Table 1. Weekly structure for both experimental groups.
Week Content Group TC3d (3x/week × 50 min) Group TC5d (5x/week × 30 min)
1 Posture, Breathing, Joint Warm-ups: Wuji stance, abdominal breathing, gentle joint mobility Full-body warm-up, posture alignment drills, intro to Wuji & breathing Gentle mobility, seated/standing posture work, breath training
2 Controlled shifting side/front, begin "Commencement" Weight-shifting games, form posture, practice first movement Shifting drills, movement breakdown, small-step practice
3 Learn first side, focus on stepping & hand flow Step-by-step movement instruction, focus on balance & timing Segment drill: arms, legs, then together; repeat in parts
4 Learn second side, link both sides smoothly Add second side, practice transition, mirror sides Alternate side practice, build up to two-part movement
5 Brush Knee and Push: Learn full movement, posture & breathing with stepping Learn entire movement slowly, body alignment drills Breakdown into arms and legs, slow recombination
6 Balance work, controlled rising and arm extension Practice step + raise, balance safety cues, soft arms Supported balance drills, controlled arm lift
7 Grasp the Bird’s Tail: Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push – broken down step-by-step Full movement breakdown, energy direction explained Repetition of sections, arms-only + foot-only before integration
8 Short sequence White Crane; slow continuous flow Daily repetition of mini-sequence with correction focus
9 Repulse Monkey: Backward step, coordination, body awareness Movement slowly, safe stepping, coordinated arms Walk-in-place version, low-range stepping, mirror drills
10 Wave Hands Like Clouds: Side-to-side shifting with hands floating Emphasize waist turning, weight transfer, hand coordination Drill stepping + hands separately, combine for short practice
11 Golden Rooster: Balance, posture, single-leg awareness Static and dynamic variations with support Repetition with wall/chair support, light arm lift
12 Short Form Integration, link all previous forms into a flowing segment Golden Rooster Break form into 3 smaller chunks, reinforce daily
13 Breath–Movement Harmony: Coordinate inhale/exhale with each form Softness, breathing with each motion Daily breath drills, flow-through sections with cues
14 Peng, Lu, Ji, An Energy Concepts: Focus on feel, structure, and intention Practice Grasp the Bird’s Tail with internal awareness Static energy feeling, light motion, slow focus drills
15 Moving Meditation: Quiet, slow repetition of full form Flow practice, soft music optional, meditative tempo Slow, segmented repetitions with breath & relaxation
16 Full form, personal practice tips, journaling Practice full sequence, encourage mindful take-home practice Full form flow, seated breath work