Learning the traditional 108-form is a challenge for today’s students with short attention span. Practicing is also a challenge as the long form can take up to 2 hours to complete one cycle.

To overcome these constraints Grandmaster Wei Shuren created the 22-form which takes a much shorter time to practice. It does not mean the learning is easier. It is only easier in that a few techniques are skipped and we don’t have to remember a lengthy sequence.

Today the issues of short attention span and not enough time is a day are still present. If anything, the issues are worse than ever in that people have even shorter attention span and there is simply not enough time to do the so many things that we want to do in a day.

Training just a few techniques from the form is not new. I used to train either a repeating sequence of Wild Horse Parts Mane or longer sequence of Wild Horse Parts Mane, Play Pipa and Repulse Monkey. I used the shorter training sequences to focus my training of a few key principles.

Over time an idea emerged – why not apply this focused training to the entire 22-form? The techniques can be grouped and trained as short sequences. In this way, if you don’t have the time you can just practice one or two sequences. At the end of the learning you can simply piece together what you have learned and voila! you have the 22-form.

There is one advantage to practice the 22-form as sequences and that is you get to practice both left and right sides of a technique. For example, in the 22-form we only practice Play Pipa and White Crane Spreads Wings on one side. But in the sequence training we get to do both sides.

Also, since the sequences are repeating movements you can just keep practicing for as long as you like, and even pick up the practice again if you get distracted and called away for a few minutes.

Re-arranging the 22-form as training sequences also called for standardizing the mode of instruction on how to move, how to step, etc. This involves simplifying certain things and try not to lose anything important along the way. Simplification is necessary because there are many steps to performing a movement even for the very absolute beginner. We want to ensure that we keep the essentials even as we want to make the learning and on the flip side, the mode of instruction friendly.

Sequence 1
Commencement posture
Cross hands
Closing
Repeat

Sequence 2
Left Wild Horse Parts Mane
Right Wild Horse Parts Mane
Left Wild Horse Parts Mane
Left Play Pipa
Right Repulse Monkey
Left Repulse Monkey
Right Repulse Monkey

Right Wild Horse Parts Mane
Left Wild Horse Parts Mane
Right Wild Horse Parts Mane
Right Play Pipa
Left Repulse Monkey
Right Repulse Monkey
Left Repulse Monkey

Sequence 3
Right White Crane Spreads Wings
Left Brush Knee, Twist Step
Left White Crane Spreads Wings
Right Brush Knee, Twist Step
Repeat

Sequence 4
Right Brush Knee, Twist Step
Left Brush Knee, Twist Step
Left Play Pipa
Right Repulse Monkey
Left Repulse Monkey
Left Grasp Sparrow’s Tail

Left Brush Knee, Twist Step
Right Brush Knee, Twist Step
Right Play Pipa
Left Repulse Monkey
Right Repulse Monkey
Right Grasp Sparrow’s Tail

Sequence 5
Left Cloud Hands (1x, 2x, 3x)
Left Single Whip

Right Cloud Hands (1x, 2x, 3x)
Right Single Whip

Left Cloud Hands (1x, 2x, 3x)
Left Single Whip

Repeat

Sequence 6
Left Single Whip
Right High Pat on Horse
Right Separate Leg
Double Fists Strike Ears
Left Heel Kick

Right Single Whip
Leftt High Pat on Horse
Left Separate Leg
Double Fists Strike Ears
Right Heel Kick

Sequence 7
Left Single Whip Lowered Posture
Right Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg
Left Fair Lady Works Shuttles
Right Fair Lady Works Shuttles

Right Single Whip Lowered Posture
Left Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg
Right Fair Lady Works Shuttles
Left Fair Lady Works Shuttles

Sequence 8
Left Single Whip Lowered Posture
Right Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg
Left Sea Bottom Needle
Left Fan Through Back

Turn 180 Degrees

Right Single Whip Lowered Posture
Left Golden Rooster Stands on Left Leg
Right Sea Bottom Needle
Right Fan Through Back

Sequence 9
Right Fan Through Back
Right Chop Body Fist
Step Back, Move, Obstruct, Right Punch
Left Apparent Close-Up

Turn 180 Degrees

Left Fan Through Back
Left Chop Body Fist
Step Back, Move, Obstruct, Left Punch
Right Apparent Close-Up