Bike ee Ue yr 16) vine ae Me PURI fo a aes po er, jez.PART ONE Learning the Form his part of the book concentrates on the physical side of things, the learning of the individual movements which, when added together, wlti- mately transform themselves into the elegant, flowing sequence known as the short yang form. The form bas a beginning and an end, and whenever it is performed the movements are always repeated in the same order. It is useful to compare this to a graceful slow-motion dance, or to a piece of music thai always continues from its beginning to its inevitable conclusion with a constant and even tempo throughout. Rhythm and tempo are, in fact, the keys to fluent tat chi technique. The rhythm is one we are all very famil- iar with: the rhythm of the breath. When we are very relaxed and calm our breathing becomes long and regularly spaced; conversely when we are excited or angry our breathing becomes rapid and irregular. In tai chi we cultivate regular breathing coupled with slow, carefitlly measured movements so that, in time, we become more internally balanced and harmonized with the natural world.ONE Before you learn the movements of the form, you need to be familiar with the basic principles of tai chi practice — standard foot and hand positions and things you should and should not do. This section introduces typical tai chi stanc includes exercises for that all-important warm-up. Always wear loose, comfortable clothing and footwear that will not slide about (practise barefoot if you prefer). , and also