Levels and Standards

Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan study at the Academy is organized into six levels. The levels are named Form (Xing), Posture (Shi), Intent (Yi), Energy (Jin), Breath (Qi), and Spirit (Shen). Each level has its own form standard, and students receive a certificate when they pass the assessment.

The Six Levels

The first level, Initial Form, teaches the basic frame of the 108-form joint exercise. The second level, Settled Posture, trains the open frame and stable stances. The third level, Intent, unites mind and movement so that posture follows intention. The fourth level, Energy, develops Jin force through push hands and applications. The fifth level, Breath, refines abdominal breathing and internal circulation. The sixth level, Spirit, completes the art and is reached only under personal instruction.

Certificates and Assessment

Students who complete the beginner class and meet the first-level form standard receive a Level One certificate. Levels two through six each require a formal assessment before the certificate is issued. Assessments are conducted by senior instructors appointed by Grand Master Eddie Wu Kwong Yu, and the standards are identical in every branch of the family schools.

The Chinese Wushu Duan System

The family levels align with the Chinese Wushu Duan System, the national grading standard of the Chinese Wushu Association. Grand Master Eddie Wu Kwong Yu served as executive editor of the Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan textbook for the Duan System, published in 2009, so Academy students can be graded against the national standard as well as the family standard.

Which Class Matches Your Level

The beginner and intermediate classes correspond to the first two levels, and the advanced classes cover the rest. The curriculum page maps each class to its level, and the class schedule lists the weekly training times. New students start at the first level regardless of previous martial arts experience.