Qigong Routines · SequenceLast reviewed Oct 27, 2026

Da Wu (The Great Dance)

健身气功·大舞

The standardised eight-posture set · 10 movements · 12–15 min · Free (name says 8)

In the 2026 official catalog · 普及功法

A sequence reference within Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳 · Taijiquan) — the movement names, their order, and a printable sheet.

PDF and print — the reference sheet is a four-page A4 file; print the page itself if you would rather have the full notes.

Counting · The name counts eight postures (八势一套). 预备势 opens the set and 收势 closes it; both are performed and neither is one of the eight, so the page lists ten entries and numbers only the eight.

Lineage · Compiled by the National Health Qigong Management Centre with research carried out at Wuhan Sports University (lead: Lei Bin). Excavation and compilation from 2007; research project QG08B03 filed 2008 and concluded 2009; unified textbook published by People’s Sports Publishing House in May 2010. A state popularisation routine — the movements follow the official textbook, not a folk or family version.

Naming · The official compilation publishes no English posture names. The English here follows the English edition of the textbook where the rendering is stable, and is otherwise a descriptive translation; the pinyin is given because that is what a teacher will say.

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Preparatory Posture

预备势

Feet together, toes forward, inner edges touching. Arms hang at the sides with the palms lightly against the outer thighs; chin slightly tucked, head upright, spine erected, chest comfortable, tongue touching the palate, a slight smile, gaze to the front-lower.并步站立：两脚并拢，脚尖向前，内侧靠拢；两臂自然垂于体侧，掌心轻贴腿外侧；下颏微收，头正颈直，竖脊舒胸，舌尖轻贴上颚，目视前下方。
Raise the palms to diaphragm height, then open them to shoulder width, turn the palms up and arc the arms overhead to about 30° in front of the forehead, the two arms about 90° apart and curved. Inhale, look up-forward, pause briefly. Then draw the elbows in to the chest and press the palms down to navel height, 10 cm apart, sinking about 45° at the knees as you exhale.两掌于腹前十指相对上托至膈肌同高，分开与肩等宽，旋腕上举至额前上方约30°，两臂夹角约90°；再屈肘内收，两掌下按至肚脐同高、相距10厘米，屈膝下蹲约45°，配合呼气。
The lift and press work the diaphragm. Keep the arms curved rather than straight, and let the chest stay soft as they rise.托按可锻炼膈肌；两臂保持弧形，上举时不挺胸塌腰。

Raising the Head

昂首势

Step the left foot out slightly wider than the shoulders, arms rising sideways to shoulder height with the palms up and the elbows soft. Inhale, gaze forward.左脚向左开步，略宽于肩；两臂侧起至侧平举，肘微屈，掌心向上，指尖向外，配合吸气。
Sink about 45° at the knees while the head lifts and the tailbone lifts with it — the spine forms a reverse arch. Shoulders sink, elbows drop, wrists extend, palms up, the heels of the hands level with the ears. Exhale, pause, gaze up-forward.屈膝下蹲约45°；抬头翘尾，脊柱反弓，沉肩落肘，腕外展，掌心向上，掌根与耳同高，指尖向外；配合呼气，略停，目视前上方。
The arch is made by head, tailbone and shoulder blades all pressing toward 神道穴 between them, so that point becomes the crossing of two bows — one vertical, one horizontal. Lifting the head alone, without the tailbone, is not the posture.头、尾、肩胛均向神道穴挤压，使神道穴成为横竖两张弓的交点，形成完整反弓；只抬头不翘尾不算到位。
Straighten the knees, recover the chin, let the tailbone drop, return the arms to shoulder height. Inhale. Then shift the weight right, bring the left foot in, circle the arms up and press down to the navel, sinking 45°. Repeat on the other side, one round each.起身还原，下颏回收，尾闾下垂；重心右移，左脚收回并步，两臂环抱上举后下按至肚脐同高，屈膝下蹲约45°；右式相同，方向相反。

Opening the Hips

开胯势

Step the left foot about 30° to the left-front into a bow stance, the arms rising overhead to about 30° in front of the crown, palms facing each other 20 cm apart. Inhale.左脚向左前方约30°上步成左弓步；两臂侧起至头顶前上方约30°，掌心相对相距20厘米，指尖向上，肘微屈，配合吸气。
Bring the right foot in beside the left into a T-step, the left knee slightly bent, and lower the hands to about 5 cm in front of the forehead, still 20 cm apart.右脚上步至左脚内侧成右丁步，左膝微屈；两手下落至额前，相距约5厘米，掌心相对约20厘米。
With the weight on the left leg, sink about 45°, swing the hips left, and use the ball of the right foot as the pivot so the right knee opens outward and the right hip is drawn into external rotation. The arms arc outward to the sides — the left palm level with the shoulder, the right hand up at about 45° with the palm toward 玉枕穴. The two knees should reach roughly 90° apart; that angle is the point of the posture.重心在左脚，屈膝下蹲约45°；臀部向左摆，以右脚掌为支点，右膝外开带动右腿外旋，牵引右胯；两臂弧形外撑，左掌与肩同高，右掌至右上方约45°，掌心对玉枕穴；两膝夹角约90°。
Straighten the left knee and step the right foot about 30° to the left-rear into an empty stance, arms rising overhead again. Inhale, then repeat the T-step and hip opening the other way. Two steps forward, two back, one round each.左膝伸直，右脚向左后方约30°退步成右虚步，两臂侧起至头顶前上方，配合吸气；退步后的丁步开胯与上步相同，方向相反；上2步、退2步各1遍。

Stretching the Waist

抻腰势

Shift the weight left, turn the right toes in, pivot on the left heel so the toes open about 90° and the body turns 90° left. Bring the palms together at the diaphragm and lift them slightly to 10 cm from the chest, fingertips angled up-forward.重心左移，右脚内扣，以左脚跟为轴脚尖外展约90°，身体左转90°；两掌合于膈肌处，微上提至掌根距胸约10厘米，指尖向前上方。
Straighten the right leg and lift the left knee, the lower leg hanging, the toes curled in. Then extend the left foot forward with the toes drawn back, the leg straight.右腿伸直，左膝上提，小腿自然下垂，脚趾内扣；随后左脚尖上跷向前蹬出，左腿伸直。
Step the left foot about 30° to the left-front into a bow stance and tip the torso forward about 45°, reaching both palms up-forward. Once the arms are straight, tuck the chin and bring the upper arms against the ears, the right heel drawing down and back. Inhale, pause, gaze down-forward.屈右膝，左脚向左前方约30°上步成左弓步；躯干前倾约45°，两掌向前上方伸出，手臂伸直后下颏回收，上臂内侧贴耳，右脚跟向后下方牵引，配合吸气。
Lift the right heel with the toes gripping the floor and keep lengthening the reach, the waist relaxing so the body draws long from both ends. Then sit back: the right heel lands and bends, the left toes lift and the left leg straightens, the tailbone tips up, the lower back relaxes into the forward tip, the chest opens and the head lifts. Draw the palms back to 15 cm in front of 膻中穴. Exhale, pause.右脚跟离地，脚趾抓地，手臂持续前上方引伸，腰部放松，上下对拉拔长；随后重心后移，右脚跟落地屈膝，左脚掌趾跷起，翘臀、塌腰、挺胸、抬头；两掌回收至膻中穴前约15厘米，配合呼气。
CAUTION — the head travels below the heart here. If you have high blood pressure, dizziness or a balance problem, reduce the forward tip, or leave the posture out and stand upright instead. Rise before turning to the other side: complete the stand, then pivot, rather than turning while still tipped forward.注意：本式头低于心脏。高血压、眩晕、平衡障碍者应减小幅度或不做。换势时先完全起身直立，再扣脚转身，避免重心不稳。

Shaking the Body

震体势

Straighten the legs and raise the arms sideways to shoulder height. Then sink into a horse stance, the arms dropping and drawing in at about 45° so they form a rounded frame at navel height, palms up, fingertips forward. Exhale, gaze to the palms.两腿伸直，两臂侧起至侧平举；屈膝下蹲成马步，两臂下落至45°时屈肘内收，与肩同宽成弧形，两掌与肚脐同高，掌心向上，指尖向前，配合呼气。
Close both hands into 握固 (thumb tip pressed to the base of the ring finger, the other fingers curling over), set them at the sides of the navel with the edge of the hand lightly against it. Shift the weight right and lift the left knee above horizontal, the toes drawn up. Rotate the arms inward and raise the fists past the ears to overhead, the elbows soft, the two fist faces facing each other 10 cm apart. Inhale.两手握固收于肚脐两侧，掌轮轻贴肚脐；重心右移，左腿屈膝上提高于水平，脚趾上跷；两臂内旋，两腕上提，拳面经耳门举至头顶上方，肘微屈，拳面相对相距10厘米，配合吸气。
CAUTION — this is a light strike, not a blow. Let the leg fall back 15° and the arms drop under their own weight; as they pass horizontal they open into palms and the 合谷穴 taps the outer thigh along the gallbladder line near 风市穴. No force is added anywhere. Then the left foot steps out slightly wider than the shoulders and lands.注意：轻击，不是用力打。左腿放松下摆至后下方15°，两臂随松肩坠肘下落，至水平时变掌内旋，用合谷穴轻击大腿外侧胆经（风市穴附近），依靠自重自由落体；随后左脚开步稍宽于肩落地。
Turn the torso 45° right, the left hand arcing to 膻中穴 at the front midline and the right hand to 命门穴 at the back, both closed into fists. Inhale. Sink 30° at the knees as the torso returns to square, the left fist edge tapping the lower dantian and the right fist eye tapping the sacrum. Exhale.身体右转45°，左手划弧至前正中线膻中穴处握固，右手至后正中线命门穴处握固，配合吸气；两腿屈膝下蹲30°，身体转正，左手拳轮轻击下丹田，右手拳眼轻击骶骨，配合呼气。
Straighten the legs and rotate the torso 90° right as the fists open and the arms circle back out to shoulder height. Repeat the whole posture on the other side, then bring the arms in and press down.两腿伸直，躯干右旋90°，两拳变掌向两侧伸出后划弧回到侧平举；右式相同，方向相反；完成后两臂环抱下按，引气归元。
Skip the striking if you have osteoporosis, a bleeding disorder, or are menstruating; press gently with the palm instead of tapping, or leave the contact out entirely and keep the rotation.骨质疏松、出血倾向、经期女性慎做或不做击打，可用掌心轻抚代替，或省略接触只做旋转。

Soothing the Spine

揉脊势

Shift the weight left and draw the right foot in to the inside of the left into a T-step. Swing both arms down, left and up: the left arm to shoulder height with the palm down, the right arm to 45° below-left, fingertips pointing left. Inhale, gaze to the left hand.重心左移，右脚收至左脚内侧成右丁步；两臂向下、向左、向上摆动，左臂至与肩同高，掌心向下指尖向左；右臂至左下方45°，指尖向左，配合吸气。
Keep the left knee at 45° and pivot on the ball of the right foot so the right leg opens outward about 90°, toes pointing right. The hips swing left and the torso side-bends right about 45°: the left arm rises to 45° above-right with the palm up, the right hand comes under the left armpit with 劳宫穴 facing 大包穴, the elbow bent and the armpit hollow. Exhale, turn the head right, gaze down-right, pause.左腿保持屈膝45°，右脚掌为轴带动右腿外展90°；臀向左摆，躯干向右侧屈45°；左臂上摆至右上方45°，掌心向上；右手至左腋下，劳宫穴对大包穴，屈肘虚腋；配合呼气，向右转头。
The side bend is a bend, not a fold: keep the lower shoulder pressing very slightly forward so the chest stays square to the front, then arc the whole spine rather than hinging at the waist. The foot pivot does the opening — if the right leg does not rotate, the lumbar spine absorbs the twist.侧屈时下方肩微微向前用力，保持胸部正对前方，不要含胸转肩；右脚主动辗转带动右腿外展约90°。
Retrace the path back to the T-step, then step the right foot out and repeat the other way. Bring the arms in and press down to close.按原路线还原至丁步摆臂姿态，随后右脚向右开步，做右式动作，方向相反；完成后两臂环抱下按，引气归元。

Swaying the Hips

摆臀势

Keep the knees at 45° and fold forward segment by segment — cervical, then thoracic, then lumbar, then sacral — until the torso is about 45° down, the palms sliding along the vertical to between the knees with the backs of the hands touching, gaze to the hands.两腿屈膝45°不变，从颈椎开始经胸椎、腰椎、骶椎，从上向下逐节缓缓牵引前屈约45°；两掌沿垂线下按至两膝之间，掌背相靠，目视两掌。
Straighten the legs slowly and unroll the spine from the sacrum upward until upright, the palms rising along the front midline and turning to join at 膻中穴 height, 10 cm from the chest, forearms level. Inhale. The fold and the rise are the point: cue each segment rather than bowing from the hips.两腿缓慢伸直，从骶椎开始由下向上逐节伸直至直立；两掌经前正中线提至胸前，转指尖向上合掌，掌根与膻中穴同高，距胸约10厘米，前臂水平，配合吸气。
Sink 45°, keep the head upright, swing the hips forward-left and push both palms forward-left with the arms rounded. Exhale, pause, return, then the other side. One round each way. The knees stay over the toes and do not travel with the hips; only the pelvis moves.两腿屈膝45°，头正颈直，臀部向左前方摆动，两掌向左前方推出，两臂撑圆；配合呼气；还原后做右式，左右各1遍。膝与脚尖上下相对固定，仅腰臀随尾闾摆动。
With the hips swung left, circle the tailbone through one horizontal circle clockwise while the palms circle clockwise with the wrists as the pivot and the middle fingertips as the leading point. Then one circle anticlockwise, breathing naturally. The palm root stays fixed 10 cm in front of 膻中穴 as the axis; only the fingertips tilt.以尾椎为点顺时针划平圆1圈，两掌以腕为轴、中指尖为点同步顺时针划圆1圈；随后逆时针划圆1圈；掌根固定于膻中穴前10厘米作为转轴。
Separate the palms, turn the wrists and thread them back under the armpits to the lower shoulder blades with the palms facing back. Straighten the legs and press the palms down to 环跳穴, then raise the arms and circle them in to close.两掌依次分开，旋腕从腋下向后穿至肩胛骨下，掌心向后；两腿伸直，两掌下推至环跳穴，两臂侧起环抱，引气归元。

Rubbing the Ribs

摩肋势

Straighten both legs and raise the arms to shoulder height. Shift the weight right and turn the left toes in, then shift left and turn the right toes out 90° so the body turns 90° right. Tip forward and swing the arms through a vertical circle: the left palm lightly to the right toes, the right arm up and back with the palm up. Exhale, pause.两腿伸直，两臂侧起至侧平举；重心右移左脚内扣，再重心左移右腿外撇90°，身体右转90°；俯身带动两臂立圆抡臂，左掌心轻贴右脚尖，右臂向后上方举，掌心向上，配合呼气。
Draw the right palm to the right armpit and step the right foot back into a left empty stance. The torso turns left and the right palm root pushes down along the mid-axillary line, past the hip. Then the right palm arcs forward and up to 膻中穴 height while the left palm rises to the left armpit, and the other side steps back. Two steps back on each side.右掌收至右腋下，右脚向右后方退步成左虚步；躯干左旋，右掌根沿腋中线向下推摩至超过髋关节，随后右掌向前划弧上摆至膻中穴高度，左掌上提至左腋下；左右各退2步。
The rubbing follows the ribs rather than pressing into them, and the shoulders counter-rotate around the spine so the front hand, both shoulders and the rear elbow line up. Keep a soft bend in both knees while stepping back — straightening them is what makes the head bob.以脊柱为轴，两肩前后充分摆转，使前手、两肩、后肘成前后一条直线；退步时保持两膝微屈，避免重心起伏过大。
After one side, turn the toes and pivot 180° to take the other side, then straighten up, raise the arms and circle them in to close.完成一侧摩肋后，扣脚转身180°，做另一侧；完成后起身转正，两臂侧起环抱，引气归元。

Soaring

飞身势

Shift the weight right, straighten the right leg and lift the left knee with the lower leg hanging and the toes down; the arms rise sideways slightly above shoulder height, elbows soft, palms down. Inhale.重心右移，右腿伸直独立，左腿屈膝提起，小腿下垂脚尖向下；两臂侧起稍高于肩，肘微屈掌心向下，配合吸气。
Bend the right knee and step the left foot about 30° to the left-front, the arms arcing forward and down to navel height. Exhale. Alternate the lift and step four times, bringing the right foot in beside the left on the fourth.右腿屈膝，左脚向左前方30°上步；两臂向前下方划弧落至肚脐高度，肘微屈掌心向下，配合呼气；交替提膝上步共前进4步，第4步右脚与左脚并步。
Straighten the legs and arc the left arm up-forward to 45° while the right swings down-back to 45°. Inhale. Then soften both knees, turn the head right and rotate the torso right as the left arm turns out and the right turns in — the left elbow above shoulder height, the upper and lower arm at about 120°. Exhale, pause, gaze down-left.两腿伸直，左臂向前上方45°划弧上举，右臂向后下方45°弧线下摆，配合吸气；两膝微屈，头向右平转，躯干向右回旋，左臂外旋、右臂内旋，左肘高于肩，大小臂夹角120°，配合呼气。
The arms lead and the torso follows: shoulder, elbow and wrist stay relaxed, so the swing travels from the waist. Swing within 45° above and below shoulder height, further back than forward; a straight-armed swing with a stiff trunk loses the whole point of the posture.肩肘腕放松，肘微屈，以腰带肩、以肩带臂、以臂带掌；摆动以侧平举为中线，上下各45°为限，向后上方充分，向前下方不超过45°。
Return to shoulder height, press the palms down, then reverse: step back with the right foot first and alternate four steps, the movement mirrored and the torso rotating the other way. Finish with the arms at shoulder height, palms up.还原成侧平举后，两掌下按；随后先退右脚交替退步4步，动作与进步相同，方向相反，转腰方向相反；完成后两臂侧平举，掌心向上。
This is a single-leg stance repeated eight times. If balance is uncertain, keep the lifted foot lower, hold a chair back, or step through without the pause.单腿独立反复8次；平衡不稳者可降低提膝高度、扶椅背，或省略停顿直接上步。

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Closing Posture

收势

Raise the arms and circle them in front, fingertips facing each other about 10 cm apart, palms angled down. Inhale, gaze forward.两臂向上环抱，指尖相对相距10厘米，掌心斜向下，配合吸气，目视前方。
Press the palms slowly down the front of the body; at diaphragm height turn the palms to face inward and continue down to 10 cm in front of the navel, palms toward the lower dantian. Exhale, pause briefly.两掌沿体前缓慢下按，至膈肌高度时转掌心向内，继续下按至肚脐前，掌心对下丹田，相距10厘米，配合呼气，略停。
Three rounds of the raise and press. After the third, let the arms fall to the sides and stand quietly for a minute, letting the breath settle. Then rub the hands, wash the face, click the teeth, drum the ears and massage the abdomen before walking away.上抱下按共3遍；第3遍后两臂自然下落，轻贴腿外侧，静立1分钟调息；再做搓手、浴面、叩齿、鸣天鼓、摩腹等放松动作。

Tai Chi Wuji · https://www.taichiwuji.com/qigong-routines/da-wu/