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Tai Chi Flute Form

The "flute" is a short staff, or jo, a weapon. The flute form is short, lasting less than two minutes at walk-through pace and half that long for a demonstration -- unless you are Master Instructor Thomas Gohring, who does it in 35 seconds! Videos from Master Gohring YouTube:

Walk-Through Pace (1:51)
Full Speed (:35)
Demonstration by Head Instructor Grabhorn at class speed

Additional video can be found by searching on Master Gohring's YouTube page.

The movements of the long form have lovely, fanciful names that are used to aid in memorizing the sequence. I didn't appreciate how much they helped until I learned the flute form, the movements of which are not named. We've improvised our own names just because it is easier to learn when we have them. The call:

One (strike), two (push), three (kick), four (stamp);
Shove, row;
Under (switch), under (switch), over, over;
Row, shove;
Helicopter;
Up and over, row, shove;
Shoulder to hip;
Up and over, row, shove;
Shoulder to hip;
To shoulder, to hip;
Strike high, high, low, low, high, high, low, low;
Hand to wrist, turn, thrust, and bow out.

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