòu dēng jiǎo | 51 |
| 44 | Step Forward, Parry, Block and Punch | 进步搬拦锤 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 52 |
| 45 | Apparent Closing | 如封似闭 | Rú fēng shì bì | 53 |
| 46 | Cross Hands | 十字手 | Shí zì shǒu | 54 |
| Third Section | ||||
| 47 | Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain | 抱虎归山 | Bào hǔ guī shān | 55 |
| 48 | Diagonal Single Whip | 斜单鞭 | Xié dān biān | 56 |
| 49 | Part the Wild Horse’s Mane (3 times) | 野马分鬃 | Yě mǎ fēn zōng | 57-59 |
| 50 | Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 揽雀尾 | Lǎn què wěi | 60 |
| 51 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 61 |
| 52 | Fair Lady Works at Shuttles | 玉女穿梭 | Yù nǚ chuān suō | 62 |
| 53 | Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 揽雀尾 | Lǎn què wěi | 63 |
| 54 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 64 |
| 55 | Cloud Hands (3 times) | 云手 | Yún shǒu | 65-67 |
| 56 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 68 |
| 57 | Snake Creeps Down | 下势 | Xià shì | 69 |
| 58 | Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg (2 times) | 金鸡独立 | Jīn jī dú lì | 70-71 |
| 59 | Step Back and Repulse Monkey (3 times) | 倒撵猴 | Dào niǎn hóu | 72-74 |
| 60 | Diagonal Flying | 斜飞式 | Xié fēi shì | 75 |
| 61 | Raise Hands and Step Forward | 提手上势 | Tí shǒu shàng shì | 76 |
| 62 | White Crane Spreads its Wings | 白鹤亮翅 | Bái hè liàng chì | 77 |
| 63 | Left Brush Knee and Push | 左搂膝拗步 | Zuǒ lōu xī ǎo bù | 78 |
| 64 | Needle at Sea Bottom | 海底针 | Hǎi dǐ zhēn | 79 |
| 65 | Fan Through Back | 扇通背 | Shàn tōng bèi | 80 |
| 66 | Turn Body, White Snake Darts Tongue | 转身白蛇吐信 | Zhuǎn shēn bái shé tǔ xìn | 81 |
| 67 | Step Forward, Parry, Block and Punch | 进步搬拦捶 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 82 |
| 68 | Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 上步揽雀尾 | Shàng bù lǎn què wěi | 83 |
| 69 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 84 |
| 70 | Cloud Hands (3 times) | 云手 | Yún shǒu | 85-87 |
| 71 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 88 |
| 72 | High Pat on Horse, Piercing Palm | 高探马穿掌 | Gāo tàn mǎ chuān zhǎng | 89 |
| 73 | Cross Kick | 十字腿 | Shí zì tuǐ | 90 |
| 74 | Step Forward and Punch to Groin | 进步指裆锤 | Jìn bù zhǐ dāng chuí | 91 |
| 75 | Grasp the Bird’s Tail | 上步揽雀尾 | Shàng bù lǎn què wěi | 92 |
| 76 | Single Whip | 单鞭 | Dān biān | 93 |
| 77 | Snake Creeps Down | 下势 | Xià shì | 94 |
| 78 | Step Forward, Seven Stars | 上步七星 | Shàng bù qī xīng | 95 |
| 79 | Step Back, Ride the Tiger | 退步跨虎 | Tuì bù kuà hǔ | 96 |
| 80 | Turn Body, Lotus Kick | 转身摆莲 | Zhuǎn shēn bǎi lián | 97 |
| 81 | Bend Bow, Shoot Tiger | 弯弓射虎 | Wān gōng shè hǔ | 98 |
| 82 | Step Forward, Parry, Block, and Punch | 进步搬拦锤 | Jìn bù bān lán chuí | 99 |
| 83 | Apparent Closing | 如封似闭 | Rú fēng shì bì | 100 |
| 84 | Cross Hands | 十字手 | Shí zì shǒu | 101 |
| 85 | Closing Posture | 收式 还原 | Shōu shì, Huán yuán | 102-103 |
Notes
3. “Grasp the Bird’s Tail” refers to the sequence of Wardoff, Rollback, Press and Push. This posture is also translated as “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail.”
4. The “whip” in “Single Whip” evokes a long pole or yoke carried across the shoulders and back; not a flexible leather whip.
5. Also translated as “Lift Hands Upward.”
7. “Brush Knee and Push” is more literally translated as “Brush Knee Twist Step.”
8. The “pipa” is a Chinese musical instrument, similar to a guitar or a lute. Also translated as “Hands Strum the Lute”.
12. Also translated as “Advance Step, Deflect, Parry and Punch.”
13. Also translated as “Like Sealing, As If Closing.”
18. Also translated as “Flying Obliquely.”
24. Also translated as “Turn Body and Strike.”
30. Also translated as “High Mounted Scout.” This evokes a infantry scout on horseback, looking down on a battlefield from elevation, using one hand to keep the sun out of his eyes while holding reins with the other.
41. Also translated as “Twin Peaks Strike Ears.”
52. The “shuttle” in “Fair Lady Works at Shuttles” refers to the traditional fabric weaving tool. Also translated as, “Jade Maiden Threads Shuttle.”
57. Also translated as “Squatting Single Whip.”
73. Also translated as “Cross-Shaped Legs.” “Cross” here refers to 十, the Chinese ideogram for the number 10.
79. Also translated as “Retreat Astride Tiger.”
80. Also translated as “Turn Body, Sweep Lotus.”
Fu Zhongwen Tai Chi Video
Master Fu Zhongwen began learning Yang family Tai Chi when he was just nine years old. Fu worked tirelessly to perfect his teacher’s skills, repeating the form more than ten times each day. Among Yang Chengfu’s disciples, Fu is recognized as a faithful inheritor and peerless exemplar of the art.
Alternate video by Fu Zhongwen’s son, Fu Shengyuan:
(Second section begins at 2:52. Third section begins at 9:04.)