Basic Taichi Lesson Three Led by Master Leo — Taichi Skill "Cloud Hands"
2 Video Views·Nov 11, 2025
"Cloud Hands" (Yun Shou) is the most typical and fundamental exercise in Tai Chi, as well as one of the best movements for manifesting the art's body mechanics and lines of force.
No matter which style you train—Chen, Yang, Wu, Hao, or Sun—Cloud Hands is treated as the daily "mother form" from which all other skills grow.
Today, the next step we're going to learn is the Cloud Hand of Tai Chi.
This is a very special movement in Tai Chi.
Okay, follow me please.
First, separate your legs and bend your knees.
Keep your back straight and be relaxed on the body.
And hold your stomach closed.
One hand on the sides of your waist.
And another hand on the side.
So, put your right hand down.
Make the circle in front of your body.
So when you move the hand, do not just move your arm.
Okay, now look at me.
Now, follow me.
Right hand down.
Turn left by your waist.
To learn Tai Chi, if you understand the movement is moved by your waist,
you already know half of Tai Chi.
Because many people who are learning Tai Chi,
they do not understand how to move the body.
To move the body, you need to move the waist.
Waist moves everywhere. Every part of the body is moving.
So, the center is the waist.
Every part of the body is moved by the waist.
Okay, hands down.
Turn the waist.
And now, from the left side, turn to the right side.
45 degrees on the side.
Hands down.
Turn to the other side.
45 degrees.
This side.
Up.
And turn.
Hands do not above your head.
Hands move in front of your nose.
Do never bring your hands up above your head.
And never drop your hands down lower than your navel.
Alright?
So, one, two.
And when your hands come up,
you breathe in through your nose.
Breathe in.
And when you push your hands down, you breathe out.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
One more time.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
If your legs are not strong enough to hold for that long,
you can stand a little bit higher.
Okay.
Depending on the leg muscle, how long you can hold.
Okay?
Now, after one hand, move the clock hand.
We do double hands.
Now, left hand on the right side of the body.
Up.
Right hand.
Down.
Let's move together.
Look.
Follow me, please.
One, turning your body to the left.
And switch the hands.
Now, turning the body to the right.
Switch your hands.
Breathe in through your nose.
Breathe out through your mouth.
Breathe in through your nose.
Breathe out through your mouth.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
And cross hands.
Legs together.
Push your hands down.
Alright.
This is called Tai Chi Cloud Hands.
To practice the basic movement of Tai Chi is so important.
And to understand Tai Chi is also more important.
How to understand the Cloud Hands movement with the body?
When we learn Tai Chi, we are not just learning the movement.
Movement is very basic.
Movement is just body movement.
Tai Chi is internal and external connect and move together at the same time.
Like I said, when you do the movement, at the same time, you should practice with your breath.
Breathing is even more important than the movement.
Okay.
Now, when I move my body,
I do not just move my joints.
Not just my muscles.
Not just my arms.
From what you see by outside.
But the internal movement is so important.
So, when I turn my body,
and move like this,
actually the inside,
you move like you give a massage to your organs.
It's not just about the joints.
About the arms.
From what you see by outside.
Okay.
So, internal also is moving at the same time.
The breathing connects to our organs.
And the blood circulation and the Qi.
So, all move together.
Internal and external.
So, my organs are turning and moving inside a massage.
Inside the body.
So, at this time, you can work the energy and the Qi together.
It's no longer just body movement.
And the breathing is so important.
Because when you breathe in,
you have to breathe very deep.
Deeply to the ocean of the Qi.
Under the navel on the third finger.
This is how you breathe.
Do not just breathe by your throat or lungs.
Have to go deep.
The breathing has to be long, thin, even, and soft.
So, when you breathe like this,
you're cleaning the bad energy off the body,
off the inside.
All the stress, all the nervous,
all everything of the anger inside the body,
we're cleaning out.
That's why Taiji is not just a body movement.
Taiji is work internal and external together.
At the same time, we call it Yin and Yang.
Okay.
Alright, now follow me one more time.
Let's do it again.
Hands down.
And bend your knees.
Turning your body to the left.
Breathe in.
And right.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Turn left.
And turn right.
One more time.
One.
And two.
Cross hands.
Push your hands down.