Competition and Concise Routines

Many concise and competition routines have been created for different levels of practice. The following 3 are the popular among them:

• In 1956, the 24-step routine was created. All the 24 moves were selected from Yang style large frame.
• In 1989, a 42-step routine was created as a competition form. It contains representative moves from different schools of Tai Chi. it is fun to practice as well as to watch.
• 56-step Chen style competition routine. It is the combination of all moves and forms of Chen routine 1 and routines 2.

These are the routines we must learn to be a sufficient Tai Chi practitioner:

1. Chen Style Old routine 1. This is the mother of all popular schools of Tai Chi practiced today. It mainly aims at practicing driving all our body movements by Dantian, a spot in our lower belly. It looks slow and soft and occasionally mixed with Fajin (exertion.)
2. Chen Style Old routine 2. This routine shows how fast, hard, and powerful Tai Chi can be. There are a lot of Fajin in this routine. The routine is short, but requires a lot of strength to practice.
3. The above routines show the different sides of Tai Chi. Practicing both complete your Tai Chi routine training.
4. Yang Style 85-step. This routine was finalized by Yang family 3rd generation master Yang Chengfu. By studying the above 3 routines, you should have a clear picture of the evolution of Tai Chi and Tai Chi as martial art and as another form of physical exercise.
5. 42-step routine. You will be exposed to other major schools of Tai Chi. It is the key for martial practitioners to learn the essence of other schools and develop your own secret weapon.

After learning the above routines, you are now ready to get deeper into the theory of Tai Chi and with the fundamentals; you should know what you practice for.