The 24-posture Simplified Form of
tai chi
is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...
, sometimes called the
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
form due to its place of origin, is a shortened and modified sequence of movements based on traditional tai chi, developed by a group of tai chi masters organized by a government committee in the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
with the goal of creating an exercise routine for the general public.
History
In 1956 the Chinese Sports Committee of the People's Republic of China gathered a group of five tai chi masters in Beijing to create a simplified form that the general public could practice to improve health and well-being. The group included
Chu Guiting,
Cai Longyun (
:zh:蔡龙云),
Fu Zhongwen, and
Zhang Yu (張玉), and was led by
Li Tianji (
:zh:李天骥), coach of the
China national wushu team and executive member of the
China National Institute of Physical Education and Sport. The routine they created, sometimes known as the "Beijing form," has been actively promoted by the Chinese government and has become one of the most popular tai chi forms worldwide.
Characteristics
Based on traditional
Yang-style tai chi
Yang-style tai chi ( zh, s=楊氏太极拳, p=Yángshì tàijíquán) is one of the five primary families of tai chi. Including its variations, it is the most popular and widely practised style of tai chi in the world today. It is second in term ...
, the simplified form contains 24 unique postures and requires about six minutes to perform, offering an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi. The sequence retains many postures from the longer traditional form but with the most difficult postures removed, no postures repeated, and other modifications to ease an introduction to the practice while exercising the left and right sides of the body evenly.
The 24-posture form is a self-contained exercise, but can also serve as a foundation for students wishing to progress further in tai chi. They may then be introduced to the 48-movement form
or its successor the
42-movement competition form (which include postures from four tai chi styles), as well as traditional forms such as the
Yang-style long form and the long forms from other styles, other simplified and competition forms, advanced forms, weapons forms like
tai chi sword,
and partner work including
pushing hands
Pushing hands, Push hands or tuishou (alternately spelled ''tuei shou'' or ''tuei sho'') is a two-person training routine practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as ''baguazhang'', ''xingyiquan'', tai chi, and '' yiquan''. It is also ...
and applications.
Postures
Sequence of the 24-posture Simplified Tai Chi Form
See also
*
Tai chi
is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...
*
Wushu (sport)
Wushu () (), or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern Chinese martial arts, including Shaolin kung fu, tai chi, and ''Wudangquan''. "Wushu" is the Chinese language ...
*
42-form tai chi
*
103-form Yang family tai chi
Notes
References
External links
*{{Youtube, JRFZvUZu0lg Simplified 24 Movement Taijiquan — Complete Demonstration by Qiu Huifang, World Taijiquan Champion —
Chinese martial arts
Tai chi styles
Neijia