| All rights reserved. |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Professor Cheng’s Taijiquan form is based on the Yang Style he learned from his teacher, Yang Cheng-
Fu. It is often referred to as the Yang Short Form because Professor Cheng adapted the Traditional
Yang form by reducing the number of repetitions of some postures and eliminating a few postures
entirely• to reduce the average time it takes to do a round of the form. Professor Cheng’s Taijiquan
form is also sometimes referred to as the simplified form or the 37 Postures because, depending on
how you count, there are 37 distinctive postures in the form.
Below is the entire Cheng Man-Ching Taijiquan form sequence. As you can see, even in this shortened
form, many postures are repeated. A lower-case letter appears in front of postures in the form that are
repeated to distinguish them from other postures appearing in the sequence for the first time.
First Section:
1. Preparation
2. Beginning
[The sequence of postures #3-7 in red known as Grasp Sparrow’s Tail]
3. Ward off with Left Hand
4. Ward off with Right Hand
5. Roll Back
6. Press
7. Push
8. Single Whip
9. Lifting the Hands
10. Lean Forward – Shoulder Strike
11. White Crane Spreads Its Wings
12. Brush Left Knee and Twist Step
13. Playing the Guitar
a. Brush Left Knee and Twist Step
14. Step Forward, Deflect Downward, Intercept and Punch
15. Withdraw and Push
16. Crossing Hands
Second Section:
17. Embrace the Tiger, Return to Mountain
a. Roll Back
b. Press
c. Push
d. Single Whip
18. Fist Under Elbow
19. Step Back and Repulse Monkey (Right)
20. Step Back and Repulse Monkey (Left)
a. Step Back and Repulse Monkey (Right)
21. Diagonal Flying
22. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Right)
23. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Left)
a. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Right)
b. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Left)
c. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Right)
d. Waving Hands Like Clouds (Face Left)
e. Single Whip
24. Squatting Single Whip (Snake Creeps Down)
25. Golden Pheasant Stands on One Leg (Right)
26. Golden Pheasant Stands on One Leg (Left)
27. Separate the Right Foot
28. Separate the Left Foot
29. Turn and Strike with Heel
a. Brush Left Knee and Twist Step
30. Brush Right Knee and Twist Step
31. Step Forward and Strike with Fist (Low Punch)
a. Step Forward and Ward off Right
b. Roll Back
c. Press
d. Push
e. Single Whip
[The Weaving the Shuttles sequence is also known as the Four Corners]
32. Fair Lady Weaving the Shuttle (Left)
33. Fair Lady Weaving the Shuttle (Right)
a. Fair Lady Weaving the Shuttle (Left)
b. Fair Lady Weaving the Shuttle (Right)
c. Ward off with Left Hand
d. Ward off with Right Hand
e. Roll Back
f. Press
g. Push
h. Single Whip
i. Squatting Single Whip (Snake Creeps Down)
34. Step Forward to Seven Stars
35. Step Back to Ride the Tiger
36. Turn the Body and Sweep the Lotus with Leg
37. Bend the Bow to Shoot the Tiger
a. Step Forward, Deflect Downward, Intercept and Punch
b. Withdraw and Push
c. Crossing Hands
d. Conclusion
• In creating his simplified form, Professor Cheng Man-Ching removed the following six postures from
the Traditional Yang Long Form:
1. Needle at Sea Bottom
2. Spread Arms Like Fan
3. Turn and Strike Opponent with Fist
4. High Pat on a Horse
5. Box Opponent’s Ears
6. White Snake Puts Out Tongue
Professor Cheng Man-Ching’s Taijiquan
