As my Sifu always says “This is your form” and it should feel like “coming home.” After many years of practice, it finally does.

The goal for beginners is to complete this form in about 15 minutes and as you advance you should slow it down. Every movement should flow into the next one and there should never be a moment where you are not moving.

Part One

  1. Begining form.
  2. Energy ball right to ward off left.
  3. Energy ball left to ward off right.
  4. Roll back
  5. Press forward
  6. Sit back then push
  7. Single whip
  8. Lifting hands
  9. Elbow stroke to white crane flashes its wings
  10. Brush knee and strike
  11. Play the guitar
  12. Left brush knee and strike
  13. Right brush knee and strike
  14. Center brush knee and strike
  15. Play the guitar
  16. Brush knee and strike
  17. Scoop (catch the record)
  18. Deflect, parry and punch
  19. Seal the breath and push
  20. Close by throwing the soap bubble

Part Two

  1. Tiger returns to the mountain
  2. Roll back, press, sit back and push
  3. Single whip
  4. Step right, face left with fist under elbow
  5. Step back and repulse the monkey
  6. Step back and repulse the monkey
  7. Step back and repulse the monkey
  8. Shift weight three times to slant flying (left hand close)
  9. Round the back to lifting hands
  10. Elbow stroke to white crane flashes its wings
  11. High pat on the horse
  12. Dip the needle at the sea bottom
  13. Fan through back
  14. Face danger, sit back and cover high
  15. Long knock to double chop
  16. Grab, deflect, parry and punch
  17. Shoulder stroke
  18. Roll back, press, sit back and push
  19. Single whip
  20. Wave hands in clouds
  21. Single whip
  22. Spear forward, settle back
  23. Circle hands right to open and kick left
  24. Circle hands left to open and kick right
  25. Turn double chop
  26. Turn to open and kick left
  27. Brush knee and strike
  28. Brush knee and strike
  29. Bend the steel bar
  30. Lift the ceiling with your back to cover high
  31. White snake spits out poison
  32. Two eye hits to a grab, deflect, parry and punch
  33. Sit back and cover high to open and kick right
  34. Tame the tiger right
  35. Turn and tame the tiger left
  36. Cover to open and kick right
  37. Double box the ears to the corner
  38. Pass the kick by and seperate left
  39. Turn and open kick right
  40. Scoop, deflect, parry, and punch
  41. Seal the breath and push
  42. Close by throwing the soap bubble

Part Three

  1. Tiger returns to the mountain
  2. Roll back, press, sit back and push
  3. Single whip
  4. Catch energy ball left
  5. Shearing the horses mane, right
  6. Shearing the horses mane, left
  7. Shearing the horses mane, right
  8. Ward off left
  9. Energy ball left to ward off right.
  10. Roll back, press, sit back and push
  11. Single whip
  12. Fair lady works the shuttle left
  13. Fair lady works the shuttle right
  14. Fair lady works the shuttle left
  15. Fair lady works the shuttle right
  16. Ward off left
  17. Energy ball left to ward off right.
  18. Single whip
  19. Snake creeps down (two times)
  20. Step back and repluse the monkey (three times)
  21. Single leg to slant flying (left hand apart)
  22. Round the back to lifting hands
  23. Elbow stroke to white crane flashes its wings
  24. High pat on the horse
  25. Dip the needle at the sea bottom
  26. Fan through back
  27. Face danger, sit back and cover high
  28. Long knock to double chop
  29. Grab, deflect, parry and punch
  30. Shoulder stroke, roll back, press, sit back and push
  31. Single whip
  32. Wave hands in clouds
  33. Spear forward the settle back
  34. Press and spear
  35. Turn and long chop
  36. Cover and open kick right
  37. Scoop, deflect, parry and punch
  38. Shoulder stroke to roll back, press, sit back and push
  39. Single whip
  40. Snake creeps down
  41. Seven star block
  42. To step back and ride the tiger
  43. Eyebrow kick
  44. Side step to draw the bow and shoot the tiger
  45. Long scoop, deflect, parry and punch
  46. Close by throwing the soap bubble

End Notes

Like many martial arts forms, as this form was passed along from teacher to student and from one language to another, there are small changes to the movements and the terminology used. This is how I learned the form.