Tai Chi: Short Form

Introductory Courses

The Wu Style Short Form consists of a sequence of eighteen precisely-choreographed movements, practiced in a slow, meditative manner. These movements are specifically designed to help one develop calmness, flexibility, coordination, balance, stamina, and greater energy. The Wu Style of Tai Chi facilitates the healing of injuries, especially back problems. The form takes about four minutes to perform. We offer two different introductory courses through which you can learn the short form; Standard and Aging Bodies.

Standard Introduction

In this course, you’ll learn the first half of the movements which make up the form. We’ll also teach you principles of relaxation and healthy posture. And in every class you’ll learn key exercises from Opening the Energy Gates Chi Gung.

Intermediate Courses

Level 2 - Bend & Release, Relaxation & Rhythm

In these courses you will learn to rhythmically bend and extend your arms, and legs in each movement, bringing greater relaxation to the form.
We'll also teach you more details about each of the movements, as well as movement principles that you maintain through the whole form. These principles include relaxing your feet, stabilizing your knees through your feet, turning from your hips, maintaining your "four points", and connecting your arms to your spine.

Level 3 - The Feel of the Form: Unifying Principles

In these courses we take you back through the form again, focusing on practice principles which help you understand how the form as a whole should feel:

how you relax your whole body
how you breathe
how movements flow into one another
the rhythm of the form
healthy alignments, etc.

In each class we practice the entire form several times.

Level 3 - The Shape of the Form: Form Details

We take you back through the form again, teaching more subtle details about one or two movements each week, including more information about martial applications and health benefits. Understanding these more subtle nuances deepens your enjoyment of the form and the health benefits you receive.
In Wednesday night classes, Roy Moy teaches the material taught in the other classes, but with a more martial arts/push hands flavor.