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The 42 Forms Combined Taijiquan Routine
Longfei News Letters - Volume 3, Issue 3

Origins and Structure of the 42 Forms Combined Taijiquan Routine - Part 1

by Simon Watson

The last few hundred years of Taijiquan's evolution has been witness to the development of many different schools and styles. Up until the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China, this process was more or less a spontaneous one with each school or style drawing a limited and select number of followers.

Therefore it was decided that, under the guidance of the state commission for physical culture and sports science, several sets of Taijiquan, including the 24 Forms, 48 Forms and the 88 Forms as well as a set of Taijijian (sword) routines were compiled and promoted. As a result of this campaign, Taijiquan's popularity and interest has soared. This remarkable resurgence has been welcomed both in China and indeed, the world.

This increasing interest in recent times has been instrumental in the internationalisation of Taijiquan and in turn has been proceeded by many international exchanges and competitions.

However, during these exchanges and continuing demand for competition, organisers began to encounter various problems, resulting from a lack of uniformity in both structure and content of the older traditional sets. Therefore the Chinese martial arts associations organised a group of professors and specialists to develop and standardise various competition routines in order to help with the interaction and progress of Taijiquan.

China Hosts the 11th Asian Games

The 42 Forms Combined Taijiquan routine was developed when Taijiquan became popular as a competitive sport/art in the 1980s. It was considered necessary to develop a unified style of Taijiquan to allow athletes to compete.

The state commission for physical culture and sports science selected China's foremost experts and masters from the major schools of Taijiquan to compile and standardise an internationally recognised routine to help promote and meet the increasing development growth and popularity of the art. Once the routine had been created, experts and professors were invited to examine and verify the routine.

Among these compilers were twenty-one of China's most respected and leading authorities from both traditional Taijiquan family lineages as well as academic backgrounds. Some of these masters included Yang Zhen Dou (Yang Family descendant), Chen Xiao Wang (inheritor and 19th generation to the Chen family lineage), Li Tianji (studied Sun Style Taijiquan with Sun Lutang) as well as Li Binci, Li Deyin, Kan Guixiang, Wu Bin and Feng Zhiqiang, to mention a few. After some modifications, the 42 was approved and published by the Chinese Wushu Association and recognised and accepted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).

These routines are based on traditional routines and reflect the accumulated knowledge and experience of these masters. The routine designers have consulted a great number of historical records and documents so that the routines are improved in content, characteristics, structure and difficulty of movement, which also conform with international competition rules and regulations. The 42 routine has been favourably received by athletes, coaches and judges internationally.

The consensus of opinion is that these routines, while retaining and preserving the traditional principles and characteristic features, embody higher degrees of difficulty in technical execution which is good for raising the standard of the sport and competition.

The 42 Forms was first introduced into the competitive arena at the 11th Asian games hosted in China in 1990. Forty-seven nations took part. Its format is now used in all World and European Wushu Championships and gives the competitor the opportunity to demonstrate their overall skill and knowledge of Taijiquan.

The 42 contains some intricate and complicated movements involving greater physical exertion than some of the more simplified sets. In no way does it interfere or cancel the importance of traditional forms of Taijiquan. It is not restricted to the athlete wishing to compete, but an excellent introduction to the practitioner or enthusiast wishing to understand and learn the different flavours and unique characteristics each style has to offer.

Structure

The 42 Forms are divided into four sections. Section one contains ten postures, with the emphasis placed mainly on the upper body and hand techniques and combinations. This section is mostly Yang Style. The second section contains eight postures with the main significance stressed upon the understanding and clear interpretation of the skills, techniques, characteristics and unique features each individual style encompasses.

This section is technically difficult and sees the introduction of the Sun, Wu and Chen schools. Although this section concentrates on employing upper body and hand applications of both the Wu and Chen styles the lower limb manoeuvres must execute precise and agile footwork skills and techniques common to Sun style Taijiquan. The Wu style is based principally on the forms created by Wu Jianquan, founder of this style.

Its movements are well knit, gentle and lithe. This section allows the practitioner to accomplish a deeper understanding and knowledge of the different qualities each style possesses.

The third section contains eleven postures and is the most physically demanding of the four sections. This section is the most complicated, requiring strength, balance and lower leg flexibility. This section is the climax of the routine and is designed to demonstrate the skills of the lower limbs including stable, leg and foot techniques. The concluding thirteen postures complete the 42 and includes a series of high and low postures both squatting and stretching. This combines the different styles cleverly and are beautifully arranged, choreographed and structured to conclude the routine.

Unlike the traditional forms which place a higher load on the right limbs than the left, the 42 Forms Combined Routine consists of more symmetrical movements to give the body a better balanced and more comprehensive development.

Essential Requirements and Characteristics

The 42 Combined Routine is divided into four sections. Each section requires specific and distinctive criteria which are as follows:

SECTION 1
Section 1 is based mainly on the Yang style. Yang Style characteristic features and technical requirements:

  1. Body relaxed, natural and straight.

  2. Light, agile and steady movements. Centre of gravity stable when moving.

  3. Postures soft and rhythmical, use of strength, supple yet firm, even and stable.

  4. Postures big and open, full and flexible, neither hard or inert, too straight or too bent, postures rounded and circular. 

SECTION 2
Section 2 features traditional Sun and Chen style Taijiquan movements and forms. Sun Style characteristic features and technical requirements:

  1. The transition that connects each posuture must be simple, direct and clear. When turning from one direction to another use the whole of one foot and pivot on the heel of the opposite foot.

  2. Another unique characteristic of the Sun Style is the use of 'Open and Close' movements. This technique appears often and is used to connect one posture to another.

  3. The dexterous and agile footwork associated with the Sun Style is another unique feature. The footwork involved is both intricate and detailed and involves light and nimble manoeuvres. When advancing forward with the front leg, the back foot follows and similarly when retreating with the back leg the front foot follows. It is because of this very strong characteristic that Sun Style is often referred to as "lively paced frame Taijiquan."

SECTION 2.2
The second part of section 2 features the Chen Style Forms and movements which emphasise strong characteristics and unique features of that style. Chen Style characteristic features and technical requirements:

  1. A significant feature of the Chen style is its use of exerting and issuing explosive power - "Fa-jing". The skill must be clear and executed correctly and must demonstrate gathering and releasing power.

  2. The second essential characteristic is "Chan Yao" the use of spiralling both hand and body. With the Yang Style the moves emphasise roundness, whereas the Chen Style uses curves.

  3. Zhe Dia. When during a movement a change of direction is called for, at the precise moment of the change of direction a brief twisting turn is fist made in the opposite direction, in a motion similar in shape to that of a braking wave. It is similar in action to an overlapping effect. In application its action implies: "When intending to go right one should first move left and when the intention is to go down you go slightly up first".

SECTION 3
Section 3 features traditional Wu and Yang Style Taijiquan movements and forms. Wu Style characteristic features and Technical Requirements:

  1. A unique feature with the Wu style is "Slant but Straight". This involves the upper body leaning obliquely to the side or the front, unlike the Yang Style that has the axis perpendicular to the base. Although the trunk slopes, it is essential to understand the posture is still straight, extended and full, not bent or concave and hollow. "Slant but Straight" is like a pole that when upright it is straight and when it is slanted it is still straight.

  2. The second requirement involves the footwork. The distinguishing quality appears in many stances throughout the Wu Style and requires both back and front feet remaining parallel with toes pointing forward. Wu Style footwork being different from Yang Style which has one foot straight and one at a 45 degree angle.

  3. Thirdly, when standing on one leg the toes of the raised foot are pointing upward.

SECTION 4
Section 4, whilst maintaining many of the important classical forms and combinations from traditional routines, also incorporates some modifications to the old styles. These include forms 30, "Xu Bu Ya Zhang" and forms 31, "Du Li Tuo Zhang".

In addition to these two modifications we see the introduction to "Da Lu". This is from Yang style pushing hands and displays the martial application and techniques of "Chou and Kou" use of elbow and shoulder. The routine is completed in the same format as the traditional styles of Taijiquan.

To be continued....

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