Chen Style Taijiquan Broadsword Dao 23 Form

Back on June 14, 2010, I was working with a friend on the Chen Broadsword Form, 23 Movements.  

This popular Chen broadsword form was created in the 1930's by Chen Zhaopei (1893-1972). 

List of Movements of Chen Dao Broadsword 23 Form.  1 page. 

List of Movements in Five Languages 

Bibliography, Resources, Links

Here are two instructional resources that I am using to learn this form:

Chen Style Taijiquan: Sword and Broadsword.   By Chen Zhenglei.  Translated by Zhang XinHu, Chen Bin, Xu Hailiang, and Gregory Bissell.  Tai Chi Centre, 2003.  367 pages.  ISBN: 7534823218.   This book is in English.  Detailed descriptions, with photographs, of the first form, sword form and broadsword form.  An excellent companion to Chen Zenglei's instructional DVDs, with English narration.  Review by Herbert O. Rich: "This is the first translated volume of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's three-volume set entitled "A Compendium of Taiji Boxing and Weapons".  Chen Zhenglei is famed as a 19th generation Grandmaster of traditional Chen Style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan). He is known to Taijiquan enthusiasts the world over for his skill and ability in teaching.  This book is a detailed instruction manual for the basic set (or form) of the Laojia ("old frame") Chen style, as well as the single broadsword and straight sword forms.  Profusely illustrated, it describes basic theory, physical requirements, postural movements, Qi circulation, and self defense applications for each of the postures of the form."  The 23 movement broadsword form is described in detail, with many black and white photographs, on pages 322-360.  VSCL. 

Traditional Chen Family Tai Chi Broadsword.  Instructional videotape or DVD by Shifu Jiang Jian-ye.  70 minutes.  Detailed instructions, repetitions, and demonstrations.   Jiang's Tai Chi Videos.  He teaches the 23 movement form developed by Chen Zhaopei in 1933.  "By Jiang Jian-ye. This classic weapon routine enhances fajin, relaxed explosive release of force, and silk reeling energy. Jiang, who studied intensively in China, demonstrates the 23-movement form from the back at the beginning of the tape and multiple times, back and front, at the conclusion. Teaching of the movements uses multiple repetitions and camera angles an reviews of segments.  70 Min.  $39.95."  - Wayfarer Catalog.  Traditional Chen Family Tai Chi Broadsword.  Instruction and demonstration by Shifu Jiang Jian-ye.  Available in VHS and DVD media formats.  70 minutes.  Shifu Jiang demonstrates and carefully and slowly teaches the 23 movement form.  He teaches the form in a step-by-step and movement by movement manner.  Each movement is repeated from 3-5 times, slowly and at normal speed.  Each movement is show from front, back and side views.  Jiang's Tai Chi Videos.  VSCL.  

Taijiquan Treatise

The Taijiquan Lun (Treatise, Theory, Discussion, Thesis)

"English Translation of "The Taijiquan Lun," with extensive and good commentary, by Yonatan Vexler, Qufu Teacher's University, Shandong, China

Published in "Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness," Volume 27, No. 1, Spring 2017, pp. 38-51.

This Treatise is sometimes attributed to Wang Zongyue.

"Taiji (complementary duality) originates from wuji (non-polarity).  It is the process of motion and stillness, also known as the creator of contrast (the yin and yang).  Motion causes separation, while stillness leads to unity.  I allow opponents to advance, and I advance when they recoil.  When my opponents are hard and I am soft it is to flow, successfully following their motions is to stick.  When they move fast, I quickly react, and when they move slowly, I slowly follow.  There can be a thousand scenarios, but the one principle applies to all.  Engrain this principle in practice to understand force, understanding force will lead to higher levels of advancement.  Without a long time of serious practice, one cannot advance.

Emptiness leads power up, while breath sinks down the dantian.  Don't lean, and don't bend.  Able to become shadow and suddenly materialize, if opponents go left, nothing will be there, of opponents go right, let them be led to the right.  If opponents look up, let them go up, and if opponents lean down, let them go lower.  If they go forward, let them have to go more forward, and if they go back, let them have to go even further back.  A feather's weight can't be added, sensitive even to a fly landing on one's skin.  They cannot follow me, only I can follow them.  To be a hero that encounters now opposition, this is what one must do.

Many schools try to mimic this.  There are many different methods, but most emphasize the strong defeating the weak and the slow yielding to the quick.  When the strong beat the weak and the slow yield to the quick, it is only natural ability, and has no relation to the power that comes from learning and wisdom.  Consider the phrase, "four ounces overcoming a thousand pounds", and it obviously cannot be done with brute strength.  Consider the old man who can fend off a gang of attackers; is this outcome determined by sheer speed?

Stand like a balanced level, and be as dynamic as a cartwheel can spin.  Shift weight as needed to be lively, for being uncoordinated stagnates the flow.  If you see one practicing for years without advancing, being controlled by the opponent, it's because one has not heard of the fault of being uncoordinated.  To avoid this fault, one must know about yin and yang.  To stick is to flow, to flow is to stick, yang is within the yin, and yin is within the yang.  They (the passive and the active) compliment each other, so one can understand force.  Identify different forces to advance your training.  Carefully study this knowledge, put it to practice, and you will be able to do anything.

The most basic idea is to follow your opponent.  Many make the mistake of planning ahead.  As the saying goes, "off by an inch, off by a mile", so a student must be able to clearly distinguish!  Hence, there is this treatise."

-  English Translation of The Tijiquan Lun by Yonatan Vexler, 2017

Tai Chi Chuan Classics 

Cloud Hands Taijiquan   

Chang San Feng

Thirteen Postures of Tai Chi Chuan

The above four webpages were prepared by Mike Garofalo

Learning Chen Taijiquan, Week Two

Old Frame (Lao Jia), First Form (Yi Lu)
Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, 74 Movement Hand Form

Learning the Chen Taijiquan First Form
Journal and Notes by Michael P. Garofalo

Week Two, May 7-16, 2021

The first five movements of the Laojia Yilu (First Form) are the same as the he first five movements of the Chen 18, so my start is a little easier than other beginners since I learned that Chen 18 short form around 2010.


List of Movements in Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Form (1 Page, PDF) English Only

List of Movements in Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Form (1Page, PDF) English and Chinese

List of Movements in Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, First Form, Laojia Yilu (2 pages, PDF) English and Chinese

Comparison of Chen 18 Taijiquan Form with the Chen Taijiquan Old Frame First Form Laojia Yilu.

Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan in 1840, 74 Movements, 
Old Frame, First Form, Laojia Yilu, Section 1:

1. Beginning Posture of Taijiquan (MPG)   Taiji Qi Shi 
2. Pounding 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. Pounding the Mortar, Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds the Mortar  Jin Gang Dao Dui  
7. White Crane Spreads Its Wings  Bai E Liang Chi  
8. Walking Obliquely  Xie Xing  
9. Brush Knee, Withdraw Hands  Lou Xi  
10. Stepping to Both Sides  Ao Bu

Practiced movements 1-5 each day of Section 1 in Week Two.  These movements appear many times in the 74 Old Frame First Form.   

Updated webpages on this subject:  Chen Taijiquan First Form Laojia Yilu  and  Learning the First Form

For Section 1, I viewed, many times, instructional DVDs by Grand Master Dr. Jesse Tsao and Master Ken Gullette. 

 I studied the many photographs for each movement in the fine book by Ren Guangyi  "Taijiquan Hand and Sword."  I find this book extremely useful!  It is a must have printed resource for a beginning Chen First Form student.  

"If one is persistent and practices every day, proficiency in the form will be achievable within half a year."  -  Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim

 

Silk Reeling     Standing     Fang Song - Loosen, Relax

Rooting     Eight Gates Energies and Five Directions       

Journal of Michael P. Garofalo - Case Study - Learning the Chen First Form - Weekly Notes