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DEFINITION: the basics of Tai Chi Chuan are those attributes of solo practice which

a) should be conformed to by all practitioners of a style, regardless of level;

b) are therefore taught to novice students at the first opportunity; and

c) need to be dependably present before the student gets additional instruction.

Here are the basics for the solo Tai Chi set. The basics of push hands overlap with these but are not identical. Some of these attributes are initially present only to a limited degree, and are meant to be developed further over time. The following five items are given roughly in order of importance:

1. Keep breathing no matter what.

2. Relax all muscles as much as possible and keep them that way.

3. Perform the movements slowly. No, slower than that.

4. Do not pause at any point; make all movement continuous and flowing.

5. Observe the external alignments of the body parts. The exact details of these differ with style. In general the alignment (i.e. positioning or placement) of the feet is more important than everything else. Knee alignments are next in importance, then pelvis, then back. The precise positioning of arms, hands and head may not be considered basics.

That's it. Get a handle on the above, and there are your Tai Chi basics.