42-Form Competition Tai Chi
四十二式太极拳 · Sishi'er shi taijiquan
Literally: „taijiquan in forty-two movements“
Also known as: 太极拳竞赛套路, 综合太极拳, 42 Movements Taijiquan, 42-posture tai chi, Taijiquan Competition Form
A 1989 competition taijiquan form: 42 movements in four sections based on Yang style, combined with movements from the Chen, Wu and Sun styles.
Quick Facts
About the kata
The 42-movement form was created in 1989 by the wushu research institute of China's state sports commission. According to an article on the Chinese portal cntjq.net, it was needed for wushu events at the Asian Games and the first world championship, where competitors had to perform the same prescribed form. Competition forms for changquan, nanquan and weapons appeared at the same time. The movements are divided into four sections. The Yang style remains the basis, providing the opening and closing, while movements from other taijiquan lineages alternate in between. The English Wikipedia names four styles – Chen, Yang, Wu and Sun – while the Chinese Wikipedia also adds the Wu (Hao) style. Unusual is its symmetry: the form opens with Grasp the Bird's Tail on the right and closes with the same figure on the left, which cntjq.net says traditional forms do not usually do. According to the same article, the form demands leg strength and flexibility and suits those who already have a taijiquan foundation. The English Wikipedia adds that it has also spread beyond competition as a health exercise. The IWUF competition rules list it among the compulsory forms.
The kata in different styles
| Style | Name in the style | Movements | Kiai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Chi | 42-Form Competition Tai Chi | 42 | — |
Creator and history
The English Wikipedia describes the backstory: in 1976, China's state sports commission tasked Men Huifeng and Li Deyin with composing a combined form from the positions of the four main styles, which produced the 48-movement form. In 1989 they shortened it to 42 movements so it would fit the competition time and could be judged; a year later wushu appeared at the Asian Games for the first time. Zhang Haiqing on cntjq.net also points to the link to the 48-movement form, saying the name combined taijiquan became established for it. The Chinese Wikipedia does not name the authors and writes of a group of students from various schools who did not belong to the founding lineages; according to it, the form was meant to erase the character of individual schools and families.
Differences between styles
Zhang Haiqing (cntjq.net) goes through the form movement by movement. Opening and Closing Hands, Single Whip on the right and Turn with Palm Push have, in his view, the character of the Sun style, in which the back foot steps up after every forward step. Punch Under Covering Hand, Wild Horse Parts Its Mane and Lift Palm on One Leg come from the Chen style, Tiger Beaten on One Leg, Slanting Flying and Retreat with Piercing Palm from the Wu style. Sit-Stance with Grasp and Strike, he says, draws its power from xingyiquan, and Push in Horse Stance with Grand Withdrawal came from paired tuishou practice. He complains that even competition medalists can name at most Yang and Chen among these styles.
The hardest part
The hardest, according to cntjq.net, is the fourth section: Grand Withdrawal with Turn, Sit-Stance with Grasp and Strike, Piercing Palm into Low Stance and Step Forward to Seven Stars follow one another and include two deep squats, the xiebu sit-stance and the xiashi low stance. According to the article, few can master them well without systematic training, because they demand leg strength and flexibility of joints and ligaments. Zhang Haiqing considers Punch Under Covering Hand the hardest single movement, especially for someone without a Chen style foundation.
In competition
The 2024 IWUF competition rules list the form in Article 11 among the compulsory taijiquan forms, alongside the competition forms of the Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao) and Sun styles, and allow five to six minutes for it; exceeding or falling short of the limit by up to five seconds deducts 0.1 point, up to ten seconds 0.2 point, and so on. At the 4th World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore in 2024 it was performed in the masters competition in the 14–17 and 18-plus categories, and also in the demonstration competition.
Competition status
- IWUF (International Wushu Federation) – Tai Chi — Compulsory routine ↗
Common Mistakes
Holding the breath in Opening and Closing Hands (kaihe shou): one should inhale on opening and exhale on closing. In Push in Horse Stance (mabu kao), shifting the weight into a lunge or a full horse stance, although it should stay on the right leg. In Turning and Pulling Down (zhuanshen dalü), pressing the right elbow all the way to the left side of the chest, which makes the practitioner lose balance.
Key Tip
In Punch Under Covering Hand (yanshou gongchui), the form's hardest point, body and limbs coil and load first; only then does the fist shoot out in horse stance with a screw turn, power coming from the waist.
Techniques in the kata
Related katas
- Derived from: 48-Form Tai Chi