Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing in ‘Snake Creeps Down’ (also known as Low Single Whip) pose.

Image source unknown.

Cheng Style Tai Chi Form

Introduction

We often refer to this form as ‘Short Yang’ or ‘Yang 37’, but I have given up trying to count the moves or postures and to get them to reconcile to this number.

From my earlier article linked below:

Wutan’s ‘Yang’ short form is actually derived from a form created by Cheng Man-ch’ing ( or Zheng Manqing) and he is sometimes referred to as ‘CMC’ (link), who studied with Yang Chengfu for a number of years.

The Yang family has not endorsed Cheng’s adaptation. Accordingly, I will reference this form as the Cheng style Tai Chi form (not to be confused with ‘Chen’ Tai Chi).

The form is broken into six sections…

  1. Opening section

  2. Brush knee pushes

  3. Repulse monkeys & cloud hands

  4. Kick section

  5. Fair lady works at shuttles (‘Four corners’)

  6. Seven stars of the dipper (‘Seven star fist’)

The Form as described here is not intended to substitute for instruction by an experienced teacher, but is presented as an aide memoire for students learning the form or seeking a refresher. There is no intent here to describe application, for example, in self defence.

Key

  1. Cardinal points are referred to as e.g. N = North, SE = South East etc.

  2. Left is shown as L or (L), Right is shown as R or (R)

  3. Names of moves, postures or stances are capitalised, e.g. ‘Part The Horse’s Mane’

  4. Generic terms such as ‘punch’ are not capitalised

Opening section

  1. Wrists to Shoulder Height and Down

  2. Look to E then N, Strike and Block (‘flat hands circling’)

  3. Ward Off L

  4. Weight back onto R, pivot on L foot, Ward Off R, Roll Back, Press, Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)

  5. Push to NW, push to NE

  6. Single Whip (W)

Brush Knee Pushes

  1. Press down with both hands, turn to the N and Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute)

  2. Donkey Kick (R)

  3. Shoulder Strike

  4. White Crane Spreads its Wings to W

  5. Brush Left Knee Push

  6. Donkey Kick (R)

  7. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute)

  8. Brush Left Knee Push

  9. Brush Right Knee Push

  10. Brush Left Knee Push

  11. Donkey Kick (R)

  12. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute)

  13. Brush Left Knee Push

  14. Parry, block (R foot) & step forward into R Punch

  15. Draw Back, L hand under R elbow and Deflect to Corner

  16. Double Push to W

  17. Cross Hands to N

Repulse monkeys & cloud hands

  1. Diagonal Brush Knee Push (SE)

  2. Embrace Tiger, Return To Mountain

  3. Push to N, push to E

  4. Sweep opponent’s foot to N and finish by punching under Elbow to W

  5. Repulse Monkeys (3), travelling backwards, W to E

  6. ‘Hold ball’ and Diagonal Fly, turning to NE

  7. Square up to N

  8. Prepatory step with R foot and then Cloud hands (3) to W

  9. Single Whip to W

Kick Section

  1. Snake Creeps Down (Low Single Whip) to W

  2. Golden Rooster, stand on L leg, step out R

  3. Golden Rooster, stand on R leg, step out L

  4. ‘Scoop’ (grab wrist) with L hand, hands to L side of face, two handed block L and front

  5. Pivot weight on L, R separating  kick, step out R

  6. ‘Scoop’ (grab wrist) with R hand, hands to R side of face, two handed block R and front

  7. Pivot weight on R, L separating  kick

  8. Step behind and Heel kick (L) after turning anticlockwise 180 degrees to E

  9. Brush Knee Push (L)

  10. Brush Knee Push (R)

  11. Stepping forward L with low punch R

  12. Weight back on R, pivot on L foot, step forward R

  13. Ward Off R, Roll Back, Press, Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)

  14. Single Whip to W

Fair lady works at shuttles (‘Four corners’)

  1. Four Corners / Fair Lady Works at Shuttles

  2. Hands down to chest height, rotate torso to N

  3. Weight back, L hand drops to L knee, R hand keeps a chest height guard, weight forward

  4. Ward off L to N

  5. Turn to E, Ward Off R, Roll Back, Press, Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)

  6. Push to NW, push to NE

  7. Single Whip (W)

Seven stars of the dipper (‘Seven star fist’)

  1. Snake Creeps Down (Low Single Whip) to W

  2. Stepping Forward (R) Seven Stars

  3. Step Back and Ride The Tiger

  4. Sweep Lotus Kick

  5. Bend the Bow and Shoot the Tiger

  6. Parry, block (R foot) & step forward into R Punch

  7. Draw Back, L hand under R elbow and Deflect to Corner

  8. Turn to N, crossing arms

  9. Drop arms

  10. Raise wrists to shoulders

  11. Press down

  12. Bow

Emoji Mnemonic

If you like emoji, this might help!

  1. 🏁

  2. 🖌️ 🦵 ✋

  3. ✋ 🐵 & ☁️ 🤲

  4. 🦶

  5. 👩 🧶🪡 / 4️⃣  📐

  6. 7️⃣ ⭐️ 👊

Sources

  1. Short Form, Zheng Manqing’s 37 Step Yang Style Short Form, As taught in class: Howard Mitchell, 09-Feb-2020; personal communication.

Notes

  1. There is a repeating section in this form often referred to as ‘grasp the bird’s / sparrow’s tail’, we sometimes call it the ‘chorus’. I am using the alternative and equally valid phrase ‘Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)’. For more on this, see the following article, bearing in mind it is in the Chen family style and not Yang - https://www.blackwatertaichi.com/blog/peng-lu-ji-an

  2. A full set of pictures illustrating this set can be found in ‘Tai Chi, The Treasure of Mankind’ published in 1997 by Master They Soon Tuan, the head of Wutan UK

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Last Revised

  • 28-Nov-2024

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