24 Form Tai Chi Chuan (with VCD)

Title: 24 Tai Chi Form (with VCD)

Author:        Editor: Li Shoutang

ISBN: 9787537732888

Edition: Chinese-English

Publishing Date: 2009-01

Publishing House: Shanxi Science and Technology Publishing House

Cover: P   Page: 73   Format: 16mo   

Introduction: (from Wikipedia)

The form was the result of an effort by the Chinese Sports Committee which, in 1956, brought together four tai chi teachers - Chu Guiting, Cai Longyun, Fu Zhongwen and Zhang Yu - to create a simplified form of tai chi as exercise for the masses. The creators truncated the traditional Yang family hand form to 24 postures; taking between four and eight minutes to perform and to give the beginner an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi chuan, yet retain the traditional flavor of Yang style's longer hand forms (generally 88-108 postures). Henceforth this form was avidly promoted by the People's Republic of China for general exercise, and was also taught to internees in Communist "re-education" camps. Due to this official promotion, the twenty-four form is most likely the tai chi form with the most practitioners in China and the world over (though no surveys have been performed).