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T'ai Chi Chuan (Taiji Quan) Usage & Push Hands
It would be a mistake to think that all the usage of T'ai Chi rests in the Push Hands. This aspect of the art can, in the wrong hands, reveal almost nothing of the greatness of T'ai Chi. Or it can be an invaluable aid in the refinement of such skills as sensing and responding. Push Hands is also far more flexible and variable than most people imagine with an almost endless numbers of methods to hone the practitioners skills. Besides Push Hands there is Fa Jin practice, and applications and sparring. The world of applications should inform the world of single practice and vice versa.
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#ETC21 Bandying Exercises of T'ai Chi Chuan
Theory and Principles
by Sin Man Ho and Yi Chao Shui
183 pages, Softbound, photographs
US $11.95
You know, like bandying a badmitton bird on the front lawn in Maryland during the hot season. That back and forth business, don't you know. This is a rather complete rendition of the Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Dui Lian two person set which is, among partner sets in Tai Chi, by far the most famous. This version comes complete with one of the longest salutations of all partner sets both front and back but indeed the accepted one for the form. The pictures are a bit muddy from so many printings but easily understandable. The best thing about the text is that it is en face in both English and traditional Chinese. A handy reference for a large set. |
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#ETC96 Wu style T'ai Chi Chuan Push Hands
Theory and Principles
by Ma Yueh Liang and Wen Zee
86 pages, Softbound, oversized, photographs, Shanghai Book Company
US
$16.95 each ,
This
is a work book on the Push Hands of the Wu style. What can we say? There are so many stories of Master Ma throwing people this way and that it appears he was the possessor of superlative skills. Wu style had always had the reputation of being strong in this area and here is a breakdown of the patterns and variations inherent in the practice. This book is not always easy to get. The explanations are pretty complete but, as any text might, it suffers from the difficulty of trying to convey this complex subject matter through the written word. Nonetheless, this borders on being a collector's item recording the moves and patterns of a man famous for his Push Hands skill. |
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#ETC79 Combat
Techniques of
Taiji, XingYi & BaGua
by Lu ShengLi
Principles and Practices of Internal Martial
Arts
370 pages, softbound,
oversize, photographs
US $22.95 each PLUM price save
10% pay $20.65
From the back cover:
"Grandmaster
Wang's longtime student Lu Sheng Li shows practitioners how to
attain a new level of practice. Learn to use your skills to
bring forth a more fluid, intuitive and fast-paced technique.The
book includes:
- Over
500 illustrations and photo sequences demonstrating each form,
its lineage and theoretical basis.
- A
sixteen-posture form never before published in the West that
integrates the most important fighting techniques from each
of the three major internal martial arts
- Core
movements from the fundamental fighting techniques of each
art
- Powerful
tools to recognize and use the unique strategies and skills
of each style.
- In-depth
practical and theoretical explanations of martial applications.
- History
and analysis of basic martial practices.
- Essential
movements, including fist, hand, shoulder, hip and knee skills,
stances and steps.
- Basic
post-standing practice of each art, and usage of Fa Jin (explosive
force) in each."
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#ETC94 Tai Chi Chuan
Theory and Principles
by Paul
F. N. Tam translated by Peter Chan & Lee Ying Lok
Softbound, oversized, photographs
US $34.95 each ,
This
is an interesting and significant book. Bear with us for a second.
This text by Paul Tam comes from a rare branch of Tai Chi associated
with our own great grand teacher Gu Ru Zhang. Grandmaster Gu
is world famous, always associated with his Northern Shaolin
style. There is a photograph of him performing a multiple brick
break which has crossed into the legendary category. He was
also a compatriot and student of Sun Lu Tang who taught him Tai
Chi. He amalgamated this instruction with Yang style derived
from Li Jing Lin, the famous sword master. The version he created
is like very old Yang with some Sun and is very relaxed. We
have had a number of friends and colleagues in this style, which
is even more rare than the Chen Pan Ling form. Now one of the
interesting little bits is that mutual friends and acquaintances
unconnected with the style have occasionally said that the Tai
Chi students from Gu's lineage, though not famous, are among
some of the best they have ever seen. But Gu is only rarely
associated with the style. This book is oversized and gives
a very clear breakdown of the entire Gu set which he called
"Sun" style. It also has a very rare section of translation
from Gu's own Tai Chi writings. Also a biography of both Gu
and Sun; some translations from Sun's Tai Chi writings, some
from the Classics. There are also notes on Push Hands and a
huge lineage chart.
NOTE:
This is an oversized book with a beautiful gray and green cover.
Unfortunately the green is very subject to scratching and if
you order you should be prepared for a less than pristine surface.
We are unable to send them back to Hong Kong for minor complaints. |
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#ETC97 The
Essential Movements of T'ai Chi
by John Kotsias
Softbound, illustrated, 167 pages
US $15.95
"John Kotsias is a linguist and professor of mathematics
and a passionate martial artist." These are the words
of Marshall Ho, respected T'ai Chi teacher on John Kotsias,
the author of this book. Having actually READ the book and
talked to Mr. Kotsias extensively on the phone we can only
concur. His interest in and knowledge of T'ai Chi is impressive.
His experience is deep. How do we know and how did we know before meeting the author? The book is so simple, straight
forward and fundamental it is the one we most often recommend
for either a beginner or someone who is advanced but wants
to really learn the basics of such important foundational
concepts as standing and turning. An excellent and well structured
text. |
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