Tai Chi 24 Form Step by Step: All 24 Moves in Order

The tai chi 24 form step by step is a short Yang style routine of 24 movements done in one slow, continuous flow, usually in four to six minutes. It runs in eight groups, from Commencing Form to Closing Form, and most beginners learn it best one group at a time.

Tai chi is one of the seven martial arts I’ve trained over more than 20 years, and as a NASM corrective exercise specialist I care as much about how your knees track as about which move comes next. Below you’ll find the full move list in order, a plain-English description of each group, and the modifications that make the form safe for stiff joints.

What Is the Tai Chi 24 Form?

The 24 form goes by several names: the simplified tai chi form, the Beijing form, and the Yang style 24 form. All of them mean the same routine.

It was created in 1956 by China’s national sports authority. The goal was a shorter, standardized version of the traditional Yang style long form, which can take 20 minutes or more to complete.

The result kept the signature Yang style feel: big, even, flowing movements done at a steady pace. That’s why it became the routine taught in parks, community centers, and tai chi classes all over the world.

If you’re brand new, my guide to basic tai chi moves is a gentle warm-up before you take on the full sequence.

Tai Chi 24 Form Step by Step: The Full Move List

Here is the whole sequence in order. Print or screenshot this list and keep it beside you while you practice.

Names vary a little between teachers and translations. Play the Lute is sometimes called Hand Strums the Lute, and Apparent Close Up is sometimes called Withdraw and Push.

How to Do Each Group

These descriptions give you the shape of each movement. Treat them as a map to use alongside a video or a class, not a replacement for watching the moves.

Group 1: Opening the Form

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. In Commencing Form, your arms float up to shoulder height, then settle down as your knees bend softly.

Part the Wild Horse’s Mane steps diagonally forward into a bow stance, front knee bent and back leg long. One hand rises to about eye level while the other settles by your hip, and you repeat it left, right, left.

White Crane Spreads Its Wings shifts your weight back. One hand lifts near your forehead, the other rests by your hip, and your front toes touch the floor lightly.

Group 2: Brushing and Stepping Back

Brush Knee and Push steps forward while one hand sweeps past your knee and the other pushes forward from beside your ear. You repeat it three times.

Play the Lute shifts your weight back, rests your front heel lightly on the floor, and raises both hands in front of you. Repulse the Monkey then steps backward four times as your palms push forward one after the other.

Group 3: Grasp the Bird’s Tail

This is the heart of Yang style tai chi. Each side flows through four parts: ward off, roll back, press, and push.

You do it to the left, turn your waist, and repeat it to the right.

Group 4: Single Whip and Cloud Hands

In Single Whip, one hand forms a soft hook with the fingertips together while the other palm turns and pushes outward. You finish in a wide bow stance facing the side.

Wave Hands Like Clouds steps sideways as your hands circle slowly in front of your body, led by your waist. A second Single Whip closes the group.

Group 5: Kicks and Strikes

High Pat on Horse settles your weight back as one palm pushes forward at about head height. Kick With Right Heel crosses your wrists, lifts your knee, and presses the heel outward as your arms open.

Strike the Ears With Both Fists steps forward as both loose fists circle up toward head height. Turn and Kick With Left Heel repeats the kick on the other side.

Group 6: Snake Creeps Down and Golden Rooster

These are the most demanding moves in the form. You sink low over one bent leg with the other leg extended, then rise and lift one knee to stand on a single leg. You do it on the left, then on the right.

Group 7: Shuttles, Needle, and Fan

Fair Lady Works the Shuttles steps toward the corners while one forearm rises above your head and the other palm pushes forward. You do it on both sides.

Needle at Sea Bottom shifts your weight back as one hand points down toward the floor in front of you. Fan Through the Back steps forward as one hand rises above your head and the other pushes out.

Group 8: Closing the Form

Turn, Deflect, Parry and Punch turns your body back toward the start, circles one loose fist, guides with the other hand, and finishes with a slow punch. Apparent Close Up draws both hands back toward your chest, then pushes forward with both palms.

Cross Hands brings your feet parallel as your wrists cross in front of your chest. In Closing Form, your hands separate and lower to your sides, and you stand quietly for a breath or two.

Coach Luke's Pick

Fitness & Workouts

Complete Plant-Based Protein

Clean, dairy-free protein to hold muscle and recover faster after every workout. Prefer whey? I review that one too.

Holds MuscleDairy-Free

Read My Honest Review →

✓ 90-Day Guarantee · Member Pricing

My honest review — contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

How Long Does It Take to Learn the 24 Form?

Many people learn the full sequence in about two to three months of regular practice.

The fastest route is one group per week or two. Practice the new group, then run through everything you’ve learned so far.

If you’re wondering how much practice you actually need, I break that down in how often should you do tai chi.

How to Practice the 24 Form at Home

1. Clear about 10 feet in each direction. The form travels side to side and back, but you finish close to your starting spot.
2. Use a back-view video. Back-view demonstrations let you copy the teacher without mirroring left and right in your head.
3. Learn one group at a time. Add a new group only when the last one flows without stopping to think.
4. Practice slowly and evenly. The goal is the same speed from start to finish, not getting through it quickly.
5. Breathe naturally. Don’t hold your breath or force a pattern while you’re still learning the moves.
6. Finish with the whole sequence. Once you know it, one full run each session keeps it in your memory.

For more on learning without a class, see my guide to learning tai chi at home.

Coach Luke’s Top Pick

The mineral that does what tai chi does — from the inside.

Ultra Magnesium Complex

Tai chi calms the nervous system, loosens tight muscles, and helps you sleep. Magnesium works on the same three things, and most women over 40 are short on it. Seven forms in one complex, so it actually absorbs.

• Calmer evenings
• Looser muscles
• Deeper sleep

Read My Magnesium Review →

My honest review — contains affiliate links. 90-day money-back guarantee.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most beginner problems come from rushing or forcing the stances.

• Knees caving in or drifting past your toes. Keep each bent knee lined up over your middle toes.
• Locking your knees. A soft bend in both knees protects your joints and keeps you balanced.
• Leaning forward. Keep your head lifted and your spine tall, even in the low moves.
• Raising your shoulders. Let your shoulders stay heavy and your elbows soft.
• Sinking too low too soon. Depth comes with time, and a high stance is still real tai chi.

Is the 24 Form Good for Seniors and Beginners?

Yes, with a few simple changes. The form was designed to be approachable, and every move can be scaled.

For the kicks, simply lift your knee and touch your toes down, or skip the kick and step. For Snake Creeps Down, stay high and just shift your weight sideways instead of crouching.

For Golden Rooster, keep your lifted foot low or rest a fingertip on a chair. If standing isn’t possible right now, start with chair tai chi and build up from there.

If your knees or hips are sore, my guide to tai chi for arthritis explains how to practice without flaring them up.

Quick Questions

Your This-Week Plan

• Days 1 and 2: Warm up with two minutes of gentle shoulder and hip circles, then learn Commencing Form and Part the Wild Horse’s Mane.
• Days 3 and 4: Add White Crane Spreads Its Wings and run all of Group 1 three times.
• Day 5: Rest, or watch a back-view video of Group 2 without trying to copy it yet.
• Days 6 and 7: Start Brush Knee and Push, then finish each session with one slow run of Group 1.

More from this series: start with my complete tai chi guide, and see qigong vs tai chi if you’re curious how the two practices differ.

The complete tai chi set

The Tai Chi Bundle: 3 Printable 28-Day Challenges

Chair Tai Chi, Walking Tai Chi and Chair Tai Chi for Men 50+, plus a Start Here guide with a simple 12-week path and free weekly coaching emails.

See the bundle →

The Bottom Line

The 24 form is the best next step once basic tai chi moves feel familiar. It gives you a complete, well-known routine in about five minutes a day.

Learn it one group at a time, keep your stances high, and let the speed stay slow and even. The sequence will come, and the calm, steady feeling comes with it.

This article is for general education and isn’t medical advice. If you have knee, hip, or balance problems, a recent injury, or a heart condition, check with your doctor before starting tai chi, keep a chair nearby for support, and stop any move that causes sharp pain.