Know this form?

[taolpha]

I just took a beginning T'ai Chi course at a local community college here. It was 10 weeks long and the teacher was great I thought. He never named the form beyond a "Taoist Healing" form predating Yang and Chen. Transmission of this form is purely verbal and training nothing written to his knowledge. My own curiousity would love to know the lineage of this form.

 

I know the following: 153 postures, learned from a Professor Cheng (Cheng Man-Ching's cousin), and is specifically meant for healing. It can have martial applications of course but that is not its intent.

 

Any insight to where this came from would be appreciated.

 

Below I have typed up the postures he gave us to shorten the form for a 10 week course. After 18 are postures he taught us beyond the "short form" because we asked him to.

 

1.Preparation (N)

2.Beginning Tai Ji (N)

3.Grasp Sparrow's Tail, Right (N)

Transition: waist turn, weight shift right leg (NE)

4.Ward Off, Left (N)

5.Grasp Sparrow's Tail, Left (N)

Transition: waist turn, weight shift left leg (N)

6.Ward Off, Right (NE)

7.Rollback (NE)

8.Press Forward (NE)

9.Look to the Left (NE)

10.Look to the Right (NE)

11.Withdraw (NE)

12.Push (NE)

13.Turn to Counter (NW): left toes point left, shift weight left. Turn waist toward left, pivoting right foot to point left. Right palm turns up. Left palm faces down. Both feet point diagonally toward left.

14.Right Suspended Stance (NW): shift weight to right foot, drawing left toes to align about one foot distant from outside edge of right heel. Form cranes head with right hand held at heart level. Left palm up relaxed on left thigh.

15.Single Whip (NW): step forward & outward to the side, left heel toughing first, raising left palm to face left shoulder. Shift weight 70% to left foot, while unfolding left palm to face forward & right arm unfolds outward to the right line with right shoulder.

16.Carry Tiger (N): shift weight right, pivoting left foot to point north. Fingertips of both hands point to sides of head. Shift weight left foot & pivot right foot to point north. Shift weight center, relaxing arms down.

17.Cross Hands (N): shift weight to left foot & draw right foot back, shoulder width distant, right toes on a line with left toes. Simultaneously, bring arms up from the sides to cross right wrist in front of left at throat level. Knees are still bent. Evenly distribute weight.

18.Ending Tai Ji (N): uncross wrists, moving arms outstretched at shoulder height & parallel to floor, elbows slightly bent. Bend elbows, bringing wrists inward toward shoulders. Slowly straighten up your legs while relaxing arms down to your sides. Knees and elbows are still slightly bent at end of the movement.