Chen 18 Taijiquan Short Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei
18 Movements Short Form
Notes by Michael P. Garofalo, Vancouver, Washington, 2024
Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei
Webpage by Michael P. Garofalo
Bibliography, links, resources, notes, quotes, videos, lists, photos, comments.
Chen's Taichi for Health and Wellness By Grandmaster Chen Zenglei. White Bench Publications, Toronto, Canada, 2010, 94 pages. Warmup exercises, and detailed instructions with some photographs for the Chen 18 Short Form. Jack Yan is a collaborator I like this book quite a bit. $24.00 in 2/2021. VSCL.
Chen Style Taijiquan Short 18 Form Performance by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei UTube, color, 3:38 Minutes, 2007.
The Chen Style Taijiquan for Life Enhancement. Written by Chen Zhenglei and translated by Xu Hailing. Zhongzhou Classic Publishing House, Zhengzhou, China, 2002. Text in English and Chinese. ISBN: 7534821819. 149 pages. "Describes the principles of Chen style for life enhancement, basic training, Taiji Skills for Preserving Energy and the 18 Forms of the Chen Style. Many photos of Chen Zhenglei doing Exercises and forms. Chen Zhenglei is one of the top Chen stylists in China. Paperback, 149 pages, 5 1/2' by 8'. - Wayfarer Publications "It covers the content of the health exercise silk reeling video, and is a useful reference, giving more detail, especially on theory." This is a very expensive out of print book, not worth $150.00. I purchased back in 2004 for $25.00. VSCL.
Essence of Traditional Chen Style 18 Posture Short Form. Instructional DVD by Shifu Jiang Jian-ye. Color, 87 Minutes. Capital District Tai Chi and Kung Fu Association of New York, 1997. "Cheng Zheng Lei (the 19th generation of the Chen Family) created this form from the old style of Chen first and second routines. It includes "silk reeling," fa jin (releasing energy), and balance. This short form is a good introduction for beginners or for those with little Chen style experience." "A good introductory Chen form that includes silk reeling and fajing movements as well as other characteristics of the Chen first and second routines. Chen Zhenglei, one of today's top Chen stylists, created the form.There is a demonstration of the entire form followed by step-by-step teaching in slow motion with 2-4 views, from the front, back and side. There are front and back demonstrations of each segment (5 to 7 moves each.) At the end of the teaching there are demonstrations, front and back. There are also excerpts from other Chen forms." - Wayfarer Publications. CDTKA. VSCL. I use a Cboy V-Zon portable DVD player and this DVD works fine because of the way it is organized.
Chen Style Taijiquan
Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Movements Tai Chi Hand Form, 2001
List of 18 Movements
1. Beginning Posture of Taiji (Taiji Chu Shi)
2. Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds the Mortar (Jin Gang Dao Dui)
3. Lazily Tying One's Coat (Lan Zha Yi)
4. Six Sealing and Four Closing (Liu Feng Si Bi)
5. Single Whip (Dan Bian)
6. White Crane Spreads Its Wings (Bai E Liang Chi)
7. Walk Diagonally (Xie Xing)
8. Brush Knee (Lou Xi)
9. Stepping to Both Sides (Ao Bu)
10. Cover Hands and Strike with Fist (Yan Shou Gong Quan)
11. High Pat on the Horse (Gao Tan Ma)
12. Kick with the Left Heel (Zuo Deng Yi Gen)
13. Jade Maiden Working Her Loom (Yu Nu Chuan Suo)
14. Cloud Hands (Yun Shou)
15. Turn Body with Double Lotus Kick (Zhuan Shen Shuang Bai Lian)
16. Cannon Fist Over the Head (Dan Tou Pao)
17. Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds the Mortar (Jin Gang Dao Dui)
18. Closing Posture of Taiji (Taiji Shou Shi)
Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei. By Michael P. Garofalo. Bibliography, links, resources, notes, information, lists, practices, quotes.
List of Movements in Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Form (1 Page, PDF) English Only
By C. P. Ong. Bagua Press, 2013. 366 pages. ISBN:
978-0615874074. "This book diverges from traditional
exposition on Taijiquan as it engages rather than shuns the role
of muscles in elucidating the cryptic practice dictum of “using yi (mind) and
not li (muscle force).” It centers on the core principle of Taiji balance—the
balance of yin and yang, but presents the metaphysics of balance the way the
body comprehends it, developmentally, through practice in the musculo-skeletal
framework. In the process, the fog of mystique lifts, and the many abstruse
concepts of Taijiquan become clear. Taijiquan training is physical at the
initial phase, but the slow-motion exercise nurtures a meditative discipline of
the mind. As it progresses, the soft methodology grows into one of building
qi-energy, and then the practice becomes more internalized. The process
fortifies the body with qi and cultivates a holistic balance of the organ
systems. The book explains how the training methodology, in pursuing Taiji
balance, leads to the development of a highly refined strength called neijin
(inner strength). By incorporating the training of “silk-reeling energy” in
Taiji balance, the practitioner develops the coiling power (chanrao jin) that
underlies the magic of Taijiquan kungfu." Dr. Ong has a Ph.D. in
mathematics from U.C. Berkeley. C.P. Ong is a 20th generation Chen Family
Taijiquan disciple of both Chen Xiaowang and Chen Zhenglei. He has traveled with
them, as well as with Zhu Tiancai, for a few years in their U.S. workshop tours. This book has many photographs of his adventures and travels with Chen teachers. 