G
George Martin
Guest
Does anyone know of a decent book that has 37 form Yang style. I have the book by Zhang Fuxing and it only has 24 and 88.
The 24 forms also known as the simplified form is based (loosely)on Yang Shi Taijiquan, the 37 step form devised by Cheng Man Ching is often refered to as Yang style although is as far removed from the posture requirements of traditional Yang Shi. Both of these forms contain embellishments and incorrect practices. Such as the lack of distinction between open and closed posture, the line ups of the arms and legs, the application, the spirit etc, changes in body requirments. Infact I have seen the 37 step performed and taught in an overly floppy manner and the simplified form taught and practised with students fully focussed on what their hands are doing throughout the form. The simplified form has come to over emphasise the large frame of Yang shi and make large sweeping movements that lose the application, this is particularly eveident in the grasp birds tail section. Both of these forms also emphasise the 'holding the ball' idea which violates the principle of ...one part moves, all parts move....Yang Shi Taijiquan has no ball holding, but instead completes the application, maintaining the principles throughout the form. All in all if you are limited in what is available I would tend to go for the simplified form over the 37 as it is a bit closer to Yang style.The 24 form that I have learned is Yang style. However I am not sure that the 37 form that we are learning is the same style however I think so as several of the beginning moves are pretty much the same. I will check out these reference books and see what they contain.
Originally posted by Taiji fan
all forms have any number of movemnts depending on how you count them, which is why I prefer to refer to the '24' step form as the simplified form because funnily enough if you count all the moves individually there are way more than 24, the 37 step form as the Cheng Man Ching form and we refere to our form as either the Yang family form or the tradtional form or the long form, we don't give it a number, sometimes it gets refered to as the 108 step, the 88, step the 103 step ..........phew its like counting sheep, it could send you to sleep. And there are enough people who practise taiji as if they are half asleep already
I understand, but it does lead to quite a bit of confusion. As the form itself is different and the manner in which its practised is so different, I have people turing up to class who have done CMC style but called it Yang and then felt stupid when they hae found out that we are doing something totally different. It would seem to make more sense to call CMC taiji CMC style, Traditional Yang- Yang Style and then I wouldn't have such a problem with it.I know CMC isn't the Yang style of Yang family per se, but considering YCF was his taiji teacher, by no other reason, he's grouped as Yang.
so to differentiate it from Yang would be no problem. I guess for the same reason that Yang came from the Chen style but was altered to suit Yang Lu Chan's ideas of fighting and then further changed by Yang Cheng Fu, so developed into Yang and the same for Sun and Wu, tht way CMC's developments can be personalised to his method of understanding and practice and the style recognised as its own.I personally don't like the look of the Cheng Man-Ching form,, but I have to say it is a very effective fighting form.
Originally posted by East Winds
Don't want to get into the useless "my form is better than your form" debate, but it was Cheng Man Ching who CLAIMED to have been a student of Yang Cheng-fu. You won't find his name in any of the Yang lineages!!! When Yang Cheng-fu changed Yang Lu Chang's form for the third time, he said "That is it. The form cannot be refined any further. To do so would be to destroy the essence of the form". Cheng Man Ching promptly changed the form!!
I personally don't like the look of the Cheng Man-Ching form,, but I have to say it is a very effective fighting form.