Beginners
Beginning students start with fundamental principles and reeling silk exercises to develop basic requirements for structure and movement. The first empty hand form taught is Chen Xiao Wang's 19-posture from, which is an easy format for applying reeling silk while providing many key moves from lao jia yi lu.  Each move in the form is taught with a relatively simple martial application so that students can apply intent in the move.  A student without significant prior experiencel typically practices and refines the 19-form for roughly a year before learning lao jia yi lu.  In a year, the student can expect to have gained an understanding of structure, moved beyond memorization barriers, and have some concepts of martial applications.
The beginner is also taught a variety of elementary push hands drills and qigong.  The push hands include both patterned sets and freeform practices. The beginner also works with some apparatus to become used to resistance or weight being applied to their moves.  The apparatus includes pole, ruler, elastic cord, light weights, and broadsword.

Intermediate Students
The intermediate student learns lao jia yi lu, more in-depth push hands, martial applications, and broadsword techniques and form.  Correction and refinement is more detailed, and the martial applications is more varied and complex.  There is an increase in the amount of 2-person work via push hands and application practice.  In this phase they can begin to practice some of the moves more rapidly and forcefully, beginning to incorporate fa jin methods.

Advanced Students
The advanced student continues to refine lao jia yi lu, learn Cannon Fist, more advanced push hands and martial practices, spear and Kwan dao, and a variety of material from other martial arts and conditioning disciplines.  For spear practice, the progression of learning is the following: solo drills, 2-person drills, Wu spear form (very short form with basic important moves), Chen Village form (long and deep).

Seasonal Considerations
There are exceptions to this progression due to seasonal scheduling. When the weather permits, we work outside with long weapons (spear and Kwan dao).  Students might be exposed to these practices relatively early due to special classes that take advantage of the seasons.