Tai chi grades

Traditionally, at least three years of dedicated training were required before a student could be considered to have acquired a rudimentary knowledge of tai chi skills.

(Zhang Yun)

Beginners belts

There are 8 beginners belts to pass:

1. White

2. Yellow

3. Orange

4. Green

5. Blue

6. Purple

7. Brown (part 1)

8. Brown (part 2)

White

· Alignment
· Balance
· Centre
· Chin na (intro)
· Qigong
- 8 topics
· Stepping
· Structure

Yellow

· Escape from a hold
· Eyes-closed walking
· Monkey paws (intro)
· Neigong (intro)
· Penetrating defences (intro)
· Posture testing
· Pushing hands
· Pushing legs (intro)
· Qigong
- 8 topics
· Striking
· Yielding exercise

· Challenge – full circle qigong

Orange

· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 1)
· 4 ounces
· Central equilibrium (exercise 1)
· Countering (intro)
· Floor work (intro)
· Group work/melee (intro)
· Punching rehabilitation
· Shido geiko
· Yielding basic skills

· Challenge - form

Green

· Central equilibrium (exercise 2)
· Fear of falling
· Playing the attacker
· Qigong development
· Shuai jiao basic skills
· Small san sau (intro)

· Challenge - qigong development

Blue

· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 2)
· Countering punches, kicks and grapples
· Countering/pushing peng
· Dying ground
· Knife drills
· Melee 1 & 2
· Monkey paws
· Pushing peng
· Qigong
- 16 topics (column 2)
· Yielding/chin na
· Yielding/shuai jiao

· Challenge - 5 minutes yielding/chin na endurance
· Challenge - form
· Challenge - knife drilling

Required reading:

· Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its Power)

Purple

· 3-D
· 60/40 stance
· Everybody falls
· Form application (section 1 intro)
· Neutral state/composure
· Small san sau
· Stick drills (set 1)

· Challenge - 10 minutes endurance
· Challenge - small san sau
· Challenge - stick drills (set 1)

Required reading:

· The Art of War (Cleary/Shambhala)

Brown (part 1)

· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 3)
· Being hit
· Gravity striking
· Loose striking
· Melee 3-5
· Pushing peng (partnered)
· Pushing peng (striking)
· Speed striking
· Silk arms (1-10)
· Stick drills (set 2)
· Yielding/countering

· Challenge - 5 challenges
· Challenge - form
· Challenge - silk arms
· Challenge - stick drills (set 2)

Required reading:

· Chuang Tzu (Thomas Merton)

Brown (part 2)

· Yang Cheng Fu form (mirrored)
· 13 postures
· Balance, rhythm, timing
· Countering a knife
· Elbow
· Escapes/knife
· Neigong
- 10 qualities
· Penetrating defences
· Stick drills (set 3)
· Yielding/knife

· Challenge - 13 postures
· Challenge - mirrored form
· Challenge - penetrating defences drilling
· Challenge - stick drills (set 3)

Required reading:

· The Book of Five Rings (Cleary/Shambhala)

Dan grades...

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Tai Chi Grades 2

Page created 11 June 1994