In his lineage the short form is important, however, there is also the long form. It is, however, practised in the same way the short form is practised. The long form from Cheng Man Ching’s lineage can take up to plus or minus twenty minutes to practice.
Now with regards to the short form, the “reason its short” is not only because of less repetition but also when you finish the form, you begin again where you started and then repeat it. It allows for continuity not just when doing the form, even when you finish. Allowing for it to repeat.
‘Sinking is spiralling and spiralling is sinking,’ as my Shifu would say, you do not need to twist and turn to achieve this. Of course, in Taiji Quan to study it thoroughly its more than just the form. Cheng Man Ching Taiji Quan was not watered down. What happened is that not all his students practised the art to great depth. Especially in the West, some it seems where too caught up on the New Age train, then the actual practice of Taiji Quan Gong Fu.
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