Tai Chi 13 is the original form said to be created by Zhang Sanfeng himself, consisting of thirteen steps, eight hand- and five body-movements.
The Steps:
- Initial phase 起勢 (Qǐ shì)
- Hugging a ball 抱球勢 (Bào qiú shì)
- Single push hand 單推勢 (Dān tuī shì)
- Exploring 探勢 (Tàn shì)
- Hold in the hand palm 托勢 (Tuō shì)
- Flap 撲勢 (Pū shì)
- Carry 担勢 (Dān shì)
- Seperate 分勢 (Fēn shì)
- Surge 澜勢 (Lán shì)
- Dissolving 化勢 (Huà shì )
- Push with both hands 雙推勢 (Shuāng tuī shì)
- Press down下勢 (Xià shì)
- Finishing phase 收勢 (Shōu shì)
The Hand Movements:
- Peng – Parry
- Lu – Retraction
- Ji – Press
- An – Push from side
- Zai – Pluck
- Lie – Divide
- Zhou – Ellbow
- Gao – Shoulder
The Body Movements:
- Qian Jin – Forward
- Hou Tui – Backward
- Zhao Gu – Gaze left
- Yuo Ban – Look right
- Zhong Ding – Balance