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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KW027 Wu style T'ai Chi Chuan Push Hands
Theory and Principles
by Ma Yueh Liang and Wen Zee
Shanghai Book Company
$16.95 each, 86 pages, Softbound, oversized, photographs,

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.

KC040 Combat Techniques of
Taiji, XingYi & BaGua
by Lu ShengLi
Principles and Practices of Internal Martial Arts
$22.95 each PLUM price save 10% pay $20.65, 370 pages, softbound, oversize, photographs

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."

Save even more on a "hurt" book of this edition

KA018 Advanced Tai Chi Chuan
by Andrew Lum
$17.95 each, 154 pages, Softbound, oversized (10 7/8 X 8 1/4, photographs and illustrations

Here's a text that originally came out in 1975, in Hawaii. Andrew Lum's first book on Tai Chi was good (this is the second in the series) but this one has much more sought after material. Mr. Lum was a student of Tung Hu Ling and this is well repersented in the "faster" form of Tai Chi he shows here. Though the photos are a little light some times the layout is informative with the form breakdown on the top of the page and the applications directly beneath. There are also later sections on Push Hands and specialized applications for mulitple attackers and for women's self defense. His Push Hands section has captured some of the dynamism of the Tung branch of Tai Chi. And the applications, though we have more information now, are actually quite good in some cases especially in contrast to other usage shown at the time. Oversized.

KT051 Tai Chi Chuan
Theory and Principles
by Paul F. N. Tam translated by Peter Chan & Lee Ying Lok
$49.95 each, Softbound, oversized, photographs

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.

KE010 The Essential Movements of T'ai Chi
by John Kotsias
$16.95, Softbound, illustrated, 167 pages

"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.

OUT OF STOCK! Please place me on your WANT LIST for this item.

KB005 Bandying Exercises of T'ai Chi Chuan
Theory and Principles
by Sin Man Ho and Yi Chao Shui
$11.95, 183 pages, Softbound, photographs

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.