A class is consists of 4 parts. Each part has a certain focus, but always with the goal to go deeper and reach more subtle levels.

1. Warm up
2. Form study (Tào lù 套路) :
3. Partner exercices (push hands = Tuīshǒu 推手)
4. Meditation

Warm up

The start of a class is the most important. In these moments we prepare our mind to let go of the outerworld , and try to focus on the inner world which is connected to a deeper part of our mind (the deep bodily consciousness which we will call the deep mind).

Form Study - Tào lù- 套路

With the body now somewhat loosened and the mind more relaxed and deepened, we start the second part of the class: form study. The form is practiced solo. during the form study we look for elastic power and stretch. t en stretch.

The short form is taught to starters and beginners.
Over a period of 5-6 months we complete the short form. Seems short, yet the aim is not to be sufficient the form solo, but to enable a starter to participate at and follow the basic set of exercices in a solid group.
Twice a year we go through all the movements in detail to stimulate a continuously refining and growth in accuracy, understanding, and deepening body awareness.
Performing the short form takes between 15 to 20 minutes but over time advances to 8- 12 minutes. In order to maintain our focus for longer time deep, the jump to the long form has to be made.

The long form can be started when you feel ready. This is different for everyone, we advice to start with the long form after 1 to 1,5 years to start training the long form as well. Every year in January, we start from scratch. (Note: the short form is derived from the long form.The long form contains lots of repetitions and some more complex figures).
Given all those repetitions the long form can be taught in 5 to 6 months. The other 6months we focus on deeper processe, finer details, push hands and applications.
Performing the short form varies between 20 to 40minutes.

The fast form is a form with its origins in the white crane kung fu. which was practised by Huáng Xìngxián 黃 性賢 before he started tai ji. He introduced this form into our tradition to stimulate faster and smoother movement at a normal speed. , Meaning that we cannot disrupt natural processes too much which unconsciously happens when we practice slowly.
This form can be learned in a few weeks.

Partner exercices - Tuī shǒu- 推手

Practising alone is just alone. From a movement perspective, practising alone does not give a feedback on whatever you feel is truly correct and applicable. Here we stumble on the survival instinct of the brain, what it doesn't know yet it fills in with imagined things. This is the nature how our brain and external senses function (The playfield for magicians, illusionist and mentalists). But also language is limiting, and we create concepts and impressions through descriptions. However, the language of tai ji is full of deeper, sometimes contradictory layers, which we only understand when we the body and mind has struggled somewhat through them. Training alone brings you no further then your own experence, to break through this limit partner exercices are required.

The partner excercises add an extra layer of experience, which immediately puts our knowledge and skills to the test.
Partner exercices helps of refine our understanding., to work more subtle and to work outside our own body again through the connection with the other.

The basic set of tuī shǒu consists of 8 exercises that we can expand to 18.

Once sufficiently acquanted with the partner exercices, application are introduced. When connection with the partner and your (spring) force are not correctly build up, applications will be experienced as hard and exhausting exercice to try and move the partner. Moreover the partner that was to be thrown will experience all incoming force as a rough power. If one manages the principles, then he will feel elastic and sprung, to partner would experience things as a wave which can not be avoided but still a rather nice sensation which he is not afraid to be exposed to again. To surrender to this lastic force, the concept of wú wéi 無為 needs to be brought to practice. Openess, honesty, self analysis, self reflection will gain importance in your training. Which brings us to the final part of the class.

Meditation

At the end of the training, during which we have consciously and deeply engaged with the body, we move on to meditation. In the initial phase of our tai ji training, we use meditation to re-establish our awareness deep within the body.