Chen Tai Chi 18 Form Build the foundations - Autumn Intensive Workshop Series

Chen Tai Chi 18 Form

Autumn Intensive Workshop Series

Third Sunday 20 September, 18 October & 15 November 2026

3:30–5:00 pm

Five Ashes Village Hall – Rowan Hall

Take time to go deeper into your Tai Chi practice with this three-part Chen Tai Chi 18 Form Intensive Workshop Series.

Rather than trying to learn the entire form at once, we will divide the 18 Form into three manageable sections of six postures. Each 90-minute workshop will concentrate on one section, allowing plenty of time to understand, practise and remember each movement before progressing to the next six.

The aim is not simply to copy the movements, but to gradually develop a better understanding of posture, alignment, weight transfer, coordination, relaxation and the continuous flow of Chen Tai Chi.

Each Workshop Will Include

Joint Mobility Exercises

We will begin with a series of gentle exercises designed to mobilise the joints and improve flexibility throughout the body.

These exercises help prepare the body for Tai Chi practice, encourage a comfortable range of movement and support overall joint mobility and health.

Chen Tai Chi 18 Form

Learn the Chen Tai Chi 18 Form through a comprehensive, progressive teaching approach.

I will use memory, association and visualisation techniques to make the movements easier to understand and remember. We will break the form into smaller sections, practise individual movements and transitions, and then gradually connect them together.

By concentrating on only six postures at each workshop, we can spend more time refining the movements rather than rushing through the form.

The three workshops are designed to build upon one another so that, by the end of the autumn series, you will have been taught all 18 postures and have a framework for remembering and practising the complete form independently.

Workshop 1 — Sunday 20 September

3:30–5:00 pm | Postures 1–6

Our first workshop establishes the foundations and introduces the first six postures:

Preparing Form — Yù bèi shì

Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar — Jīn gāng dǎo duì

Lazy About Tying Coat — Lǎn zhā yī

Six Sealing and Four Closing — Liù fēng sì bì

Single Whip — Dān biān

The White Crane Spreads Its Wings — Bái hè liàng chì

We will work slowly through each posture before learning how the six movements connect and flow together.

Workshop 2 — Sunday 18 October

3:30–5:00 pm | Postures 7–12

We will briefly revisit the first section before concentrating on the next six postures:

Brush Knee — Lōu xī

Walk Forward Diagonally — Xié xíng

Stepping Lightly (Three Steps Forward) — Ào bù

Cover Hands Punch — Yǎn shǒu hōng chuí

High Pat on Horse — Gāo tàn mǎ

Kick with Left Heel — Dèng yī gēn

We will then explore how this new section connects with the first six postures.

Workshop 3 — Sunday 15 November

3:30–5:00 pm | Postures 13–18

Our final workshop introduces the last six postures:

The Jade Girl Works at Shuttles — Yù nu chuān suō

Wave Hand — Yùn shǒu

Turn Body with Double Lotus Kick — Zhuǎn shēn bǎi lián

The Cannon Fist Over Head — Dāng tóu pào

Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar — Jīn gāng dǎo duì

Finishing Form — Shōu shì

After learning the final section, we will bring the three sections together and practise the complete Chen Tai Chi 18 Form, helping you develop greater confidence, continuity and flow.

Learn It — Understand It — Remember It — Practise It

This series is designed to give you the time and space to learn the form more intensively, rather than simply following along.

Whether you are relatively new to Chen Tai Chi or an existing student wishing to deepen and refine your practice, the workshops provide an opportunity to slow things down, ask questions and understand how the movements fit together.

Six postures at a time. Three workshops. One complete form.