This 10-week foundational course introduces the essential physical and structural training required for martial arts at the Taiping Institute. Drawing from core principles and traditional maxims, the course emphasizes stances, kicking forms, stepping transitions, striking techniques, physical conditioning, and mental discipline. Students are expected to demonstrate these foundational skills annually for the first five years of training. This consistent practice lays the groundwork for all system-specific martial arts development.

Week 1: The Meaning of Foundations

In the first week, students are introduced to the meaning and importance of foundations in martial arts. Classical teachings highlight that without solid stances, techniques will collapse like a building with no pillars. Emphasis is placed on structure, breath, and body alignment. Students reflect on the role of the waist, leg strength, and step control in the pursuit of martial skill. Understanding these principles forms the mindset and intent required for future progress.

Week 2: Stretching and Stance Training

Students learn a complete exercise routine that stretches different parts of the body. Then they begin physical practice with static stances, focusing on building strength, balance, and alignment. The week includes Horse Stance, Bow Stance, Empty Stance, Flat Stance, and Twisting Stance. Each stance is practised with attention to posture and held steadily for at least two minutes. Through this, students start cultivating rooting and internal stillness—qualities critical to all martial movement.

Week 3: Advanced Static Stances

This week expands upon the stance training, introducing Single Leg Stance, T-Stance, Cross Stance, Seated Cross Stance, and Kneeling Stance. These more complex positions demand increased flexibility, control, and core engagement. The focus is on understanding transitions and reinforcing posture under less symmetrical conditions. By refining these stances, students develop structure in all planes of movement.

Week 4: Dynamic Swinging Kicks

Students are introduced to the fundamental swinging kicks used in traditional training. These include straight high kicks, outward and inward kicks, back swings, side kicks, and pressing front kicks. Each kick is practiced for height, line, and control. This stage builds hip flexibility, balance, and power while reinforcing leg awareness in motion.

Week 5: Additional Kicks and Variations

Training continues with sweeping kicks and roundhouse variations, including front and back low sweeps, roundhouse kicks, and patting or smearing kicks. These are then practiced together in Liutui Jia sequences to build fluidity. This week emphasizes control, dexterity, and the ability to link techniques while maintaining structure and intent.

Week 6: Stepping Transitions

The sixth week introduces critical step transitions, such as from Horse to Bow Stance, Empty to Bow, and Cross to Horse. Practice includes forward and backward transitions and single-leg shifting. Each movement is repeated with careful attention to the center of gravity and body stability. Proper stepping is the key to delivering techniques with power and accuracy.

Week 7: Integrated Footwork

Footwork drills become more dynamic this week. Students work on entering, retreating, following steps, and linking steps into flowing patterns. The focus is on making footwork lively, coordinated, and stable. With repetition, students gain fluidity and confidence in movement, building the agility needed for sparring and application.

Week 8: Hand Techniques and Strikes

Students now begin to train upper body techniques in earnest. The curriculum includes flat and vertical punches, hammer fists, hooks, back fists, pushing and cutting palms, as well as pressing and turning elbows. These techniques are linked with steps and practiced through conditioning drills such as the Three-Star drill and linked strike combinations. The goal is to apply structure to motion and deliver strikes with body unity.

Week 9: Plyometric and Strength Conditioning

Week nine focuses on athletic development through skipping, squat jumps, lunges, single-leg hops, tuck jumps, and burpees. These drills develop explosive power, leg strength, and reaction time. Students are introduced to broad jumps, step agility, and start building a foundation of physical resilience. Strength complements technique.

Week 10: Full Integration and Evaluation

The final week synthesizes all previous training into a comprehensive practice and evaluation. Students perform conditioning sets including sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and strength work with stone locks, sandbags, roller bars, bows, and striking equipment. Striking routines are tested with repetition and variety to assess timing, structure, and stamina. This evaluation confirms readiness to continue martial studies with system-specific content.

Annual Requirement: All foundational skills must be demonstrated annually by students of long-term specialisations, during the first five years of training. These years are critical to shaping lifelong martial discipline, ensuring students have internalized the physical and mental frameworks required for advanced learning.