Form and Function

For many their only experience of Tai Chi is through the hand form, which is generally performed in a manner that lacks focus and martial intent.Knowledge of the application that the form posture enables correct focus and intent to be applied when practising the form.

Round Form Section 1 - 2007

  • Beginning Style
  • Seven Stars Style
  • Grasping the Bird's Tail
  • Single Whip

Practise over many years changes the way the form is performed as the form becomes owned by the practitioner and greater understanding of the connection between form and function manifests after years of application practise .

Others who have practised other martial arts may have heard or recognised some of the movements and have attempted to reverse engineer the applications from the techniques with little success and sometimes positively dangerous results.

Beginning Style - Form by Application

All the form applications contain the essential aspects of the Taijiquan principles. Most students through impatience rush through the first movements to get to the real stuff, but time spent on the first move will be rewarded much later on.

The applications do exist but many are not obvious. When practised normally the applications must be combined with stepping to be able to function properly and the actual movements are determined by the opponent and not by the form.

Seven Stars Style Form in Action

Taijiquan is known as shadow boxing because the form is a series of connected applications performed on an imaginary opponent.

It is useful to actually see the application in practise exactly as performed in the form. By necessity the attacks have to be predetermined for this to work.

In these examples to make the application of the form obvious the footwork is dispensed with and the attacks are made in such a way that the application can be performed as near as possible to the movements in the form.

Grasping the Birds Tail - Form Application

First section of Grasping the Birds Tail. Sink the weight back to avoid the kick to the groinwhile simultaneously intercepting the kick with the elbow/forearm, then shift the weight forward while slipping the arm under the leg and uproot the attacker.

It should be obvious that the applications depend on the action of the legs and waist and that the body leads and the arms follow. This is often difficult for beginners to grasp when practising applications in the normal way as their focus is mainly on the hands.

Grasping the Birds Tail Form In Action

When performed as in the form the importance aspect of the waist turn to deflect and absorb the swing punch becomes apparent.

The action of sinking and the use of bodyweight shifting can be seen in the counterattack.