‘Love, Hate’, or rather ‘Hate, Love, Hate, Love’ -24 pattern Tai Chi set
I have truly had a ‘Love, Hate’, or rather ‘Hate, Love’ relationship with the short 24 pattern Tai Chi set. I first learned the set over ten years ago in China. At the time I had travelled to China with the express intention of learning Shaolin Kung Fu and wasn’t even clear on what Tai Chi was. At the academy I was training at in Northern China, an hour of Tai Chi Chuan before dinner was part of the syllabus and all students were required to take part. Initially, I found the slow movements very frustrating and learned the 24 pattern set begrudgingly. It was never explained to me what the purpose of the moves were but many of the students said there were many benefits to practicing Tai Chi, I just assumed the subject was too profound for me to understand at that time.
A few years later when I was in China, probably in around the year 2002, a young Kung Fu practitioner showed me some applications from the 24 pattern set for the very first time and my whole opinion of Tai Chi changed. I was intrigued by this slow but seemingly combat efficient art, it seemed so soft but could also put you into a lot of pain with the use of a joint lock. The 24 pattern set was my entrance to the combat application side of Tai Chi and I began to love the 24 pattern set.
A year or so later again around 2003 I was studying a ‘traditional long form’ Tai Chi set (as opposed to a government developed set like the 24 pattern set) and my attitude towards the 24 pattern set changed again. I began to think it was a deviation from ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ Tai Chi and thought that it was debased and a waste of time. At that time practicing long forms was the only way to practice Tai Chi.
A year or two later again and I had met my current Tai Chi Chuan Master ‘Wong Kiew Kit’ (Sifu), and the first set that Sifu had me learn was… the 24 pattern Tai Chi set. It was after training with Sifu that I realized that ‘Forms’ were just a tool of Tai Chi and not the complete art in itself. It is the health, combat and spiritual aspects of Tai Chi Chuan that make the art complete, not simply forms. However, once you know the correct path, like the force training methods, footwork, applications and mind training techniques any Tai Chi form can be used to gain huge life benefits. Once again my love for the 24 pattern set had returned and again I loved to practice it.
Now, I see 24 pattern set for what it is, an incredibly useful tool for training Tai Chi skills in short space of time, in fact in can be practiced in as little as three and a half minutes.
I will be teaching this set in Switzerland in March.
Please check out the video below.
Best
Robin
