On the Tai Chi section of his website, Phil Cheung lists the 49 steps in the Wudang sword form I’ve been studying. He lists the steps in Chinese characters–it’s the same list I was given in handwritten Chinese! But as these are digital characters, I can look them up, and I did, all of them, to arrive at the list below (a few words might be wrong).

The 49 steps in Standardized Wudang Sword form, handwritten.

The importance of this list lies in the music I have for this form: The movements are called out in Chinese. I can pick up almost nothing without Pinyin, but from the Cheung list, I now have Pinyin that corresponds to what I am hearing in the music, which, sorry, I don’t feel I can post for fear of violating a copyright. If you know where to find this Chinese Tai Chi music (I don’t), I’m sure you can find this popular accompaniment for Wudang.

I haven’t tried to translate it all–a lot of the vocabulary and descriptive moves are familiar from 32-sword, some of it is mystifying–but I have added notes connecting directions with movements for staying with the music, especially where new words occur.

1. Qui Shi
2. 丁 步 点 剑       Ding bu dian jian
3. 回 身 点 剑       Hui shen dian jian
4. 仆 步橫扫         Pu bu heng sao  (the low sweep)
5. 右 左 平 带       You zuo ping dai
6. 分 腳領 剑        Fen jiao ling jian (the kick)
7. 叉 步反撩         Cha bu fan liao  (wheeling the sword)
8. 马 步云抱         Ma bu yun bao (horse stance)
9. 丁 步截  剑       Ding bu jie jian (the cut on the left)
10. 翻 身崩 剑       Fan shen beng jian
11. 弓 步下 刺        Gong bu xia ci (bow stance stab down)
12. 独 立上 刺        Du li shang ci  (stand on one leg stab up)
13. 仆步穿 剑         Pu bu chuan jian (squat and thread sword)
14. 蹬腳前 刺        Deng Jiao qian ci (beginning of the run)
15. 跳 步平刺         Tiao bu ping ci
16. 转身平 刺         Zhuan shen ping ci (turn around level stab)
17. 穿 刺行 步       Chuan jian xing bu
18. 行 步扣 刺       Xing bu kou jian (begin the walk in a circle)
19. 弓 步下 刺        Gong bu xia ci (bow stance, stab down)
20. 騰空跳 刺        Teng kong tiao ci (the jump)
21. 马步藏 剑         Ma bu cang jian (ma bu after jump)
22. 回 身 反 刺       Hui shen fan ci
23. 虛 步崩 剑       Xu bu beng jian
24. 独立上刺          Du li shang ci (stand on one leg and stab up)
25. 撤 步雲斬        Che bu yun zhan
26. 仰 身架 剑       Yang shen jia jian
27. 转 身 回抽        Zhuan shen hui chou (turn body withdraw)
28. 并步 平 刺        Bing bu ping ci (the compass)
29. 行步撩 剑         Xing bu liao jian (run and skip)
30. 仰 身 撩 剑       Yang shen liao jian
31. 蓋步按 剑        Gai bu an jian
32. 跳 步 下 刺       Tiao bu xia ci (Skip and stab down)
33. 歇 步壓 剑       Xie bu ya jian (first sit)
34. 虛步 点 剑        Xu bu dian jian
35. 独 立 托架        Du li tuo jia
36. 弓 步 掛劈        Gong bu gua pi (bow stance wheel)
37. 歇 步後 剑       Xie bu hou jian (second sit)
38. 叉步雲斬         Cha bu yun zhan (feet apart circle sword)
39. 虛 步抱 剑       Xu bu bao jian (empty stance embrace sword)
40. 插 步 平 带       Cha bu ping dai
41. 弓 步 平崩        Gong bu ping beng
42. 提 膝 点 剑       Ti xi dian jian (lift knee point sword)
43. 叉 步反 撩        Cha bu fan liao
44. 丁 步 刺 剑       Ding bu ci jian
45. 丁 步抱 剑        Ding bu bao jian
46. 行 步穿 剑       Xing bu chuan jian (walk in circle)
47. 扣 剑平抹        Kou jian ping ma
48. 并步 平 刺        Bing bu ping ci (feet together level stab)
49. Shou shi