ICNBUYS Traditional 42-Form Tai Chi Sword: Complete Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide (Instant PDF Download)
Original price was: $19.99.$9.99Current price is: $9.99.
Master the official 42-Form Tai Chi Sword routine at home, at your own pace. This 122-page illustrated guide breaks down every movement in clear, natural English — with Key Points and Common Mistakes for each form, so you practice it right from day one.
- ✅ All 42 forms with numbered step-by-step instructions
- ✅ Key Points + Common Mistakes for every form
- ✅ Clear movement illustrations with directional arrows
- ✅ Instant PDF download — read on any device or print
Description
Finally — A Tai Chi Sword Guide That Actually Teaches You the Details
The 42-Form Tai Chi Sword is the official international competition routine — elegant, powerful, and deeply rewarding. But if you’ve ever tried to learn it online, you already know the problem:
- ❌ Videos move too fast — and nobody explains why the movement works
- ❌ Most detailed manuals are written in Chinese, with English translations that leave you guessing
- ❌ In-person workshops cost $100+ and you forget half of it by the next week
- ❌ You practice for months… only to find out your angles, stances, and timing were off all along
This guide was built to fix exactly that.
Traditional 42-Form Tai Chi Sword is a 122-page, fully illustrated training manual written in clear, natural English. Every one of the 42 forms is broken down into numbered steps with directional movement illustrations, a dedicated Key Points section, and a Common Mistakes checklist — the same coaching cues a master would correct you on in person.
What You Get
- ✅ All 42 forms, step by step — from the Preparation Stance to the Closing Posture, every movement numbered and explained
- ✅ Key Points for every form — the waist-hip-sword coordination, weight shifts, and breathing cues that make the difference between “going through the motions” and real Tai Chi Sword
- ✅ Common Mistakes checklists — catch and fix the exact errors beginners (and even intermediate players) make, before they become habits
- ✅ Clear movement illustrations with directional arrows showing exactly how the sword, hands, and feet travel
- ✅ Direction references (e.g., “the bow stance faces due east”) so your form stays oriented and consistent
- ✅ Instant PDF download — study on your phone, tablet, or print it for the training hall. Yours forever, including free future updates
Free Preview: The Opening Sequence, Straight From the Guide
We don’t ask you to buy on faith. Below is the guide’s complete opening — the Preparation Stance and Form 1 (Commencing Form) — exactly as it appears in the book. Every form in the guide is taught with this same level of detail.
Preparation Stance
Stand with your feet together, toes pointing forward. Open your chest and relax your back. Keep your body upright, with both arms hanging naturally at your sides. Form a “sword finger” (index and middle fingers extended, others curled) with your right hand, palm facing inward. Hold the sword in your left hand, vertical and close behind your left arm, tip pointing upward. Look straight ahead.
Key Points
① Maintain a natural, centered posture; stay focused.
② Keep your head and neck aligned, tuck your chin slightly in.
③ Relax your shoulders; breathe smoothly.
Common Mistakes
① Puffing out the chest, locking the knees, and tensing the body.
② Letting the sword tilt sideways, or having the blade touch your body.
Form 1 — Commencing Form (Qǐ Shì)
Step 1.1 — Lift your left foot and take half a step to the left, placing your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your weight centered evenly between both legs. At the same time, bend your arms slightly and rotate them a little inward, so your hands stay about 10 centimeters (4 inches) away from your body. Gaze forward.
Step 1.2 — With both arms naturally straight, swing them upward to the left front until they reach shoulder height, palms facing down.
Step 1.3 — Slightly turn the upper body to the right. As the body turns, sweep the right-hand sword finger to the right front, then bend the elbow and circle the hand downward in an arc to the front of the abdomen, palm facing up; meanwhile, sweep the left hand (holding the sword) to the right and bring it in front of the body, wrist at shoulder height, palm facing down — the two palms face each other. At the same time, shift your weight to the left, bend the left knee into a half squat, and lift the right foot to the inside of the left foot (without touching the ground). Look toward the right-front direction.
Step 1.4 — Step the right foot forward to the right front (about 45 degrees). At the same time, the right Sword Fingers pass beneath the left arm and swing upward and forward, arm slightly bent, wrist at shoulder height, palm facing inward. The left hand holds the sword against the inner side of the right forearm, palm facing downward.
Step 1.5 — Shift the body weight onto the right leg. Draw the left foot to the inner rear of the right foot, toes touching the ground. At the same time, the right Sword Fingers extend forward to the right front, palm facing diagonally upward; the left hand holds the sword, elbow bent, in front of the right chest, palm facing downward. Gaze toward the direction of the Sword Fingers.
Step 1.6 — Shift the weight slightly to the left, turn the right toes inward, and turn the body to the left about 90 degrees. Step the left foot forward to the left front, then shift the weight forward to form a left bow stance. At the same time, the left hand holding the sword sweeps in an arc past the front of the knee to the left side of the hip, arm slightly bent, palm facing backward, the sword blade vertical with the tip pointing upward. The right Sword Fingers bend the elbow, pass beside the right ear, and point forward, palm facing diagonally forward, fingertips pointing upward, wrist at shoulder height. Gaze forward.
Key Points
① When lifting the foot and embracing the sword, the raising, swinging, and circling of the arms into the embrace must coordinate smoothly with the shifting of weight and the rotation of the waist. The upper body stays upright, centered, and relaxed at all times — no twisting, swaying, or tilting. Both shoulders relaxed and sunk, both arms loose and lively.
② When extending the Sword Fingers forward in the bow stance, the weight shift as the right foot turns should be steady and subtle; the body must not wobble. The left foot steps forward lightly and nimbly, landing first on the heel, then shifting the weight to settle the whole foot firmly.
③ Assume the opening posture facing south. The T-stance (Ding Bu) faces southwest, and the bow stance faces due east.
Common Mistakes
① Stiff, straight arm swinging.
② Body twisting, wobbling, swaying side to side, or tilting forward and backward.
③ Heavy, clumsy landing of the stepping foot.
④ Touching the toes to the ground when drawing the foot in during the sword embrace.
⑤ The sword blade tilting off vertical when settling into the final posture.
And It Only Gets Deeper — Form 10: Jump-Step Horizontal Thrust
Here’s a taste of the coaching detail you’ll find in the more athletic forms later in the guide:
Key Points
① The jump step should include a moment where both feet are airborne. It should not be an exaggerated leap, nor should it devolve into a regular walking step.
② The right foot lands with an appropriate stride length. When the left foot lands, the ball of the foot touches down first, followed immediately by the entire sole pressing firmly, with the knee bending to absorb the impact. After the right foot is drawn in beside the inside of the left foot, it pauses briefly before stepping forward into the horizontal thrust.
No guesswork. No rewinding a video twenty times to catch a hand position. Just clear, correct, master-level instruction — for all 42 forms.
The Complete 42-Form Curriculum
- Commencing Form (Qǐ Shì)
- Close-Step and Point Sword
- Bow Stance and Slice Sword
- Raise the Knee and Chop Sword
- Left Bow Stance Parry
- Left Empty Stance Upward Slicing Cut
- Right Bow Stance Upward Slicing Cut
- Knee-Lift Sword Cradle
- Heel Kick with Forward Thrust
- Jump-Step Horizontal Thrust
- Turn Around and Thrust Downward
- Bow Stance and Horizontal Cut
- Bow Stance and Flick the Sword Upward (Bēng Jiàn)
- Resting Stance and Press the Sword Downward
- Step Forward and Circle the Sword
- Lift the Knee and Thrust Upward
- Empty Stance and Block Downward
- Horizontal Carry to the Left and Right
- Bow Stance and Chop the Sword
- T-Step and Lift the Sword Upward
- Parting Foot and Point the Sword Backward
- Crouching Step and Thread the Sword
- Heel Kick and Prop the Sword Upward
- Lift the Knee and Point the Sword Downward
- Crouching Step and Horizontal Sweep
- Bow Stance and Cut Downward
- Bow Stance and Thrust Downward
- Cloud and Wipe Left and Right
- Right Bow Stance and Chop
- Rear-Leg Lift and Prop the Sword Upward
- T-Step and Point the Sword Downward
- Horse Stance and Push the Sword
- Single-Leg Stance and Lift the Sword Upward
- Step Forward, Hook, and Point
- Resting Stance and Flick the Sword Upward
- Bow Stance and Reverse Thrust
- Turn the Body and Thrust Downward
- Lift the Knee and Raise the Sword
- Walking Step and Thread the Sword
- Swing the Leg and Prop the Sword Upward
- Bow Stance and Straight Thrust
- Closing Posture
Who This Guide Is For
- 🗡️ Tai Chi practitioners ready to add the sword to their practice — the natural next step after the 24 or 42 bare-hand forms
- 🗡️ Competition students who need the official 42-Form routine with correct angles, directions, and standards
- 🗡️ Self-taught learners without a local sword instructor, who want a trustworthy reference they can check every practice session
- 🗡️ Instructors looking for a clear English-language teaching reference for their students
Why $19.99?
A single drop-in Tai Chi class in most U.S. cities runs $20–$30. A private lesson? $60–$100 an hour. For less than the price of one class, you get a complete reference manual you’ll use for years — one you can open on the training floor, mid-practice, whenever a movement doesn’t feel right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a physical book?
No — it’s an instant PDF download. The moment your order completes, you’ll receive a download link on the confirmation page and by email. Read it on any device, or print it at home.
I’m a beginner. Is this too advanced?
The 42-Form is an intermediate routine, but the guide assumes no prior sword experience — it starts with how to hold the sword, the sword-finger hand position, and the preparation stance, then builds form by form. If you know basic Tai Chi stances (bow stance, empty stance), you’re ready.
Does it match the official competition standard?
Yes. The 42-Form Tai Chi Sword (also called the “Competition 42 Sword Form”) follows the standardized routine, including facing directions for each posture.
What if I have questions while practicing?
Each form’s Common Mistakes section answers the most frequent “why doesn’t this feel right?” questions — the same corrections an instructor would give you.
⚔️ Instant download · 122 pages · Lifetime access · Free updates
Laura Sweeney –
Wonderful Introduction to Tai Chi Sword.