2025 APPALACHIAN TAI CHI CHAMPIONSHIPS March 8TH NEAR STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA

1ST ANNUAL APPALACHIAN TAI CHI CHAMPIONSHIPS

MARCH 8TH 2025

HOSTED BY THE WUDANG SWORDSMEN ACADEMY & SEVEN MOUNTAINS TAI CHI

Join us for our first tai chi tournament! We will be hosting a tai chi tournament at the Unionville Community Center, in Unionville, Pennsylvania. We will offer awards for 1st through 3rd places in each division, and will start with the following divisions. We will add more divisions if we receive enough pre-registrations by January 20th, 2025.

Google Maps Location

Registration includes all event contests, in your appropriate division. The event champion, will be the adult advanced competitor with the highest placements across the four event

CURRENT DIVISIONS:
  • Adult Novice (Less Than 4 Years)
  • Adult Intermediate (Less Than 8 Years)
  • Adult Advanced (No Limit)
EVENT CONTESTS:
  • Traditional Form Performance
  • Traditional Weapons Form Performance
  • Fixed-Stance Push Hands
  • Free-Movement Push Hands

We will also offer an award to the school that scores the most points!

We will offer women's and youth's divisions if we receive enough registrations.

$35 Participant Early Registration (Ends 12/20/2024)
$50 Participant Regular Registration

Registrations are handled by the WUDANG SWORDSMEN ACADEMY via PayPal

Once you have registered, you will receive an email (within 48 hrs) with a link to our Release & Registration Form, hosted by Google. Once completed you will receive details and verification in the next 1-3 days.

EVENT CONTESTS

EVENT CONTESTS INCLUDED WITH REGISTRATION:

Event 1

TRADITIONAL FORM PERFORMANCE

Each competitor will be allotted 3 minutes to perform (either solo, or simultaneously with another competitor from a different division). Judges will rank the performance based on the criteria listed below.

Requirements:

  1. Traditional Opening
  2. Traditional Sequence
  3. Traditional Closing

Judged on:

  1. Consistency & form selection
  2. Balance & coordination
  3. Breath & flow
  4. Difficulty & skill
  5. Performance & confidence

Things judges will look for:

  1. Stances
  2. Proper alignment
  3. Timing of movements
  4. Logic of the sequence
  5. Manners and attitude

Event 2

WEAPON FORM PERFORMANCE

Competitors will wield a traditional weapon of their choice, to perform a 3-minute weapons form demonstration.

Each competitor will be judged by the same criteria as the traditional forms.

Event 3

FIXED-STANCE PUSH HANDS

Depending on the number of competitors and time remaining, we will either offer an event where everyone matches against everyone, or a bracket-style tournament.

  • Competitors will stand on blocks that they place at the beginning of the round.
  • Competitors are allowed to lift their foot, if they place it back on the block.
  • Competitors may grab & hold the body, but not the clothing.
  • If a competitor holds on to cause their opponent to fall, the point is still awarded to the person being grabbed.
  • Competitors may use leg hooks and locks, but may not stand on the opposing blocks
  • A competitor may lose a point if they refuse to redirect (by resisting) TWICE against smaller opponent, between points.
  • Speed is determined by harmony.
  • A competitor may lose a point for "disharmony" if they abruptly disconnect to change positions and then score a swift point twice in the same round.
  • No points are awarded for "disharmonious" attacks.
  • First to 3 points, first to win 2 rounds, wins the match.
  • Finals are first to victory in 3 rounds.
  • There will be no mats on the floor. Please consider wearing any preferred head, eye, mouth, & groin protection.

Event 4

FREE-MOVEMENT PUSH HANDS

Competitors will be placed in the center of a ring, and will be required to push their opponent out, or knock them over.

Same rules as fixed-stance push hands, with the exception of added footwork and scoring.

Scoring will be to 1 point, double elimination. This means, if you lose, you will have a second chance to score the point to win. The winner of the undefeated bracket will face the winner of the single-elimination bracket, possibly twice.

Please wear headgear for this event, in case of falling and being thrown.

We will consider adding more divisions and events if the event grows!
Masters!! Attend for free when helping to judge for all 4 events, send an email to sevenmountainstaichi@gmail.com to let us know you're coming!
TEACHERS: Bring a group of 4 or more students, and receive financial a reimbursement as a thank you for your students' participation!

If this event goes well, we hope to offer a 2-day event next year, featuring forms & performances on Saturday, and combat events on Sunday.