Tai Chi Quan Eight Form

八式太极拳.

The Yang Style Tai Chi 8 Form was created in Beijing in 1999 and is popular for its simplicity. It is simple to perform and it requires just a little space to practice. What is the use of Tai Chi Quan exercises? Tai chi is an Chinese ancient practice of combining slow, deliberate movements, meditation, and breathing exercises. It is not a fast-paced, fat burning workout, but it can improve blood circulation, alignment, and balance, and restore our energy. It consists of exercises equally balanced between the left and the right legs, and is so remarkably effective, in keeping us healthy right into our old age.

The 8-form Tai Chi is a good introduction into the Tai Chi Quan (Yang style) as it is the basic key elements of the entire set of Tai Chi exercises that can have as many as 88 forms. The eight forms are described below, first in words and then in pictures. We can also view the steps from the following videos: (1) in English https://youtu.be/QDoa4jFr3Us (2) in Chinese https://youtu.be/CVEPvol6wZA

杨式太极拳八式于1999年在北京创制，以简单易行而广受欢迎。它执行起来很简单，只需要一点空间来练习。练太极拳有什么用？太极拳是中国古老的练习，结合了缓慢、刻意的动作、冥想和呼吸练习。它不是一种快节奏的燃脂锻炼，但它可以改善血液循环、排列和平衡，并恢复我们的能量。它包括左右腿平衡的锻炼，非常有效，可以让我们在老年时保持健康。  
八式太极拳是对太极拳（杨式）的一个很好的介绍，因为它是整个太极拳套路的基本要素，多达88式。下面分别介绍这八种形式，先是文字，然后是图片。我们还可以从以下视频中查看步骤：（1）英文版 https://youtu.be/QDoa4jFr3Us （2）中文版 https://youtu.be/CVEPvol6wZA

Commencing form: 起勢。 Step to the left, lift hands, both hands rise to shoulder level and lower the arms.

1. Repulse Monkey Right then left. 卷肱勢.
2. Repulse the Monkey. 左、右 倒卷肱。 Brush Knee left, Twist Step, Brush Knee right.
3. Part the Horse’s Mane. 野马分鬃。Twist Step, Part the Wild Horse’s Mane left then Twist Step, Part the Wild Horse’s Mane right.
4. Cloud Hands. 云手。 Move Hands Like Clouds Left side 2 times, then right 2 times
5. Golden Rooster. 左、右 金鸡独立。Stands on One Leg right leg up, then left leg up.
6. Kick with Heel. 右、左 蹬腳。 Cross hands and Heel Kick right, then Heel Kick left.
7. Grasp the Sparrow’s 右、左 榄雀尾。 right. Twist Step, Grasp the Bird’s Tail right。
8. Cross Hands. 十字手。 Embrace the Tiger.

Closing form: 收勢。 Both hands fall to the side, left leg drawn to the right foot.

動作要點 Essential movements https://youtu.be/4m74E-fyCIE

起勢. Commencement Step.

1、 兩腳開立 2、兩臂前舉 3、屈膝按掌

1. Stand with your feet apart, shoulder to shoulder wide. 2. Raise your arms forward, to eye level.  3. Bend your knees slightly and press your palms down to stomach level.

一、 卷肱式. Repulse Monkey.

1、 轉身翻手擺掌 2、屈臂卷肱 3、前推後收

4、轉身翻手擺掌 5、屈臂卷肱 6、前推後收

1. Turn around, turn your hands and swing your palms. 2. Bend your arms and curl your arms. 3. Push forward and retract.
4. Turn around and turn your hands and swing your palms. 5. Bend your arms and curl your arms. 6. Push forward and retract.

二、 摟膝拗步. Brush Knee.

1、 轉腰擺手收腳 2、上步屈臂 3、弓步摟推

4、後坐 擺腳 5、轉腰擺手收腳 6、上步屈臂

7、弓步摟推

1. Turn your waist, wave your hands and retract your feet. 2. Step up and bend your arms. 3. Lunge and push.
4. Sit back and swing your feet. 5. Turn your waist, wave your hands and retract your feet. 6. Step up and bend your arms. 7. Lunge and push.

三、 野馬分鬃. Wild Horse Parting Mane.

1、 轉身坐腿分手 2、收腳抱球 3、轉身上步

4、弓步分靠 5、坐腿撇腳轉身 6、收腳抱球

7、轉身上步 8、弓步分靠

1. Turn around and sit with legs apart. 2. Close your feet and hands like holding a ball. 3. Turn around and step up. 4. Lunge step by step. 5. Sit on the legs and turn around. 6. Close the feet and hands like holding the ball.

四、 雲手 Cloud Hands.

1、 擺手翻掌 2、轉身左雲 3、翻手收腳 4、轉身右雲

5、翻手出腳 6、轉身左雲側翻手 7、轉身右雲

8、翻手收腳 9、轉身左雲 10、翻手出腳 11、轉身右雲

12、側弓步翻掌

1. Waving hands and turning palms.  2. Turning around to the left cloud. 3. Turning hands and feet back.  4. Turning around to the right cloud.
5. Flip hands and feet.  6. Turn around left cloud and roll hands.  7. Turn around right cloud.
8. Flip hands and retract feet.  9. Turn around to the left cloud.  10. Flip hands and feet out.  11. Turn around to the right cloud. 
12. Side lunge and palm turned.

五、 金雞獨立 Golden Rooster standing on one foot.

1、 坐腿轉腰落手 2、提右腳獨立挑掌 3、落腳落手

4、提左腳獨立挑掌

1. Sit on your legs, turn your waist and drop your hands. 2. Lift your right foot and lift your palm independently. 3. Drop your feet and hands.
4. Lift the left foot and lift the palm independently.

六、 登腳. Kick Heel.

1、 落腳抱手 2、提右膝抱手 3、分手登腳 4、落腳抱手

5、提左膝抱手 6、分手登腳 7、落腳抱球

1. Foot down and arms in arms.  2. Lift right knee and hands in arms.  3. Break up and step on feet.  4. Foot down and arms in arms.
5. Raise the left knee and hold hands.  6. Break up and step on the feet. 7. Land on the feet and hands like holding a ball.

七、 攬雀尾. Grasp Swallow’s Tail.

1、轉身上步 2、右弓步前棚 3、提左手旋臂 4、後坐下捋

5、轉身後捋 6、轉腰搭手 7、弓步前擠 8、弓步（平分）抹掌

9、後坐引手 10、弓步前按 11、轉身分手扣腳

12、收腳抱球 13、轉身上步 14、 弓步前棚

15、提右手旋臂 16、後坐下捋 17、轉身後捋

18、轉腰搭手 19、弓步前擠 20、弓步（平分）抹掌

21、後坐引手 22、弓步前按

1. Turn around and step forward.  2. Lunge right leg forward.  3. Raise the left arm.  4. Sit back and stroke.
5. Turn around and stroke back. 6. Turn waist and put hands together. 7. Lunge forward and squeeze. 8. Lunge (evenly split) and wipe palms.
9. Sit back and lead the arched hand.  10. Press before lunging.  11. Turn around, break up and buckle the feet.
12. Put your feet back and hands like holding a ball. 13. Turn around and step up. 14. Lunge forward.
15. Raise the right arm.  16. Sit back and stroke down.  17. Turn around and stroke back. 
18. Turn your waist to join hands.  19. Squeeze before lunge.  20. Lunge (split) and wipe palms.
21. Sit back and lead the hand.  22. Hands pressed before lunging.

八、 十字手. Cross Hands.

1、 撇右腳、右弓步分手 2、扣右腳、左弓步棚掌於胸前

3、收右腳、兩腳成開立步 4、兩手舉抱

1. Lift the right foot, right lunge and break up.  2. Buckle the right foot, left lunge and put the palm on the chest.
3. Close the right foot and take a standing step with both feet. 4. Raise both hands into a cross.

收勢. Closing Step.

See another video by Tai Chi i Studio. https://youtu.be/QDoa4jFr3Us