Cheng Man-ch'ing is best known in the West for his 37 form t'ai chi ch'uan. The following are some of the characteristics of his "Yang-style short form".
- It eliminates most of the repetitions of certain moves of the Yang long form.
- It takes around ten minutes to practice instead of the twenty to thirty minutes of the Yang long form
- The hand and wrist are held open, yet relaxed, in what Cheng called the "Fair Lady's Hand" formation (as opposed to the straighter "Chinese tile" formation of the Yang style)
- The form postures are not as expansive as Yang Chengfu's form
- Cheng postures are performed in "middle frame" style, which changes the movement of the feet from the Yang version.
- Cheng's concept of "swing and return" in which the momentum from one movement initiates the next.
Movements
- Preparation
- Beginning
- Ward Off, Left
- Ward Off, Right
- Roll Back
- Squeeze
- Push (Postures 3 through 7 are known as "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail"
- Single Whip
- Raise Hands
- Shoulder Stroke
- White Crane Stretches Its Wings
- Brush Knee Left
- Play Guitar (Followed by Brush Knee Left)
- Step Up and Block
- Parry and Punch
- Apparent Close-up
- Cross Hands
- Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain (followed by Roll Back, Squeeze, Push, then corner Single Whip)
- Fist Under Elbow
- Step Back and Repulse Monkey, Right
- Step Back and Repulse Monkey, Left (Followed by three more Repulse Monkeys: Right, Left, and Right)
- Diagonal Flying
- Wave Hands Like Clouds, Left
- Wave Hands Like Clouds, Right (Followed by three more cloud hands left, right, left, to Single Whip)
- Single Whip, Lower Style (Also known as "Snake Creeps Up" (or Down))
- Golden Cock Stands on One Leg, Right
- Golden Cock Stands on One Leg, Left
- Separation of the Right Foot
- Separation of the Left Foot
- Turn Body and Kick With Heel (This posture is followed by Brush Knee, Left and then Brush Knee, Right)
- Step Forward and Punch (Followed by Ward-off Right, Roll Back, Squeeze, Push and Single Whip)
- Fair Lady Weaves (Works) Shuttle I- A textbook example of how defense precedes offense in Tai Chi
- Fair Lady Weaves (Works) Shuttle II (Followed by two more Fair Ladies, Grasping the Sparrow's Tail, Single Whip and Snake Creeps Down)
- Step Up to Seven Stars
- Retreat to Ride Tiger
- Turn Body Sweep Lotus Leg
- Bend Bow Shoot Tiger (The form is close out by step up, block, parry and punch followed by Apparent Close-up, Cross Hands and Close)
See also Soft Answer Taichi
Videos
Yang Style 37 Tai Chi Chuan - 1st Place Women Champion - 2014
Cheng Man-ch'ing demonstrates the Yang Style 37 Tai Chi Chuan
Rare video of Prof. Cheng Man Ching demonstrating the 37 Form.
A video of Li Meixiu circa 1997.