Wang Zongyue
Wang Zongyue was a legendary figure in the history of Chinese martial art tai chi. In some writings, Wang is supposed to have been a student of the equally legendary Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist monk credited with devising neijia in general and tai chi in particular.
Wang is said to have resided in Taigu, Shanxi in the middle of the 15th Century. He learned an early form of tai chi in the Jingtai Taoist Temple in Baoji. Two of Wang's supposed disciples, Chen Wangting and Jiang Fa, went on to make important contributions to the development of modern tai chi.
Wang is reputed to have authored The Tai Chi Treatise, alleged by the Wu brothers to have been found in Beijing as part of the Salt Shop Manuals in the mid 19th century. This treatise records many tai chi proverbs; among them: "four ounces deflect one thousand pounds" and "a feather cannot be added; nor can a fly alight". The Tai Chi Treatise is among a body of literature collectively referred to as the tai chi classics.
The Thirteen Dynamic Solo Set
The Thirteen Dynamic Solo Set is listed in Wang Zongyue's The Tai Chi Treatise as manual handwritten by Li Yiyu, presented to his student, Hao He in 1881. The Solo Set is as follows:- 懶扎衣 - LAZILY PULLING BACK THE ROBE
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 提手上勢 - RAISE THE HAND
- 白鵝亮翅 - WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS
- 摟膝抝步 - BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
- 手揮琵琶勢 - PLAY THE LUTE
- 摟膝抝步 - BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
- 手揮琵琶勢 - PLAY THE LUTE
- 上步搬攬垂 - STEP FORWARD, PARRY, TAKE IN, PUNCH
- 如封似閉 - SEALING SHUT
- 抱虎推山 - CAPTURE THE TIGER AND PUSH IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 肘底看垂 -GUARDING PUNCH UNDER THE ELBOW
- 倒輦猴 - TURN AROUND TO DRIVE AWAY THE MONKEY
- 白鵝亮翅 - WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS
- 摟膝抝步 - BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
- 三甬背 - THREE THROUGH THE BACK
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 紜手 - TANGLING HANDS
- 高探馬 - RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE
- 左右起脚 - LIFTING KICK TO BOTH SIDES
- 轉身踢一脚 - TURN AROUND, SNAPPING KICK
- 踐步打垂 - STEP SUCCESSIVELY, PUNCH
- 翻身二起 - TURN AROUND, DOUBLE KICK
- 披身 - DRAPE THE BODY
- 踢一脚 - SNAPPING KICK
- 蹬一脚 - PRESSING KICK
- 上步搬攬垂 - STEP FORWARD, PARRY, TAKE IN, PUNCH
- 如封似閉 - SEALING SHUT
- 抱虎推山 - CAPTURE THE TIGER AND PUSH IT BACK TO ITS MOUNTAIN
- 斜單鞭 - DIAGONAL SINGLE WHIP
- 野馬分鬃 - WILD HORSE SENDS ITS MANE SIDE TO SIDE
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 玉女穿梭 - MAIDEN SENDS THE SHUTTLE THROUGH
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 紜手下勢 - TANGLING HANDS, LOWERING
- 更鷄獨立 - ROOSTER STANDS ON ONE LEG
- 倒輦猴 - TURN AROUND TO DRIVE AWAY THE MONKEY
- 白鵝亮翅 - WHITE GOOSE SHOWS ITS WINGS
- 摟膝抝步 - BRUSH PAST YOUR KNEE IN A CROSSED STANCE
- 三甬背 - THREE THROUGH THE BACK
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 紜手 - TANGLING HANDS
- 高探馬 - RISING UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE HORSE
- 十字擺連 - CROSSED-BODY SWINGING LOTUS KICK
- 上步指襠捶 - STEP FORWARD, PUNCH TO THE CROTCH
- 單鞭 - SINGLE WHIP
- 上步七星 - STEP FORWARD, BIG-DIPPER POSTURE
- 下步跨虎 - STEP BACK, SITTING-TIGER POSTURE
- 轉脚擺連 - REVOLVING-BASE SWINGING LOTUS KICK
- 彎弓射虎 - BEND THE BOW TO SHOOT THE TIGER
- 雙抱垂 - DOUBLE PUNCH
- 手揮琵琶勢 - PLAY THE LUTE