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Cheng Man-ch'ing 37-Posture Short Form 鄭子太極拳三十七式
Cheng Man-ch'ing counted 37 named postures; repeated movements done in between are shown as notes. Numbering follows Qialance's posture list and agrees with the Michigan State University tai chi club list.
Cheng Man-ch'ing (Zheng Manqing) Yang37 stepsCheng Man-ch'ing, 1940s
Watch the whole form 影片
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Practice tips
- Learn one section at a time and repeat it daily before adding the next.
- Face the same wall each time so the directions stay consistent.
- Keep stances higher than you think you need. Depth comes with time.
- Breathe naturally and let the breath follow the movement.
- Film yourself now and then and compare with the videos.
Reading this list
Each line is one posture, in order. Repeated postures keep their own number. Pinyin (romanised Chinese) is on the right, and underlined names link to the movement glossary.
37 postures · 3 sections
☞ Hover over any underlined movement to see an animated example. Click it to open that movement in the glossary, with how-to instructions and how it varies between styles. Source: Qialance – Cheng Manching 37 form posture names; MSU Tai Chi Club 37-form list.
Postures 1–17
- 1.PreparationYu Bei Shi
- 2.BeginningQi Shi
- 3.Ward Off LeftZuo Peng
- 4.Ward Off Right (Grasp the Bird's Tail)You Peng
- 5.Roll BackLu
- 6.PressJi
- 7.PushAn
- 8.Single WhipDan Bian
- 9.Lift HandsTi Shou
- 10.Shoulder StrokeKao
- 11.White Crane Spreads Its WingsBai He Liang Chi
- 12.Brush Knee Twist StepLou Xi Ao Bu
- 13.Play the Guitar (then Brush Knee again)Shou Hui Pi Pa
- 14.Step Up and DeflectJin Bu
- 15.Parry and PunchBan Lan Chui
- 16.Apparent Close UpRu Feng Si Bi
- 17.Cross HandsShi Zi Shou
Postures 18–31
- 18.Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain (then Grasp Bird's Tail and diagonal Single Whip)Bao Hu Gui Shan
- 19.Fist Under ElbowZhou Di Chui
- 20.Step Back and Repulse Monkey, RightDao Nian Hou
- 21.Step Back and Repulse Monkey, LeftDao Nian Hou
- 22.Diagonal FlyingXie Fei Shi
- 23.Cloud Hands, LeftYun Shou
- 24.Cloud Hands, RightYun Shou
- 25.Snake Creeps Down (Single Whip Squat)She Shen Xia Shi
- 26.Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, RightJin Ji Du Li
- 27.Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, LeftJin Ji Du Li
- 28.Separate Right FootFen Jiao
- 29.Separate Left FootFen Jiao
- 30.Turn and Kick with Heel (then Brush Knee left and right)Zhuan Shen Deng Jiao
- 31.Step Forward and Punch Down (then Grasp Bird's Tail and Single Whip)Jin Bu Zai Chui
Postures 32–37
- 32.Fair Lady Works the Shuttles, LeftYu Nu Chuan Suo
- 33.Fair Lady Works the Shuttles, Right (two more corners, Grasp Bird's Tail, Single Whip, Snake Creeps Down)Yu Nu Chuan Suo
- 34.Step Up to Seven StarsShang Bu Qi Xing
- 35.Retreat to Ride the TigerTui Bu Kua Hu
- 36.Turn Body and Sweep LotusZhuan Shen Bai Lian
- 37.Bend the Bow to Shoot the Tiger (then Deflect, Parry, Punch, Apparent Close, Cross Hands, Closing)Wan Gong She Hu
Names and numbering vary between teachers and books. Learn from a qualified teacher and move within a comfortable range.