Professor Zheng Manqing and the 37 Posture Yang Style Tai Chi Form

Zheng Manqing (鄭曼青, 1902–1975), also written as Cheng Man-ch’ing, was born in 1902 in Yongjia (present-day Wenzhou) in Zhejiang Province, China. Known as the Master of Five Excellences, he was highly accomplished in Calligraphy, Poetry, the Chinese Classics, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Tai Chi Chuan (Taiji Quan). A college professor, he became known to his Tai Chi students as Professor Zheng.

Zheng Manqing learned the classical Yang Style Tai Chi from the famed Yang Chengfu (杨澄甫, 1883–1936) in 1930 for a period of two years. Professor Zheng understood the need to make Tai Chi available to the public but realized that this was not possible through the classical teaching of the traditional long form. Zheng had the foresight to shorten the form by eliminating many of the repetitions of the postures. The form he developed has become known as Zheng Manqing’s 37 Posture Yang Style Short Form (37 Posture Form).

Professor Zheng’s teaching and his several books on Tai Chi popularized the art and spread it to the West.
In 1967, he co-authored with Robert W. Smith, T’ai-Chi: The “Supreme Ultimate” Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense, published by Tuttle Publishing, making this one of the earliest books on Tai Chi Quan to be published in the West. Many of Zheng’s books are still essential reading for all Tai Chi enthusiasts and his Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Chuan is considered a classic.

Zheng Manqing’s Tui Shou (Push Hands) skill was legendary and many of his senior students have also become famous for this ability. They have continued to pass on his teachings throughout the world.

Pofessor Zheng died on March 26, 1975; his grave is near the city of Taipei in Taiwan.

Note: I learned the 37 Posture Form from Grandmaster Tao Bingxiang (陶秉祥, 1919-2006); his name is more commonly written as Tao Ping Siang, and signed as Peter P. S. Tao.

Zheng Zi Tai Chi Quan San Shi Qi Shi
(鄭子太極拳三十七式功架)
Professor Zheng’s Tai Chi Quan 37 Postures
List of Movements:

1. Yubei Shi, Qi Shi (預備式，起勢) – Preparation and Beginning Posture
2. Lan Que Wei Zuo Peng (攬雀尾左掤) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail Left Ward Off
3. Lan Que Wei You Peng (攬雀尾右掤) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail Right Ward Off
4. Lan Que Wei Lv (攬雀尾捋) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail Roll Back
5. Lan Que Wei Ji (攬雀尾擠) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail Press
6. Lan Que Wei An (攬雀尾按) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail Push
7. Dan Bian (單鞭) – Single Whip
8. Ti Shou (提手) – Raise Hands
9. Kao (靠) – Shoulder Strike
10.  Bai He Liang Chi (白鶴亮翅) – White Crane Spreads its Wings
11.  Zuo Lou Xi Ao Bu (左摟膝拗步) – Left Brush Knee and Twist Step
12.  Shou Hui Pi Pa (手揮琵琶) – Hands Strum the Lute
13.  Zuo Lou Xi Ao Bu (左摟膝拗步) – Left Brush Knee and Twist Step
14.  Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui (進步搬攔捶) – Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, and Punch
15.  Ru Feng Si Bi (如封似閉) – Apparent Close Up
16.  Shi Zi Shou (十字手) – Cross Hands
17.  Bao Hu Gui Shan (抱虎歸山) – Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain
18.  Lan Que Wei (攬雀尾) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail
19.  Xie Dan Bian (斜單鞭) – Diagonal Single Whip
20.  Zhou Di Kan Chui (肘底看捶) – Fist Under Elbow
21.  Dao Nian Hou (倒攆猴) – Step Back and Repulse Monkey
22.  Xie Fei Shi (斜飛勢) – Slant Flying Posture
23.  Yun Shou (雲手) – Cloud Hands
24.  Dan Bian Xia Shi (單鞭下勢) – Single Whip Lower Posture
25.  Jin Ji Du Li (金雞獨立) – Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg
26.  Zuo You Fen Jiao (左右分腳) – Separate Left and Right Foot
27.  Zhuan Shen Deng Jiao (轉身蹬腳) – Turn Body and Heel Kick
28.  Zuo You Lou Xi Ao Bu (左右摟膝拗步) – Left and Right Brush Knee and Twist Step
29.  Jin Bu Zai Chui (進步栽捶) – Step Forward and Punch Down
30.  Shang Bu Lan Que Wei Ji Dan Bian (上步攬雀尾及單鞭) – Step Up Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail and Single Whip
31.  Yu Nu Chuan Suo (玉女穿梭) – Jade Maiden Works Shuttles
32.  Lan Que Wei Zhi Dan Bian Xia Shi (攬雀尾至單鞭下勢) – Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail to  Single Whip Lower Posture
33.  Shang Bu Qi Xing (上步七星) – Step Up to Seven Stars
34.  Tui Bu Kua Hu (退步跨虎) – Step Back to Ride The Tiger
35.  Zhuan Shen Bai Lian (轉身擺蓮) – Turn Body and Lotus Kick
36.  Wan Gong She Hu (彎弓射虎) – Draw Bow to Shoot Tiger
37.  Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui Zhi Shi Zi Shou He Tai Ji (進步搬攔捶至十字手合太極) – Step Forward, Deflect, Parry, and Punch to Cross Hands and Closing Tai Chi

Note: The list of movements above is based on my own notes. Professor Zheng’s 37 Postures appear differently at different times. Zheng Manqing authored T’ai Chi Ch’uan: A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health & Self Defense , which was published by North Atlantic Books in 1981, in which the list differs from the book he co-authored with Robert Smith. This book also contains a list of 42 movements to describe the form.

I have used the Pinyin Romanization, which I prefer, without the tones. In Taiwan they still use the Wade-Giles spelling which often uses hyphenation (-).

The above list should not be taken as definitive; rather it should be used as a resource for your own research.

You can view Zheng Manqing performing the 37 Posture Tai Chi Form on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_BKwlpOAkk