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Tai Chi Eight Methods & Five Steps

太极（八法五步）

2018 太极（八法五步）· 国家体育总局武术运动管理中心 · 16 movements · 3–4 min · Free

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Counting · Counted as the sixteen movements of the published 2018 routine (01–16). The official wording is "16 式（含 32 个单势动作）" — sixteen movements comprising thirty-two single-posture actions. The thirteen postures (十三势) named by the eight methods plus five steps is the technical system, not a movement count.

32 — single-posture actions: The sixteen movements are performed as thirty-two single-posture actions, listed one by one in the official guide.

Derivation · Not a family form: distilled from the core techniques common to the various Taijiquan styles (Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Yuxiang), Sun) — the eight methods and the five steps, together the thirteen postures.

Naming · The official publication gives no English names; the English below are common translations, not official names. 採 is the traditional form of 采 (pluck). One more thing worth knowing: this is not the only sixteen-form Tai Chi routine. The Duanwei Level 2 16 Form is also sixteen postures, but that one is Yang style and belongs to the Wushu Duanwei assessment system; this set belongs to no family style. Same number of forms, unrelated routines.

Stationary · 定步

Commencing Posture

起势

Step the left foot out to shoulder width, raise both hands to shoulder height, then bend the knees and press the palms down.左脚开步与肩同宽，两手平举与肩同高，屈膝下按
Relax the whole body, rest the tongue on the palate, and let the breathing be natural.全身放松、舌抵上颚、呼吸自然
Stand upright and loose — do not bend the waist or shrug the shoulders.立身中正舒松，勿弯腰耸肩

Ward-off (L), Roll-back (R), Press (L), Push (Both)

左掤势右捋势左挤势双按势

Turn right and hold the ball, turn back to ward off left; turn left and turn the palm over to roll back right.右转抱球，转正左掤；左转翻掌右捋
Join the wrists and press straight forward; part both hands and push.搭腕正前挤，两手平分推按
Ward-off lives in the arm, roll-back in the palm, press in the back of the hand, push in the waist.掤在手臂，捋在掌中，挤在手背，按在腰功
For every technique, hand, step and body must agree.每完成一个手法，手、步、身必须协调一致

Pluck (R), Split (L), Elbow (L), Shoulder-strike (R)

右採势左挒势左肘势右靠势

Turn the palm into a fist and pluck downwards to the right; open to a palm and split to the left.掌变拳向右下採，拳变掌向左挒
Close the left hand into a fist and turn right to bend the elbow; close the right hand and turn back to shoulder-strike.左手握拳右转屈肘，右手握拳转正右靠
Pluck is in the fingers, split in the forearms, elbow in the bend, shoulder in the back.採在十指，挒在两肱，肘在屈使，靠在肩背
The four diagonal techniques release short and close to the body — never as a localised shove.採挒肘靠为四隅手，发力短促、贴身，忌局部冲撞

Ward-off (R), Roll-back (L), Press (R), Push (Both)

右掤势左捋势右挤势双按势

The same four techniques as movement 2, with left and right reversed.动作同第2式，唯左右方向相反
The key points are identical.要点与第2式完全一致

Pluck (L), Split (R), Elbow (R), Shoulder-strike (L)

左採势右挒势右肘势左靠势

The same four techniques as movement 3, with left and right reversed.动作同第3式，唯左右方向相反
The key points are identical.要点与第3式完全一致

Stepping · 动步

Step Forward, Ward-off L & R

进步左右掤势

Turn right and hold the ball, step the left foot up into a bow stance and ward off left; turn slightly left, step the right foot up and ward off right.右转抱球、上左脚成弓步左掤；微左转、上右脚成弓步右掤
Keep both arms rounded as they separate; the waist is the axis of the turn.两手分开保持弧形，转体以腰为轴
The bow stance and the parting of the hands complete at the same speed.弓步与分手速度一致

Step Back, Roll-back L & R

退步左右捋势

Turn slightly right and roll back to the left while withdrawing the right foot, then roll back to the right.微右转左捋、撤右脚，再右捋
The withdrawal and the roll-back move together; the ball of the foot lands first and the step stays even.撤步与两臂捋的动作要一致；脚掌先落地，退步平稳

Step Sideways Left, Press (L) & Push (Both)

左移步左挤势左移步双按势

Withdraw the left foot to the left, join the wrists and press as the feet come together.左脚向左撤步、搭腕、并步挤
Open both hands, step the left foot forward and follow with the right foot to push.两手展开、上左脚、右脚跟步推按
The torso stays upright on the press, and the push completes together with the stepping.挤时上体正直；按掌与上步跟步一致
Keep the hands no wider apart than the shoulders.两手相距宽度不要超过肩

Step Sideways Right, Press (R) & Push (Both)

右移步右挤势右移步双按势

The same actions as movement 8, with left and right reversed.动作同第8式，唯左右方向相反
The key points are identical.要点与第8式完全一致

Step Back, Pluck L & R

退步左右採势

Grind the left foot and close the right to turn back to centre, closing both hands into fists.碾左脚扣右脚回正，双手握拳
Withdraw the left foot and pluck down to the left, then withdraw the right and pluck down to the right.撤左脚左下採，撤右脚右下採
The waist must turn as the arms pluck downwards; pluck is in the fingers, the force reaching the fingertips.双臂向下采时腰必须随之转动；采在十指，力在指尖

Step Forward, Split L & R

进步左右挒势

Step the left foot up and open both hands to split left, then step the right foot up and split right.上左脚双手变掌左挒，上右脚双手右挒
The waist turn, the closing of the feet and the horizontal split move together.转腰、并步与横挒要一致
Upper and lower follow one another: the hand arrives with the foot, the waist is the axis, and the whole body works as one.上下相随、手到步到，以腰为轴使全身劲力完整一气

Step Sideways Right, Elbow (R) & Shoulder-strike (R)

右移步右肘势右移步右靠势

Follow with the left foot and block with the left palm, step the right foot up and close the right hand into a fist.跟左脚、左手拦掌、上右步右手握拳
Close the right foot and strike with the elbow, stamp as the feet come together, then step out into a horse stance and shoulder-strike.扣右脚击肘、并步震脚，上右步成马步靠
The footwork and the elbow strike agree; the shoulder-strike connects through shoulder and hip as a whole, not as a local bump.步法与顶肘协调一致；靠时以肩胯整体贴靠，非局部冲撞

Step Sideways Left, Elbow (L) & Shoulder-strike (L)

左移步左肘势左移步左靠势

The same actions as movement 12, with left and right reversed.动作同第12式，唯左右方向相反
The key points are identical.要点与第12式完全一致

Central Equilibrium, Stand on One Leg L & R

中定左右独立势

Close the left foot and draw the right in, both hands resting at the hips; lift the left knee and lower it, then the right.扣左脚收右脚、双手放于胯侧；提左膝、落下，提右膝、落下
Hold the ball and settle the mind, attending to the dantian with natural breathing.抱球静心、意想丹田、呼吸自然
The supporting leg bends slightly to stand firm and the body stays centred throughout — stillness mastering motion.支撑腿微屈站稳，身体始终保持中正，以静制动

Cross Hands

十字手

Join the wrists, then part the palms and cross the left arm outside the right, embraced in front of the chest.双手搭腕，分掌；左手在外交叉合抱于胸前
The cross is rounded rather than collapsed, the weight is centred, and the movement stays slow and even, gathering the breath.十字交叉撑圆，重心居中，动作缓慢均匀，引气归元

Closing Posture

收势

Press both palms down, stand upright and draw the left foot in to close.双手按掌，直立，收左脚并步还原
Relax completely with the breath settled low, and stay attentive at the end rather than dropping the moment the form stops.全身放松、气沉丹田；结束仍保持精神专注，不立刻松懈

Tai Chi Wuji · https://www.taichiwuji.com/forms/eight-methods-five-steps-tai-chi/