Ten criteria which are judged in Tai Chi Form Competitions
Adoption of these will improve your form - Click on headings to expand out explainations -
Correct Posture
- The back needs to be straight
- There needs to be a straight line through the head, the neck, down the spine and into the coccyx
- The coccyx is in a state of “Zhong Zheng”
- This allows for the lungs to expand in comfort
Correctness of Stance
- good alignment of the knee and foot
- making sure each stance is properly executed
- front stance
- back stance
- horse-riding stance
- cat stance
- Length of stance needs to be correct for the different techniques
Distinguishing Yin and Yang
- distinguishing
- Yin and Yang
- substantial and void
- full and empty
- all meaning the same thing
- The weighted limb is considered Yin
- The empty is limb is considered Yang
- Doesn’t only apply to stances. Can also be done in opening, contracting, closing, expanding
- There is always an element of Yin in the Yang and Yang in the Yin. It is never 100% one or the other. Just like the Yin Yang symbol
Intent & Focus
- Correct use of the eyes
- focusing in accordance with the technique
Co-Ordinated Movement
- a much more difficult goal for beginners
- every part of the body must start and end together
- total body movement in unison
Smoothness
- practising your forms in a smooth manner
- the form is performed at different speeds throughout, but smoothness must still be maintained
- smooth transitions between techniques
Balanced Turning and Stepping
- You need to sink
- distinguish Yin and Yang
- good posture
- correct foot placement before and after kicks, turns and steps
Softness and Relaxation of the body
- no tension
- in Chinese the term used for relaxed = “Song”
- loose and lax
- not as simple as it sounds
- obviously there is muscular strength
- the strength is trained and relaxed
- various Tai Chi exercises can help a student achieve softness
- If the techniques are done softly and slowly, the body becomes more relaxed
- if we are more relaxed we can move faster and more efficiently
Aesthetic Appearance
- Overall, how does the form look?
- Fast and then slow
- High and then low
- combining the other categories to produce a good looking form, from start to finish
Martial Spirit
- making sure the martial aspect of the hand form technique can be seen
- again, in accordance with intent and spirit
