Yang Style Tai Chi Postures List

Here is a complete list of postures in the traditional form of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan.

Since Taijiquan (太极拳) was first introduced to English speakers as “Tai Chi,” its original Chinese posture names have inspired more than one translation. Some were meant to be literal, others more evocative. The most popular translations are listed here.

Each “posture” consists of one to four distinct movements, sometimes even more.

The traditional form is counted differently by various schools. For example, “Separation Kicks” contains a kick to the right, then to the left; some teachers identify this as one posture, others call it two postures. The same form is thereby enumerated as 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 usually split into three sections. These sections are delimited by the “Cross Hands” posture.

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Fu #	English	中文	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.

Demonstration by Fu Zhongwen’s assistant instructor, Xie Bingcan:

Looking Forward Together

This video shows the Yang form in the forward direction, so that you can face the screen as you practice.