There are at least 5 commonly recognized styles of taijiquan, and sometimes substyles of each of those. I’m a big fan of Chen style taiji, the original. In this article I’ll talk about and list the movements of the first form: ‘laojia’, from the lineage of 19th-generation successor Chen Qing Zhou.
The 14th generation lineage successor, Chen Chang Xing is credited as the person who condensed the previous generations’ works into the first and second forms. Today these forms are referred to as the ‘old frame‘ (lao jia).
There are many variations of the first form. The movements listed here are from the lineage of Chen Qing Zhou, disciple of Chen Zhao Pei(1893-1972) . Unlike his relatives, Chen Qing Zhou never studied the new frame forms. When you watch him, you dont see the elaborate circles that characterizes new frame.
As a taiji practitioner, taiji laojia is going to become your life-long partner. Although there are other crucial forms and exercises to be learned in a complete taiji training curriculum, the first form is the only necessary one.
There is a lot of repeat in much of the form. When I was first learning the sequence, the sections seemed to naturally divide themselves at each iteration of the Single Whip posture. The form is considered to have 75 moves. Here then is a list of all the movements:
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- Master Chen Qingzhou was here in 2001
Opening
- Diamong King Pounds Mortar
- Lazily tucking clothes
- 6 Sealing, 4 closing
- Single whip
- diamond King pounds mortar
- white goose spreads wings
- oblique posture
- embrace knee
- twist steps
- (same as 8 )
- (9)
- (10)
- covered hand punch
- (2)
- angled body fist
- green dragon emerges from water
- two handed punch
- fist under elbow
- step back and swing arms
- white goose spreads wings
- (8) oblique posture
- flasht he back
- (14) punch
- (4) 6/4
- (5) Single whip
- hand technique / wield hands
- high pat on horse
- slap right foot
- slap left foot
- left heel kick
- advance carefully with twist steps
- grasp and hit
- double kick
- protect the heart punch
- tornado kick
- right heel kick
- (14) punch
- small catch and hit
- embrace heads, push mountain
- (4) 6/4
- (5) Single whip
- forward technique
- backward technique
- part the mustangs mane
- (4) 6/4
- (5) Single whip
- jade maiden works shuttles
- (3) tuck clothes
- (4) 6/4
- (5) Single whip
- (27) wield hands
- swing foot
- drop and split
- golder rooster stands on one leg
- step back and swing arms
- (21) white goose
- (8)
- (23)
- (14)
- (4) 6/4
- (5) Single whip
- (27) wield hands
- (28) pat
- cross foot
- groin punch
- monkey picks fruit
- (5) Single whip
- dragon hacks the ground
- step up, make seven stars
- step back, open arms
- (53) swing foot
- head-on cannon
- (2) pound mortar
- closing movement
Single whip is a good reference point for sections of the form so I boldfaced them above.
Check out Mark Chen’s Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan, by North Atlantic Books. An excellent book on Taiji and Chen style, and specifically the first form. It has photos of all first form end postures and movement descriptions. Fantastic descriptions of taiji concepts too.
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