CMC 37 Posture Tai Chi Chuan Form, freeze each posture, bird's eye view, front - 09/13/09 (Summer)
All four of these books contain full sets of black & white photos of Prof. Cheng Man-ch'ing demonstrating his complete 37 Posture Tai Chi Chuan Form:
TAI CHI CHUAN
A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health and Self Defence
by Cheng Man-ch'ing
CHENG TZU'S THIRTEEN TREATISES ON T'AI CHI CH'UAN
by Cheng Man Ch'ing
translated by Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo and Martin Inn
T'AI-CHI
The "Supreme Ultimate" Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense
by Cheng Man-ch'ing and Robert W. Smith
MASTER CHENG'S NEW METHOD OF TAICHI CH'UAN SELF-CULTIVATION
by Cheng Man-ch'ing
translated by Mark Hennessy
**
Every several months or so, I make a video of myself doing a "freeze each posture" version of the Cheng Man-ch'ing (CMC) 37 Posture Tai Chi Chuan Form, so I can compare my still postures with the black & white photos in Prof. Cheng's books.
Since I practice many different variations of the CMC 37P Form, periodically I make a point of checking whether I've unconsciously introduced any incorrect movements into my rendition of the Basic Form - - like my arm not rising high enough, or falling too far during a particular transition movement. Or my step not being wide enough. Details like that. Details which are easily noticeable in a video, especially if I deliberately "freeze" each end-point posture for a few moments.
I want to eliminate any bad habits that might be sneaking into my practice. For example, I may not even notice it, but gradually, my arm may not be ending up in the position it's supposed to be in a specific posture. I think that's where it should be, but I've actually altered the form a bit. By repeating a mistake many times, I begin to think that is the way the movement should be performed. Until I check myself against Prof. Cheng's still photos, and his films, I may not realize I've introduced a new variation that is significantly different from how Prof. Cheng holds the posture in his still photos. Once I recognize the mistake, I make a point of correcting that movement during future practice sessions.
I always go back to the photos in Prof. Cheng's books to make sure I'm holding the basic 37 postures the same way Prof. Cheng demonstrates them in his still photos.
It's as if I "freeze-frame" my body for a few moments to allow a photographer to take a still photo of me when I arrive at an end-point Tai Chi posture. Similar to how Prof. Cheng posed for a photographer's still-life camera while he was creating the above-mentioned reference books on Tai Chi.
I try to hold each posture in the 37 P Tai Chi Form to the best of my abilities at that moment. Maybe at some point in the future I'll be able to demonstrate a particular posture a little bit better, but that will be another video. At the moment that I am making this video, this is my best attempt at holding each posture.
When I review my video and make my comparisons with Prof. Cheng's photos, I take into consideration whatever clothes I happen to be wearing that day (my adaptation to very specific weather conditions), and whatever uneven outdoor surfaces I happen to be stepping upon (all my exercise videos are shot outdoors, not on perfectly level indoor surfaces).
Since my body is not exactly like Prof. Cheng's body, my postures will never look exactly like his. I check for a "close enough" resemblance.
I also study these films of Prof. Cheng
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8P-ZCG1ysDo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=USJPmCZ6Efc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VeFpu3cDcUY
to make sure I'm doing the transitions between each movement the way he does, or as close as my body can approximate his movements.
As I play back my "freeze each posture" video, and compare my still moments with Prof. Cheng's photos, posture by posture, I ask myself: "Are my postures similar? Are there any glaring differences? What do I need to work on in the future, to improve my Tai Chi Form?"
This is a recurrent methodology for me, so I never drift too far away from Prof. Cheng's basic Tai Chi Chuan Form; so I never veer too far off course in my personal Tai Chi practice.
ChiGuy396
ChiGuy396@yahoo.com
**
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Yang Taiji 37 Form (Short Form)by LotusNeiGong9,381 views
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