Due to its popularity and widespread practice, the many Yang-style schools and teachers each offer their own variation of the form and their own ways of counting the number of moves in the form. The number of moves can range from 85, 88, 103 to 108.
The main Form our school shares is called the “108”. It is a form that is mainly Yang, but is influenced by Chen, so we call it “Yang Chen Fusion”. Our lineage founder, Ho Yung Chang, studied Yang style in Bandung, Indonesia in his youth. In his later years, he also practiced Chen style every weekend with a group in Toronto. His changes to the “Traditional Yang Style” are not publicly highlighted, but they are enjoyed on a path of discovery via our Tai Chi Love school Sifu, Karla Groesbeck and her love of Chen style, studies and play. Steve Harrigan, our 2nd generation influence, brought his love of skate dancing, his engineering skills and passion for the flow of the Tao to our solo and 2-person tai chi.
(Karla Groesbeck’s biography is in process and will be included here soon.)
The 108 move “Long Form” was designed for both improving health and martial arts practice. When practiced at the correct pace, it takes approximately 25 – 30 minutes to finish the whole set. The moves are also sequenced to increasingly challenge the practitioner from easy to medium to harder moves. Kicks and moves that require low stretches or spins occur later in the form, this allows the practitioner to sufficiently warm up with the easier moves first before attempting the harder moves. This Form challenges and hones the flexibility, strength, balance and internal energy of the practitioner in a safe manner. Recalling and executing the moves of the full 25-30 minute traditional yang style form makes it a good mental as well as cardio workout.
