Monthly Archives: July 2024

More Wu-style Tai Chi

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In my last post, on the Wu 45, I didn’t include the list of movements. Here it is.

吴式太极拳45式竞赛套路 (Wu-style Tai Chi 45-step competition routine) [PDF]

The Wu 45 is the competition form, so it’s pretty demanding. For beginners, a very short routine—just 13 movements, no kicks, no low form—makes for an easy introduction to some of the most important movements. When I practice this one, I add Cloud Hands after Fair Lady Works the Shuttle, before Single Whip.

  1. Qishi (beginning)
  2. Lanquewei (grasp the bird’s tail)
  3. You zuo lou xi au bu (R/L brush knee push)
  4. Jin bu ban lan chui (step forward, block, parry, punch)
  5. You zuo ye ma fen zong (R/L part the wild horse’s mane)
  6. You zuo dao juan gong (R/L go back whirling arms)
  7. Hai di zhen (needle at sea bottom)
  8. Shan tong bei (flash the back)
  9. Zhuan shen pie shen chui (turn around strike with back fist)
  10. Jin bu zai chui (step up and punch down)
  11. You zuo yunuchuan suo (R/L fair lady works the shuttle)
  12. Danbien (single whip)
  13. Shou shi (close form)
Amin Wu demonstrates the Wu-13

Master Wu also teaches Wu 24, which is very much like Wu 13 but adds opposites sides of needle at sea bottom and flash the back, plus both directions of cloud hands. She offers instructional videos on this form as well.

Wu-Style Tai Chi (3)

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The modern competition form in Wu-style is the Wu 45. Like other competition routines, it incorporates the opening of the traditional form, plus many of the most important moves of the old form, but it is more left/right balanced and contains no repetition. Also like other competition routines, the Wu 45 is about six minutes long.

宗維洁 Zōng Wéi jié (1969- Beijing) is a six-time national champion in Wu-style Tai Chi competition.

Here is a list of the 45 movements (PDF).

Alas! The excellent China Wushu YouTube station no longer exists! In fall and winter of 2022-2023, I used the teaching series by Zong Wei Jie to learn the Wu 45. I have hunted down most of the videos on other YouTube stations, but I cannot find the introductory piece anywhere. In it, one of Zong’s students gives an amazing performance of the whole routine.

Here is a demo of the whole routine by Zong herself. Video quality is not the best:

Of the introductory videos on the elements of Wu style, I have located only one:

Video 4: Bufa (footwork)

I have found links to all the segments teaching the routine:

Video 7: Moves 1-5

Video 8: Moves 6-10

Video 9: Moves 11-15

Video 10: Moves 16-20

Video 11: Moves 21-25

Video 12: Moves 26-30

Video 13: Moves 31-35

Video 14: Moves 36-40

Video 15: Moves 41-45

Amin Wu (吳阿敏 Wú Ā Mǐn) (About Master Wu) is another great Wu-style Tai Chi Master. Like Zong, she studied under Master Li Bingci (李秉慈 Lǐ Bǐng cí). She offers a video teaching series on Wu 45, available on Vimeo for only $20. I have used many teaching videos by Master Wu over the years (Yang, Sun, and Wu!)—they are all excellent.

Master Amin Wu teaching Wu-style 45-step Tai Chi

And here is a demonstration of the whole routine by Master Amin Wu: