An application of single whip by Yang Chengfu from his 1931 book. Yang Chengfu is the grandson of Yang Luchan, the founder of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan.

Image: public domain. Copyright expired.

Yang Long Form

Introduction

We often refer to this form as Yang ‘108’, but I have given up trying to count the moves or postures and to get them to reconcile to this number. Indeed the closest version on Wikipedia describes a very similar sequence as having ‘103’ moves. Let’s not worry about the number.

I have broken the Form into sections where the section title may indicate the number of repeated items. In the ‘Fives’ section there are 5 Repulse Monkeys, 5 Cloud Hands and 5 Part the Horse’s Manes. This is a key difference to the Yang Long form shown on Wikipedia, where repetitions are all in threes. There are some other departures highlighted at the bottom of this article.

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 in, for example, 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

This is the same as our ‘Short Form’ (after Cheng/Zheng).

  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)

  7. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute) turning to N

  8. Donkey Kick (R)

  9. Shoulder Strike

  10. White Crane Spreads its Wings to W

  11. Brush Left Knee Push (1)

  12. Donkey Kick (R)

  13. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute)

  14. Brush Left Knee Push (2)

  15. Brush Right Knee Push (3)

  16. Brush Left Knee Push (4)

  17. Donkey Kick (R)

  18. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute)

  19. Brush Left Knee Push (5)

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

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

  22. Double Push to W

  23. Cross Hands to N

Fives

  1. Diagonal Brush Knee Push (SE)

  2. Embrace Tiger, Return To Mountain

  3. Push to N, push to E

  4. Fan Through the Back to NW

  5. Punch under Elbow

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

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

  8. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute) turning to N

  9. Shoulder Strike

  10. White Crane Spreads Its Wings (W)

  11. Brush Knee Push (L)

  12. Donkey Kick (R)

  13. Needle At The Sea Bottom

  14. Fan Through the Back (W)

  15. Turn (E), back-fist strike (R), palm heel strike (L), uppercut (R)

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

  17. Weight back onto R, pivot on L foot, Part The Horses Mane with L hand, then stepping forward with R, Ward Off R, Roll Back, Press, Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An)

  18. Push to NW, push to NE

  19. Single Whip (W)

  20. Cloud Hands (5)

  21. Single Whip (W)

  22. High Pat on Horse, step back (E) into empty stance

  23. ‘Scoop’, block L

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

  25. ‘Scoop’, block R

  26. Pivot weight on R, L separating  kick

  27. Heel kick (L) after turning anticlockwise 180 degrees to E without putting foot down

  28. Brush Knee Push (L)

  29. Brush Knee Push (R)

  30. Stepping forward L with low punch R

  31. Turn clockwise (W), back-fist strike (R), palm heel strike (L), uppercut (R)

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

  33. Weight on L, Heel Kick R to W

  34. Landing to NW and pressing with both hands

  35. Tiger Strike with L fist to S

  36. Tiger Strike with R fist to W

  37. Heel Kick (R) to W

  38. Turning to step R to NE, withdrawing R foot whilst bringing down the hands to finish by the hips in the shape of fists

  39. Twin Fist Strike

  40. Heel Kick L to W

  41. 360° turn back to W

  42. Heel Kick R to W

  43. Parrying with L hand, then ‘punch the knee’ with R fist, back-fist strike R

  44. Drop into ‘dragon’

  45. Step forward with R and Punch

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

  47. Turn to the N, crossing the hands

  48. Diagonal Brush Knee Push (SE)

  49. Embrace Tiger, Return To Mountain

  50. Push to N, push to SE

  51. Diagonal Single Whip (NW)

  52. Turn 180° to SE

  53. Turn to E, step forward L, Part The Horse’s Mane R

  54. Part The Horse’s Mane L, R, L, R (total of 5)

  55. Sweep R hand palm up to N, Elbow Strike R arm behind (S)

  56. Ward off L to N

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

  58. Push to NW, push to NE

  59. Single Whip (W)

Fours

  1. Four Corners / Fair Lady Works at Shuttles

  2. Ward off L to N

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

  4. Push to NW, push to NE

  5. Single Whip (W)

  6. Cloud Hands (4)

  7. Single Whip (W)

Threes

  1. Snake Creeps Down

  2. Golden Rooster, stand on L leg

  3. Golden Rooster, stand on R leg

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

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

  6. Play Pipa (Hand Strums the Lute) (turning to N)

  7. Shoulder Strike

  8. White Crane Spreads Its Wings (W)

  9. Brush Knee Push (L)

  10. Donkey Kick (R)

  11. Needle At The Sea Bottom

  12. Fan Through The Back

  13. Turn (E), back-fist strike (R), Finger Strike (palm down) (L), uppercut (R)

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

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

  16. Push to NW, push to NE

  17. Single Whip (W)

  18. Cloud Hands (3)

  19. Single Whip (W)

Close

  1. High Pat on Horse with White Snake Spits Out Tongue (palm up), weight shift back

  2. Crossing hands, turning to E, Heel Kick (R)

  3. Drop into ‘dragon’

  4. Step forward and Punch Groin

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

  6. Push to NW, push to NE

  7. Single Whip (W)

  8. Snake Creeps Down

  9. Stepping Forward (R) Seven Stars

  10. Step Back and Ride The Tiger

  11. Sweep Lotus Kick

  12. Bend the Bow and Shoot the Tiger

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

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

  15. Turn to N, crossing arms

  16. Drop arms

  17. Raise wrists to shoulders

  18. Press down

  19. Bow

Sources

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/103-form_Yang_family_tai_chi

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

Notes

  1. The Wikipedia 103 version does sets of three when moves are repeated, rather than what we do with first five, then four, then three repetitions etc.

  2. We have added the ‘dragons’, neither of which are in the Wikipedia 103 version

  3. There are no elbow / shoulder - strikes / strokes in the Wikipedia 103 version. Where we include this I have used the term ‘shoulder strike’

  4. There are no donkey kicks in the Wikipedia 103 version

  5. In Wikipedia at #92 they reference a ‘cross kick’ - I assume that is the two consecutive heel kicks with the 360 turn

  6. In Wikipedia, the first mention of High Pat on Horse does not include the phrase ‘with palm thrust’ but the second one does. Just an omission or deliberate?

  7. 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.

Last Revised

  • 28-Nov-2024

  • 12-Nov-2024

  • 11-Aug-2024

  • 08-Aug-2024

  • 07-Aug-2024