Master Tse’s Taiji Fist #29

19 Movements 十九勢

When people start to learn Chen Taijiquan陳家太極拳 in my class they begin with the 19 Movements十九勢 as this is the easiest and simplest form, but it also covers a lot of basic movements. It is good for beginners and might take them four months to complete. When they finish something they will feel better and then can concentrate on polishing and correcting their form for a while. I would say it takes at least three years for someone to start to move like they are doing Chen Taijiquan. However learning the 19 Movements in four month, polishing to two months is good enough. It is important to become familiar with certain movements as they come back a lot in the other forms.

When we practise the 19 movements or other forms we follow the principles of Taijiquan.

1. Relaxation
2. Good posture
3. Move from the waist
4. Weight on the legs
5. Fajing when we are ready

The 19 Movements was created by my Sifu, Chen Xiao Wang陳小旺, for beginners to easily learn. He also created 9 Movements九勢, but once we have learnt the 19 Movements, we do not need to do the 9 Movements as these are covered in the 19 Movements. These short forms are for beginners. Once you have learnt the long forms, Laojia老架, Xinjia新架, Pao Chui砲捶 etc, you do not need to practise the short forms because all movements are covered.