The Yang 108 is the traditional Yang-style empty-hand long form and the major component of our first degree black sash curriculum for Tai Chi at Master Gohring’s Tai Chi and Kung Fu. The form originated with Yang Luchan and was widely promulgated by his grandson, Yang Chengfu, in the first half of the 20th century.
Here’s a cool video–not exactly a video; rather a succession of stills of Yang Cheng Fu performing the 108 moves:
You can see that the names of the movements are provided in Chinese and German. I’d like to study the stills and the Chinese names to see how this compares to the list I have arrived at. And I wonder if I can find a list of the names from Yang Cheng Fu himself? I wonder what the source for this video was?
The Yang family today lists 103 moves in basically the same form; here’s the Yang Family long form, which does not include a shoulder strike after Lift Hands. There are other variants of this form, some of which differ only in how the moves are counted, others making a difference in how the form is actually done. All this makes me appreciate the modern Chinese campaign to standardize.
Quibbling over the most authentic way to count the moves, or what exactly to call them, doesn’t seem very important to the practice of Tai Chi, but I am hung up on it anyway! My list below is based on the names mostly as we learn them at Master Gohring’s (but not exactly) and the Chinese as best I can gather from sources such as this list of the movements, which is close to ours but differs in a few details.
- Preparing Form – Yubei Shi
- Commencement – Qishi
- Ward-off Left – Zuo Peng
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Lift Hands – Ti Shou
- Strike with Shoulder – You Kao
- White Crane Spreads Wings – Bai He Liang Chi
- Brush Knee Push – Lou Xi Au Bu
- Playing the Lute – Shou Hui Pipa
- Left Brush Knee Push – Zuo Lou Xi Au Bu
- Right Brush Knee Push – You Lou Xi Au Bu
- Left Brush Knee Push – Zuo Lou Xi Au Bu
- Playing the Lute – Shou Hui Pipa
- Left Brush Knee Push – Zuo Lou Xi Au Bu
- Step Forward Block, Parry and Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui
- Withdraw and Push – Ru Feng Si Bi
- Cross Hands – Shi Zi Shou
[Second section:] - Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain – Bao Hu Gui Shan
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Diagonal Single Whip – Xie Dan Bien
- Fist Under Elbow – Zhou Di Chui
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Slant Flying – Xie Fei Shi
- Lift Hands – Ti Shou
- Strike with Shoulder – You Kao
- White Crane Spreads Wings – Bai He Liang Chi
- Brush Knee Push – Lou Xi Ao Bu
- Needle at Sea Bottom – Hai Di Zhen
- Fan Through Back – Shan Tong Bei
- Turn and Strike with Backfist – Zhuan Shen Pie Shen Chui
- Step Forward Block, Parry and Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Cloud Hands – Yun Shou
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- High Pat on Horse – Gao Tan Ma
- Separate Right Foot – You Fen Jiao
- Separate Left Foot – Zuo Fen Jiao
- Turn and Strike with Heel Left – Zhuan Shen Zuo Deng Jiao
- Brush Knee Push – Lou Xi Au Bu
- Brush Knee Push – Lou Xi Au Bu
- Step Up and Punch Down – Jin Bu Zai Chui
- Turn and Strike with Backfist – Zhuan Shen Pie Shen Chui
- Step Forward Block, Parry and Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui
- Strike with Heel Right – You Deng Jiao
- Hit the Tiger Left – Zuo Da Hu Shi
- Hit the Tiger Right – You Da Hu Shi
- Strike with Heel Right – You Deng Jiao
- Box the Tiger’s Ears – Shuang Feng Guan Er
- Strike with Heel Left – Zuo Deng Jiao
- Turn and Strike with Heel Right – Zhuan Shen You Deng Jiao
- Step Forward Block, Parry and Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui
- Withdraw and push – Ru Feng Si Bi
- Cross Hands – Shi Zi Shou
[Third secton:] - Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain – Bao Hu Gui Shan
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Diagonal Single Whip – Xie Dan Bian
- Part the Wild Horse-s Mane – Ye Ma Fen Zong
- Part the Wild Horse-s Mane – Ye Ma Fen Zong
- Part the Wild Horse-s Mane – Ye Ma Fen Zong
- Ward-off Left – Zuo Peng
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Fair Lady Works the Shuttle – Yu Nu Chuan Shuo
- Fair Lady Works the Shuttle – Yu Nu Chuan Shuo
- Fair Lady Works the Shuttle – Yu Nu Chuan Shuo
- Fair Lady Works the Shuttle – Yu Nu Chuan Shuo
- Ward off Left – Zuo Peng
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Cloud Hands – Yun Shou
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Snake Creeps Down – Xia Shi
- Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg – Jin Ji Du Li
- Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg – Jin Ji Du Li
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Repulse Monkeys – Dao Nian Hou
- Slant Flying – Xie Fei Shi
- Lift Hands – Ti Shou
- Strike with Shoulder – You Kao
- White Crane Spreads Wings – Bai He Liang Chi
- Brush Knee Push – Lou Xi Au Bu
- Needle at Sea Bottom – Hai Di Zhen
- Fan Through Back – Shan Tong Bei
- Turn and White Snake Spits Out His Tongue – Zhuan Shen Bai She Tu Xin
- Step Forward, Block, Parry, Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Cloud Hands – Yun Shou
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- High Pat on Horse – Gao Tan Ma
- Pierce Palm – Chuan Zhang
- Cross Form Kick – Shi Zi Tui (?)
- Step Forward and Punch to Groin – Jin Bu Zhi Dang Chui
- Grasp the Bird’s Tail – Lan Que Wei
- Single Whip – Dan Bian
- Snake Creeps Down – Xia Shi
- Step Up Seven Stars – Shang Bu Qi Xing
- Step Back and Ride the Tiger – Tui Bu Kua Hu
- Turn and Sweep the Lotus – Zhuan Shen Bai Lian
- Bend Bow Shoot Tiger – Wan Gong She Hu
- Step Forward Block, Parry and Punch – Jin Bu Ban Lan hui
- Withdraw and Push – Ru Feng Si Bi
- Cross Hands – Shi Zi Shou
- Close Form – Shou Shi
Ha! I just typed that from memory! I’ll have to double-check.
I’ll post more (maybe much more) on this form, including links to video sources and applications. I love all the new material I’ve learned since I got my black sash, but this form remains my favorite and (as Master Gohring says) my core discipline.
Tai Chi Notebook 