Northern Wu Style Taiji Quan

Wu Taiji

(health and martial aspects) level specifications

Assessment

Assessment is the process in which a student’s skill, knowledge and understanding of the Art is measured. In order to attain a Tuan (stage) award, the student must have certain abilities as shown below. To achieve the ‘Water’ level, students must demonstrate their achievement in all areas in the ‘Water Level Specification’ section. Likewise, in order to achieve the ‘Liang Yi’ level, students must first attain ‘Water’ level and then all the areas in the ‘Yi’ level. From then on, students can progress to higher and higher levels which will be specified in due course.

Due to the experiencing nature of Taiji Quan, the award is simply to mark the level of progress of the student at the time of assessment, the award does not hold its validity into the future due to the regression of ability of the student by not pursuing the art.

The Water Level Specifications

Elements 1 to 3 apply to student who practise for the health aspect.
Elements 1 to 5 apply to student who practise for the health and martial aspects.

First Tuan (yellow)

  1. Learned the Taiji Quan to the first set of ‘Cloudy Hands’
  2. Learned the four basic movements in Push-hands
  3. Learned the basic Qi Kong exercise
  4. Learned receiving hands and legs
  5. Can do Zhan Zhon for 15 minutes

Second Tuan (Red)

  1. Learned the Taiji Quan to the second set of ‘Cloudy Hands’
  2. Learned the principles of  free Push-hands
  3. Can feel Qi in the basic Qi Kong exercise
  4. Can apply Receiving-hands and legs in 8 different ways
  5. Can do Zhan Zhon for 30 minutes

Third Tuan (Blue)

  1. Learned the whole form of the Taiji Quan
  2. Can relax in Push-hands
  3. Can progress into Taiji Ball exercise
  4. Can apply 16 Taiji movements in combat
  5. Can do Zhan Zhon for 60 minutes

Fourth Tuan (Purple)

  1. Can relax when doing the Taiji Quan
  2. Can do Push-hands and Push-legs
  3. Can release and retrieve the Qi
  4. Can apply 24 Taiji movements in combat
  5. Can familiarise in the fundamental Bu Fa (leg movements)

Fifth Tuan (Black)

  1. Can do the low form of Taiji Quan
  2. Can do Push-hands and Push-legs without resistance and detachment.
  3. Can co-ordinate Qi from 5 different centres
  4. Can apply 36 movements combat
  5. Have obtained the sense of distance

The Liang Yi

(the polarised) Level specifications

Elements 1 – 3 apply to student who practise for the health aspect.
Elements 1 – 6 apply to student who practise for the health and martial aspects.

First Tuan (Bronze)

  1. Learned the Taiji Sword up to the movement of ‘Fan Xun San Jien’ (swirl body triple swords)
  2. Familiar in Ren and Du Qi tunnel Qi Kung
  3. Can do Push-hands without resistance and detachment
  4. Can apply 48 movements in combat
  5. Can hit a tree with 7 different parts of the body
  6. Familiar with the basic Bu Fa, distance judgement, and for 3 minutes the opponent can not attack the body.

Second Tuan (Silver)

  1. Learned the Taiji Sword to the movement of ‘Yuan More San Wu Jien’ (the cloud fairy’s triple sword dance).
  2. Can sense the Qi in 4 specific points when doing Qi Kung exercise
  3. Can reach to the light and agile state in Push-hands and Push-legs
  4. Can attack a tree with 18 specific parts of the body
  5. Can apply 72 – 108 Taiji Quan movements in combat
  6. Can use Bue Fa (leg movements) to reach to a position unnoticed by the opponent.

Third Tuan (Gold)

  1. Learned the whole form of Taiji Sword
  2. Ren and Du Qi Tunnels have been open up through the related Qi Kung training.
  3. Can self-resume to the state of equilibrium in body and mind
  4. Can achieve the strength of Yi (intend) and Lien (mind) when doing Push-hands and Push-legs.
  5. Can decentre the opponent on contact in Receiving-hands and Receiving-legs.
  6. Fa Qin (execution of the internal energy) reaches the penetrating effect.
  7. learned all the Taiji weaponries.

Inner School

After you have reached the ‘Liang Yi’ level, you begin to enter into the inner school of the Taiji Quan, at this stage, you will explore into the subsequent levels with the supervision of Sifu. These levels are:

Third Level

Amalgamation of skin, bones and tendons.
Amalgamation of Jing(essence), Qi (energy) and Shen (spirit)

Fourth Level

Touch Points, and hands likened knives

Fifth Level

Yin Yang Fish

Sixth Level

Taiji Ball

Seventh Level

Mind painting

Eighth Level

Energy like Tai Mountain when confronted, and effortlessly discarding of opponents like leaves blown by the wind.

Nineth Level

Dan Tian originated Qi for promoting health and assisting in combat.

Tenth Level

Utilisation of the three different Dan Tians

Eleventh Level

Jian Qi (finger directing)

Twelve Level

The seventh sense

Thirteenth Level

The heart, The Shen (spirit), The Yi (mind), The Qi