Laojia means Old Frame. Sometimes it is called Lao da Jia which refers to Old Large Frame. Many people misunderstand the meaning of Large Frame and Small Frame. Large Frame primarily refers to the training of the main form in which the postures and limbs are stretched out. The degree varies among different teachers. The form is a very important tool in Laojia method. The desire is to produce a "Tai Chi body" which means a body that has loose joints allowing the body to relax when sitting on a good structure.

By using a large frame in the beginning, once the openness has happened then but pulling the large frame into a proper small frame which will allow more potential both in the health and martial area. Small Frame could also accomplish all these things, but the Laojia philosophy believes it can be better developed in the long term with their method.

Some small frame teachers actually teach a very large frame in the beginning then eventually modify. So the terms used are often very misleading. Xinjia or new frame is similar to large frame. Chen Quanzhong sort of scoffed at all the terms because he basically did all the methods within his own Laojia.