Traditional Yang Style and the 88 Standardised Form

A number of individuals who have purchased Professor Lis recent book have been prompted to ask what the difference is between the 88 form and the 81 form illustrated in the book by his grandfather Master Li Yulin. The answer is quite simple; there is no difference. However there has to be a logical explanation and here it is.

Photograph of the author's grandfather, Li Yulin, illustrates the 81 form in Professor Li's new book

The first change occurs after form 14, Hold the Tiger and Return to Mountain. In the 88 the form is divided into two parts, (1) Return to Mountain and (2) Obliquely Grasp Sparrows Tail. The second change occurs at form 30, Separate Feet Right and Left. ln the 88 this form becomes 31 Right Kick and 32 Left Kick. The third change is found at movement 37. In the 88 this form becomes two, 39 Sidle Left to Tame the Tiger and 32 Sidle Right to Tame the Tiger. The fourth change occurs at form 45 and is the same as the change at form 14. In the 88 Hold the Tiger and Return to Mountain is again divided into two parts. The fifth change is at form 54, Single Bian Downward. In the 88 this form is again divided into two parts, 58 Single Whip and 59 Snake Sweeps Down. Change six is at form 69, Gauge the Height of the Horse which includes Palms Back to Back. In the 88 this form is divided into two, 74 High Pat on the Horse and 75 Cross Palms Back to Back. The seventh change occurs at form 73 and is the same as the fifth change at form 54, eg Single Bian Downward becomes 79 Single Whip and 80 Snake Sweeps Down. These seven changes/additions create the aggregate of the 88 forms.

Thus the two routines are simply different ways of counting the forms.

History

As far as we can gather, the first recording of the Yang system was in the 1920s when the number of forms published were the original 81. Yang Cheng Fu is credited with the formation of the current count of 85. This is the number of forms recognised in the book published by Fu Sheng Yuan entitled, Authentic Yang Family Tai Chi. Fus father, Master Fu Zhong Wen, was a life long student of Yang Cheng Fu. Coming from such a reliable source it authenticates the additional four forms to Yang Cheng Fu.

The first change occurs and represents an additional move, over and above the 81 where there is an additional Brush Knee after the second Strumming the Lute (form 10). Two more additions are gained when counting the Single Whip and Snake Creeps Down as two forms, whereas the 81 combines the two into one form. (This occurs twice). The other addition is in the counting of Sidle Left and Right to Tame the Tiger. Once again the 85 counts this move as two.

Evolution of the 88

We have shown that regardless of the different methods of counting the forms, the Yang school retains a regular conformity. The compiling of the 88 took place in 1957 and was carried out by a committee of traditional Yang masters, experts and stylists. The restructuring took place with the approval of the government and the sporting authorities. Standardisation had begun with the creation of the 24 Simplified Taijiquan and the 32 Taijijian, and the obvious next step was to standardise the long form of the most popular type of taijiquan. The difference in counting would be one of inconsistency in the way taijiquan was taught.

Originally almost a folk art and noted as an esoteric martial art, the differences of training methods and the transmission of the art was entirely individualistic. Our first encounter with the Yang style was with Master Chu King Hung and the International Tai Chi Chuan Association. Here we understood the count to be 108 and this number conformed to the only publication available at that time.

Tai-Chi Chuan its Effects and Practical Applications was published in Shanghai in 1947. The first English edition became available in 1971. This was a valuable book to use as a reference in those early days of our training. The author, Yearning K Chen, illustrated his book with line drawings that were almost certainly traced copies of existing photographs of Yang Cheng Fu. Both the ITCCA and this book referred to 108 postures.

While training with Master Chu, I produced an illustrated compilation of photographs of Yang Cheng Fu and these 130 pictures appear to be perhaps the only recorded material of his form. Two years ago Professor Li gave me a chart of Yang Cheng Fus postures recently produced in China. These are exactly the same 130 pictures I compiled for Master Chu and the ITCCA. We mentioned Fu Sheng Yuans book above. A recent translation of his fathers book, Fu Zhongwens Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan, was published in 1999 and translated by Louis Swaim the original was published in 1963. The illustrated drawings are also taken from the original 130 photographs of Yang Cheng Fu.

Regardless of how individual groups arrive at their final count, the Yang form consists of 41 pristine forms, all the other forms are repetitions of the 41. The first teacher to create a shortened version of elements of the Yang style was Cheng Man Ching, sometimes referred to as 37 steps. However I can only arrive at a total of 30 pristine forms in this routine.

As mentioned earlier, standardisation began with the 24. This shortened form employs 20 of the long forms 41 pristine forms. There are four repetitions that occur when the following forms are repeated:

1. Grasp The Birds Tail
2. Single Whip
3. Turn and Kick with Left Heel
4. Push Down and Stand on One Leg

The 41 pristine forms

These 41 forms are the unique and pristine elements of the Yang style before the various repetitions and methods of counting that have been added by various schools. I think we could assume they also represent 41 martial applications. However it is possible that the construction of taijiquan is from the endeavour of more than one contributor and we should keep in mind the 13 basic methods referred to in Professor Lis book. It is unknown who was the author of the 13 methods, but please refer to pages 38-40 for a greater elucidation of the strategy.

41 pristine forms of traditional Yang style

1. Yubeshi	Ready position
2. Taiji Qishi	Begin Taiji
3. Lanquewei	Grasp the Peacock's Tail
4. Danbian	Single Whip
5. Tishou	Lift the Hands
6. Baihe Liangchi	White Crane opens Wings
7. Louxi Aobu	Brush Knee and Twist Step
8. Shouhui Pipa	Play the Lute
9. Jinbu Banlanchui	Deflect, Block, Parry and Punch
10. Rufeng Sibi	Pull Back and Push
11. Shizishou	Cross Hands
12. Baohu Guishan	Carry the Tiger to the Mountain
13. Zhoudi Kanchui	Fist under the Elbow
14. Daonianhou	Drive back the Monkey
15. Xiefeishi	Diagonal Flying
16. Haidizhizhen	Needle at Sea Bottom
17. Shantongbei	Fan through the Back
18. Pieshenchui	Turn and Punch
19. Yunshou	Move Hands like Clouds
20. Gaotanma	Gauge the Height of the Horse
21. Zouyou Fenjiao	Separate Feet Right and Left
22. Zhuanshen Zuo Dengjiao	Turn and Kick with Left Heel
23. Shangbu Zaichui	Step Forward and Punch Down
24. Fanshen Baishe Tuxin	White Snake Spits Poison
25. You Dengjiao	Kick with Right Heel
26. Zouyou Pishen Fuhu	Turn Round to Tame Tiger Left and Right
27. Huishen You Dengjiao	Turn and Kick with Right Heel
28. Shuangfeng Guan'er	Strike Opponent's Ears with Both Fists
29. Zou Dengjiao	Kick with Left Heel
30. Zhuanshen You Dengjiao	Turn Round and Kick with Right Heel
31. Zouyou Yema Fenzong	Part the Wild Horse's Mane
32. Yunu Chuansuo	Jade Maiden Moves the Shuttles
33. Danbian Xiashi	Single Whip Downward
34. Zuoyou Jinji Duli	Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg
35. Zhuanshen Shizijiao	Turn Around and Cross the Feet
36. Louxi Zhidangchui	Brush the Knee and Punch the Crotch
37. Shangbu Qixing	Step Forward to Seven Stars
38. Tuibu Kuahu	Step Back to Ride the Tiger
39. Zhuanshen Bailian	Turn Round and Lotus Swing
40. Wangong Shehu	Draw the Bow and Shoot the Tiger
41. Hetaiji	Return to the Beginning Taiji Posture

The 13 methods of taijiquan

8 basic hand techniques
Peng	Ward off
Lu	Roll back
Ji	Press, squeeze
An	Push forward
Cai	Pull down
Lie	Split
Zhou	Elbow strike
Kao	Shoulder strike
5 basic stances
Jinbu	Step in (advance, attack)
Tuibu	Step back (retreat, defend)
Zougu	Move to left (evade to side)
Youpan	Move to right (evade to side)
Zhongding	Hold a central position

The 13 methods of taijiquan are the cornerstone of all 41 forms of Yang style taijiquan.

Richard and Simon Watson

Longfei Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 2 Table of Contents