Site MapThe 24 step simplified form was created in 1956 by the   Chinese Sports Commission. The form's movements are taken from the Yang style long form, and by cutting out the repetitions of sections, the form was shortened and made more accessible for all to learn.  Despite the suppression of martial arts and Chi Kung during the cultural revolution (1966 - 1974), It has regained popularity, and remains one of the most widely practiced  styles of Tai Chi Chuan in the world today.
The 1st section of the form contains the warm up with gentle stretching of the upper limbs, 'parting the wild horses mane', the second section contains the core movements of Tai Chi Chuan, 'grasp the bird's tail', on both sides.  The 3rd section contains the more difficult moves as in ' kick with heel and snake creeps down'.  The last section contains a  cooling down phase.