Customer Reviews

Beyond the Closed Door: Chinese Culture and the Creation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Arieh Lev Breslow has been teaching T'ai Chi for over 20 years, the last 14 at the Jerusalem School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, which he founded in Israel. In Beyond The Closed Door he provides us a well documented and fascinating journey through 4500 years of Chinese culture leading to the creation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. The amazing part is that he does it in less than 400 pages, using clear layman's terms, keeping you interested with every chapter.

Beyond The Closed Door is not a "how to do T'ai Chi" text. The book is divided into four main sections. Breslow begins with an overview of Chinese Culture showing the importance of the development of the concept of Yin and Yang. We are introduced to the familiar characters of Confucius, Lao Tzu and Chang Tzu and their ideas and influences. Breslow show us that many of the concepts of today's forms have roots deep within ancient Chinese culture.

From there we begin to understand the development of Chinese Religion and Philosophical thought. Influences of Confucianism and Buddhism along with the rise and fall of many political regimes all contribute to and draw upon Taoism - resulting in all three becoming the supporting legs of Chinese culture well into the 20th century.

The history of China is indeed a colorful one, full of traditions, science, religion, mystics and philosophy. But it is also one filled with violence, warfare, political strife and the rise and destruction of many empires. Breslow shows us in a clear and logical manner that thousands of years of this ebb and flow (dare I say Yin and Yang) of conflict gave rise to many well-developed concepts, past on master to student in the grandest of oral traditions. All of this history evolving finally, into the creation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

T'ai Chi is much more than the forms many practice. Beyond The Closed Door opens up the world behind the forms. "To understand the origins and practice of T'ai Chi is to gain a profound insight into the culture from which it came." I found the book a captivating, fascinating, and accessible exploration of the wonderful view of the universe we know as T'ai Chi. I think you will enjoy it.

Arieh Lev Breslow presents a very academic study of Tai Chi Chuan and its cultural and historical roots. He is quite thourough in his detective work into the understanding of religious belief that influenced Tai Chi (in an information based manner), but so thourough that at a couple points it becomes a dry read (Hence the three stars instead of five). Stick with it though! After suffering through a couple sections of footnote after footnote Breslow brings it all back together in a manner that will excite the mind and reach the spirit. He does well to explain quotes of the Tai Chi Classics in modes that westerners will understand.

His observations of how to perform Tai Chi Chuan in the second half of the book serve to demonstrate the expert understanding that he has for this art form. This book is an excellent choice for anyone who really has interest in Chinese culture and an essential history for those who practice Tai Chi and are looking to go deeper.

This book is a good read if you are interested in the historical and cultural foundations of T'ai Chi. It suffers a little bit from bad editing (possibly done by a computer spellchecker?). The author shares his knowledge of T'ai Chi by way of explaining how deeply-held Chinese beliefs almost inevitably resulted in the art of playing T'ai Chi. I did not find it tedious at all. Most of the black and white figures were very helpful and well done, although one or two sequences (e.g. those showing a woman practicing "T'ai Chi Walking") were not as well explained as they might have been. This book would probably be less enjoyable for a reader who had no prior knowledge of T'ai Chi but regular Players will find it an interesting addition.