Warm ups:

Maedée developed these 5 warm ups over the years to start her Tai Chi classes. They basically wake up the body as well as the brain and warm up the muscles and joints, so that you are ready to move.

It is advised to do a warm up before studying one of the lesson. You might want to repeat each warm up a number of times over a few days until it becomes familiar. Then move on to the next one as they build progressively.

1. Basics

2. Circles

3. Arm stretches

4. Chinese massage

5. Coordination

Lessons 1-6:

In this series, the first part of the Form is taught. I deconstruct each movement so you can learn step by step, what the legs are doing, then the arms and how to coordinate the whole into continuous motion.

Some of the elements are: Grasping Bird’s tail, holding the Circle, Single Whip, playing the Lute, opening Bird’s Wing, Brush Knee Push step, the Punch and how to carry the Tiger to the Mountain to end part 1.

Breathings: 3 T’an T’iens, Bubble and first opening breath.

Lessons 7-12:

In this series, the first half of part 2 of the Form is taught. Some of the elements are: Repulse away the Monkey step, Magic Bird flies, the Golden Needle, Spoke of the Wheel and No Beginning No End.

Breathings: 2nd and 3rd opening breaths.

Lessons 13-18:

In this series, the kicking section is taught which finishes part 2 of the Form. Some of the elements are: soft and full Kicks, High Patt on the Horse, the Deep Punch and twisting the Tiger’s Ears.

Breathings: 4th and 5th opening breaths.

Lessons 19-24:

In this series most of the 3rd part of the Form is taught. Some of the elements are: Parting of the Wild Horse’s Mane or 7 steps, Quan Yin weaves heaven and earth to the 4 Corners and Snake creeps down.

Quite a few sequences are repeated from part 2.

Lessons 25-30:

In this series, the last 2 sequences of part 3 of the Form are taught. Some of the elements are: 1/2 way down Punch, riding the Crane and the Tiger, pick up the Lotus Flower, and Shooting the Arrow to Grand Terminus, completing the 108 moves.

The entire Form is reviewed in sections.