Courses of Study
and Costs - Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan |
Single person unarmed forms: Short Form (19 Postures); Short Form 2 (38 Postures); Lao Jia (Old Frame) 1; Lao Jia 2; |
Xin Jia (New Frame) 1; Xin Jia 2 (Cannon Fist); Small Frame; Fa Jin (42 Postures) |
Single person weapon forms: saber; double sabers; sword, double sword, spear, staff, double sticks (jo); fan; kwan dao |
Note: we teach Wind Fire Wheels (below left) as a Tai Chi Chuan form even though it is not a canonical form at this time |
Two person (partner) forms: San Shou, Push Hands; Chan Si Gong (Coiling Silk; after Chen Xiao Wong) |
There is considerable variety in sabers - one may choose wood or several types of metal as well as whether to get a |
scabbard or not. An economical path is to start with one wooden saber and add a second wooden one if one wishes to learn |
double sabers. An alternative to buying two separate metal sabers (after choosing thin or thick blade as well as scabbard or |
not) is to consider the models that come with two blades in one scabbard. These range from $65 to $90. Similar choices |
apply to sword - the choice ranges from single wood to double steel with scabbard. For both weapons the student may |
wish to add tassles or flags. Besides photos, the Weapons page has links about transporting, bags, covers, flags and tassles. |
The staff set uses a normal staff - one can choose between graphite (different colors), red or white oak, stainless steel, |
rattan ... Traditionally, this staff should come to your eyebrow. They vary a great deal in price - from $20 up. |
We suggest visiting a store and trying several, or trying to borrow from a classmate. A basic waxwood shafted 78" spear |
with steel spearhead and red tassel is about $40. You can buy spearheads and use any number of materials (see the list |
for staffs above - plus copper, brass ...) for the shaft. Fans and jo (half staffs about 26 " long) are usually very inexpensive. |
Special steel fans are $40 (see below). All weapons used for Tai Chi Chuan can be used in Shaolin, Xing Yi Chuan and |
other arts. If there is interest in learning either Chen style Tai Chi or Shaolin kwan dao (see below right) we will likely try |
to assemble a group order. Note that one need only buy a weapon when it is to be studied. Hauling the long weapons |
around is tedious, so one usually one practices at home with a personal weapon and uses a borrowed weapon at class. You |
would bring your personal weapon to exhibitions. |
No special clothing needed for Tai Chi classes - a t-shirt and shorts or comfortable pants will suffice. Socks with either |
kung fu or normal athletic shoes will be satisfactory. For more formal events silks or satins would be preferred. There |
is what may be called a semi-formal winter outfit made of cotton (below left). It is traditionally black with white trim. |
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