Steffan de Graffenried
copyright 2007 , Nomentira Publications
108 Pages
In
every book where an experienced practitioner “tells it like it is” you
have the potential for real benefits and, at the same time, some real
confusion. “Anatomy of Yang Family Tai Chi”
by Steffan de Graffenried is a perfect example of how hard it is to do
the one without the other. There are some really helpful insights here
which can offer aid to the right student at the proper time. As de
Graffenried says in his preface:
“Applying the principles in this book may or may not shorten your Tai Chi journey but at least you will have a clear idea of where you are going and how you will get there.”
Even this “at least” is a tall order for anyone trying to represent Tai Chi’s
complexity through the written word. De Graffenried definitely exhibits
the real ambition of attempting this by expanding and explaining theTai Chi Classics.
His
points often nicely clarify and simplify. “When we say dropping the
elbows, it means to drop the elbows downward with gravity naturally.”
Sometimes
his enthusiasm for sharing technical points (like every other
instructor, including your reviewer) leads to puzzlers like … “You will
move the skin on the outside of the upper area of the rear thigh toward
the front. The skin on the inside of the rear thigh moves to the rear.
In essence, the rear (empty) thigh is rotating inwardly.”
The
author also takes on some of the more difficult and layered aspects of
teaching this art such as introducing concepts of qi and qi projection.
Some of the examples given as being demonstrative we found less than
convincing but the effort to deal with this complex area will be of
interest to instructors.
But
the real question is how do you aim just the right level of information
to just the right reader? You don’t. In this game you re-awaken the
original meaning of the word “broadcast”, throwing out the seeds at
random and hoping some will catch and grow.
The
best thing about de Graffenried’s new book is its open-hearted,
straight forward attempt to offer what he has learned and what his
students have taught him. A long time practitioner of the arts, he has
seen and noted the statistical tendency of errors to fall into certain
patterns. In this book he speaks to the solutions with analogies and
insights. Will they work for everyone? It doesn’t matter. If they work
for you the price of the book is insignificant.
P. S. If you are that new kind of creature, that I call the “dumb literalist”
then avoid this book. When, for example, de Graffenried mentions
“hollow the crotch and protect the hips”, he’s not writing about a
shovel and a shield. You will need a modicum of imagination and
applicationg to transform what could be misread into practical, useful
advice .
Review: ted mancuso
