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Taijiquan, Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form and Qigong
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List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $16.47
Your Save: $ 8.48 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: YMAA Publication Center
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.7148
EAN: 9781886969681
ISBN: 188696968X
Label: YMAA Publication Center
Manufacturer: YMAA Publication Center
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 1999-05-25
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
Studio: YMAA Publication Center
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Editorial Reviews:
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The complete, Taiji book from America's best known teacher! A traditional, step-by-step guide to a healthy body and relaxed mind.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The title says it all
Comment: A must have book if you are interested in Yang style Taijiquan, at any level (novice to advanced), and for whichever reason (health and/or martial art). Ideal if accompanied by the corresponding dvd by the same title. Not a substitute for person to person classes, but an excellent source of additional insight and reinforcement. I have personally noticed great improvement in my practice and so have my instructors and fellow classmates. I am advancing much quicker since I bought the book and dvd.
Customer Rating:
Summary: a bit rambling
Comment: This book is a little too ambitious in trying to cover a lot of ground: history of Chinese martial arts and taijiquan, what is qigong, what is taijiquan, photographs of the Yang long form, a few applications, and more. Unfortunately it is rambling with a lot of digressions of the author's own opinions on how taijiquan is "spiritual" - a little bit too long winded to be of practical benefit. Several reviewers mentioned the book draws on some of the author's other books so perhaps that explains this effect. Good basic content, but better editing would have made the book more organized and easier to read and study. There are some good practical tips on actual practice spruced throughout but they can be hard to spot. Overall, a more concise book focused on these tips would be much more beneficial. There are also too many self-serving references to the author's other books, which I found a little annoying. It seems he is more interested in selling a lot of different books than in writing one really good one. However, the photographs are of very high quality and the pages and binding seemed fine to me.
The bottom line:
If you are BRAND NEW to the art and want to read a lot of context and commentary surrounding taijiquan, this book may be worthwhile for you. If you have been studying for a while and are looking mainly for practical tips on principles, this may not be the best book for you. There are other excellent books you should check out such as Fu Zhongwen's Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Book goes with companion video/DVD
Comment: As a novice I have collected most of Dr. Yang's writings on Qigong and Taijiquan, as well as some tapes and dvd's. His background is well worth looking into, particularly the 25-page account in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts (Michael A. DeMarco, interviewer, Vol 12, Number 2, 2003) currently available on the YMAA website.
In this book Dr. Yang recaps the high points of his earlier foundation books on Qigong (Chi Kung), so that this text can be considered complete by itself. However, while those books go into more detail and have more Qi training exercises, Dr. Yang adds new content here.
At a glance, pages 66 to 76 contain completely original material. He also cites "The Body Electric" by Robert O. Becker, the man who healed "hopeless" fractures with subtle electrical currents. The first 100 pages deal with background, historical surveys, and anecdotes.
Published literature has contention over what the real Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is and should be. Whether a flowery dance, a health-giving exercise, or the ultimate form of moving meditation aimed at enlightenment.
The gist of Dr. Yang's argument is that authentic Taijiquan has both spiritual and martial roots. That proper theoretical perspective, combined with disciplined practice, leads to the deep levels of Taiji. Simply, he sees Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) as a sophisticated progression of Qi (Chi) exercises.
However, saying and doing are two separate things. Another 80 pages are devoted to fundamental stances and Taiji Qigong exercises, all illustrated with photographs and arrow lines showing movement. The final 120 pages go to the 113 posture long sequence itself. (These two sections contain 489 photographs of Dr. Yang demonstrating the movements.)
Three considerations. First, the numbering system and page layout of the photographs can be a pain, so be ready with a pencil. Second, the printing and binding of this book could be better, so think of it as a training manual and get on with your practice. Third, Dr. Yang's writing style reads as "thought in Chinese and diagrams, written in English." Sometimes it takes effort and time to reach the deeper meaning of his writing.
The companion DVD and book make an exceptional combination. While the printing and binding of the book rates slightly below standard, the production quality of the DVD gets superior marks.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Perfect for the Newbie!!!
Comment: I have developed a deeper interest in martial arts, especially Taijiquan and Baguazhang, only recently. Dr. Yang's book answered many of my questions about the religious, philosophical, and spiritual roots of Taijiquan. I appreciate the time and effort spent in teaching this background information in the clear and understandible form in which it is presented. I recommend this book as excellent supplemental reading for Taijiquan history, philosophy, and understanding while studying the art itself.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unfinished, too little detail, too much rehashed material.
Comment: Basically, if you don't already have Dr. Yang's previous books on qigong, you won't be bothered by the repetition of old material of which most of this book consists. Also, it contains a (the?) entire long form of yang style tai chi. However, I am puzzled as to what this form has to do or how it is connected to Yang Ban Hou, especially as this book is sold by suggesting that this is his form - he isn't even featured in the index, there is no information on him in the book, and I was under the impression that he performed a small frame of tai chi, unlike the form portrayed in this book. Lastly, there is no explicit mention of any fast movements (fajing), which is also one of the selling points on the corresponding website, nor does it have a step by step explanation of how fajing is to be performed. Overall, it is my impression that this book has been hastily put together and perhaps in a future edition, these deficits will be corrected.My humble opinion, Alex van Deelen
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