The simplified 24-form is a continuous sequence developed in 1956 from Yang-style material. Use a name to locate a movement, then check how it begins, changes sides, and ends. Single Whip appears at both positions 9 and 11.
Why is it called the simplified 24-form?
The General Administration of Sport describes the form as organised in 1956 from Yang-style tai chi material for wider teaching. It is a particular form, not a sixth family style.
Simplified describes its development; it does not remove footwork, support, or coordination demands. Heel kicks, low positions, and one-leg stances still need suitable instruction.
Why might a course have more or fewer than 24 lessons?
Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane includes side changes within one named movement. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail has several actions inside it. A teacher may split one movement across lessons or combine several in a lesson.
A 24-day label describes a schedule, not guaranteed mastery. A list helps you remember the sequence without establishing how long each person needs to understand its connections.
The complete 24-form sequence
The order follows the Tsinghua University staff tai chi association’s public teaching list, compiled in June 2003. English names vary; the pinyin and sequence help match alternatives. Common English usage was compared with Qialance’s multilingual list and the English 24-form reference. For movement 18, this list retains the Chinese source’s left-and-right label rather than changing its order to match another translation.
- Opening (Qi Shi)
- Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane, Left and Right (Zuo You Ye Ma Fen Zong)
- White Crane Spreads Its Wings (Bai He Liang Chi)
- Brush Knee and Twist Step, Left and Right (Zuo You Lou Xi Ao Bu)
- Playing the Lute (Shou Hui Pi Pa)
- Step Back and Repulse Monkey, Left and Right (Zuo You Dao Juan Gong)
- Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail, Left (Zuo Lan Que Wei)
- Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail, Right (You Lan Que Wei)
- Single Whip (Dan Bian)
- Cloud Hands (Yun Shou)
- Single Whip (Dan Bian)
- High Pat on Horse (Gao Tan Ma)
- Right Heel Kick (You Deng Jiao)
- Strike to the Ears with Both Fists (Shuang Feng Guan Er)
- Turn and Left Heel Kick (Zhuan Shen Zuo Deng Jiao)
- Lower Body and Stand on One Leg, Left (Zuo Xia Shi Du Li)
- Lower Body and Stand on One Leg, Right (You Xia Shi Du Li)
- Fair Lady Works the Shuttles, Left and Right (Zuo You Yu Nu Chuan Suo)
- Needle at Sea Bottom (Hai Di Zhen)
- Fan Through the Back (Shan Tong Bi)
- Turn, Deflect, Parry, and Punch (Zhuan Shen Ban Lan Chui)
- Apparent Closing (Ru Feng Si Bi)
- Cross Hands (Shi Zi Shou)
- Closing (Shou Shi)
Single Whip at 9 and 11 marks two positions in the sequence, not a duplicated entry by mistake. Left and right can include several changes within one numbered movement; splitting them into videos does not add forms.
Use the list to locate a demonstration, not replace its explanation. The later kicks, low positions, and one-leg stances retain their learning demands despite the word simplified.
Names do not describe the whole transition
The teaching list breaks White Crane Spreads Its Wings into turning and holding a ball, following with the foot and sitting back, then separating the hands into an empty stance. Copying the final high-and-low hand shape misses the preceding footwork.
Watch the previous movement’s ending and the next movement’s beginning as well. For unfamiliar terms, return to stances and weight shifting.
Which Single Whip do you need?
Movement 9 follows Right Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail and comes before Cloud Hands; its breakdown includes making the hook hand and drawing in the foot. Movement 11 follows Cloud Hands and comes before High Pat on Horse; its breakdown starts with turning and making the hook.
Search or record “Single Whip after Cloud Hands,” not just Single Whip. If a course splits side changes across videos, keep the form list as the reference rather than counting clips.
Once the names are familiar, review one connection
Find where the sequence tends to break: changing hands during backward steps, or drawing in and stepping out during Cloud Hands? Turn “I cannot do movement 6” into a specific foot or hand question.
Reviewing that connection can show more about learning than replaying the entire form. Keep watching, pausing to inspect, and physical practice separate in your record.
Opposite screen directions do not automatically mean an error
Check front, rear, and mirrored views before comparing the same movement and its neighbours. Screen left is not always the practitioner’s left.
Record the movement number, side change, and cue, then ask a teacher. If two explanations differ, follow one coherent version while resolving the difference rather than combining them mid-practice.
References and sources
- General Administration of Sport of China: background to the simplified 24-form
The April 26, 2012 article describes the 1956 compilation of the 24-form from Yang-style material. Traditional theory and broad health claims on the page are not used as medical evidence.
- Tsinghua University staff tai chi association: names of the 24-form movements
Downloaded and converted the Word document in this English review. Compiled in June 2003, it lists the 24 movements and component actions. It does not prescribe a universal step length, stance depth, or practice dose.
- Qialance: 24-form movement names in Chinese, pinyin, and English
Read the full name list in this English pass and compared English variants with the Chinese Tsinghua sequence. Used for names only, not movement instructions, history, or health claims. English names vary between teachers.
