Customer Reviews

Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan

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4 star:		(2)
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This text has been and still is tremendously illuminating to me. Though I have read it as casual reading a couple times, I have found it most useful when digested a concept at a time. The explanations while thick are neccessarily so. Professor Cheng has throughly described each motion and it's application. A very complex task indeed. Each time I work out I pick a section of the book and try to refine that portion of the form. Each time I am amazed by Cheng Tzu's ability to turn a movement I have made thousands of times into something new and amazing. I highly recommend this text to any serious student of Tai Chi. I also warn any novice student that they should start with one of Cheng Man Ching's more elementary texts. This one is difficult to comprehend if aren't already familiar with Cheng Man Ching's style of Tai Chi.

If you're a serious tai chi practitioner this book should be in your library. Besides the invaluable knowledge it contains, this is just a very nice edition of the work. It's the only edition authorized by the professor's estate, and contains an introduction written by his wife, in addition to the translation by master Ben Lo. The cover painting of a white lotus and samples of calligraphy by Prof. Chen are nice touches, and the book is hardback and printed on higher quality you would get in a paperback edition. And the price is reasonable given the features and overall quality of the edition.

But of course the most important aspect of the book is that it's one of the most detailed books on the practice and theory of tai chi ever written. Tai chi is composed of three main parts: the self-healing, martial, and medical (or the ability to heal others), aspects, and prof. Chen discusses all of these at length. For example, he discusses the physiology of tai chi, and how chi is transformed in the body to strengthen the muscles, connective tissue, and even bones, in greater detail than I had seen before in any other book. Numerous tai chi principles and practical points are also discussed and illuminated. There is enough material and food for thought here to reflect on for a long time, and I found I spent much time just trying to absorb the basic points, let alone the more advanced principles.

The photos of master Chen performing many of the postures and techniques and their analyses and descriptions are also very helpful. There are 37 different postures in the long form, and each one is illustrated, and the external body mechanics, internal chi process, and martial application discussed and described. It's difficult to get all of that from a single static photo, which is why I say this book is really only for the intermediate or advanced student. (I note that the although some of the reviews here have been posted for more than five years, they only have a few votes, which leads me to believe that only the most serious students obtain and read this book, and look up reviews for it on Amazon).

All is all, a true classic of the martial arts by a great master that should be read and studied by every serious student of tai chi.

This is a beautiful edition of Cheng Man Chings text on Chi Tai Chuan. There are other translations of this text available, but this is by far the best for several reasons. First, it is hardcover, and the layout is beautiful. The cover has a color print of one of Chengs paintings, and there is an example of his calligraphy on the inside. The book is also larger than other editions I have seen, and the prints and pictures are printed larger and more clearly as well. The larger pictures of Cheng performing the Tai Chi form are especially useful. And, while this may not matter everyone, this edition of Chengs book is also the only one authorized by his estate, and contains a preface by Chengs wife. I highly recommend this book.

Like most of the Tai chi Classics, a lot of the language is ambiguous, but I found it to be an excellent supplement to my tai chi chuan practice. There are some great photos of the author practicing the form with explanations (albeit a little hard to wade through) of martial arts applications. One particularly useful section tells about the 9 levels of Tai Chi practice - essentially a benchmarking system of what specific areas you ought to be working on, and in what order, in fairly clear language. Probably not a good 'first exposure' to Tai Chi Chuan, but definitely something that a serious student would want to take a look at.

This book is my constant companion. I've carried my original 1985 copy with me everywhere since it was first published. I should declare my bias: I was a student at Professor Cheng's school in New York starting in 1974, the year before he passed, and studied and eventually taught there until 1986. All of his senior students considered this the Bible of Professor Cheng's form long before it was ever published in English. We had classes in which Ed Young, one of the Professor's senior students, translated it for us chapter by chapter, his forehead breaking out in a fine sweat with the effort of attempting to adequately convey the Professor's meaning. ( I still have my notes from those sessions, and Ben Lo's translation compares very favorably with Ed's.) I often quote or read from the Thirteen Treatises to my students, and always recommend it as an indispensable work. In short, if there is one single most essential volume on Professor Cheng's Tai Chi Chuan, this is it--and I believe it can prove equally valuable to students of other styles and forms. I especially recommend it in combination with "Master Cheng's New Method of Taichi Chuan Self-Cultivation," translated by Mark Hennessy (Frog Ltd., 1999).

Cheng Man Ching was what Westerners would term something of a Renaissance man. This is what I've determined. In Chinese culture, it was the essence of enlightenment to pursue numerous virtuous pursuits felt to advance one's spirit or soul. Master Cheng fulfilled this ideal-- he strove to master calligraphy, Chinese medicine, philosophy, as well as Tai Chi, among others.

His 13 treatise(s) are the basis of this one man's perception of the world. Its foundation is, of course, qi/internal development, based on the principles of Tai Chi. But they cover a number of topics, including his perceptions on Chinese medicine, personal behavior, cosmology, Tai Chi development, and others.

There were approximately 3 or 4 pearls that I will take away from this book for my own internal martial arts practice, and that in alone is of inestimable value... Perhaps there is no more than that, but I keep looking for a book that delves into detail about things-- from mechanics and techniques to stages of development and evolution. Cheng touches on these things in his treatises, but does not explore. In the FAQ section at the end, many students' questions seem to be striving for these same details, but Cheng's answer is "There is no more", it is complete.

That's all well and good, and it may be true. It may be that our discovery of whatever else there is must be unique and unexplained. But I still sought something deeper when finished with the book. In addition, his assertions that there is "no more" left me skeptical because his chapters on using Eastern medicine to "cure" tuberculosis were clearly based on limited insight into what TB really is. I don't think Cheng really had TB from his description. He may have had pulmonary fibrosis from a condition resembling silicosis, but not TB.

That limitation is no fault of Master Cheng, but it does unfortunately color my opinion of his insights. Is there indeed something more, just no good way to explain it or expand on it given his cultural and temporal background? I don't know.

A good book, and as a classic an important one that must be read. As much as anything, the pictures of his form were valuable. I learned a lot just studying those-- moreso than his descriptive text. In particular, the relaxation of his arms was evident, and something I still have difficulty with.

But... I kept wanting to ask him questions, and alas I cannot.
No doubt he would cuff me on the forehead and say "There is no more. Practice!" And I shall.

I bought this book after leaving my highly competent and persuasive instructor to pursue the 37 short form by and for myself. I began to study the form as an antidote to grief following the death of my beloved mother, and as a result of my own exertions, and having used only this book to complement my studies, I have come to two conclusions. The first: Cheng Tzu's compression of the Yang family long form attains a rare perfection for which all students of t'ai chi ch'uan should be truly grateful; the second, which creates a difficulty for the reader: the student can only benefit from the treasures this book contains after several years of patient, diligent and conscientious study of the master's form.
I am fortunate to have read the book before and after, so to speak, and I can attest to the refractory nature of writing on martial arts in general and chi studies in particular. The reader may think (s)he knows what is being said, but true understanding only comes from knowledge derived from prior experience. So, if you are serious in your intent, find an instructor who can trace his or her lineage back to Cheng Man Ch'ing -- there are few enough of them about -- and undertake serious study of the form for at least five years, then buy this book and reap the rewards of your efforts.
Alas, there are no short cuts to the elevated mastery of form delineated by Cheng Tzu in this book.

This book, the original written by Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-Ch'ing), covers taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan), Chinese medicine, physics, philosophy, sensing hands (push hands), and practical self defense applications.

Professor Zheng walks the reader through the 37 posture form from a self defense viewpoint, where people are attacking you from various directions using various techniques, and the postures, or slightly modified postures, in the form are the responses.

It is a great mixing of wu (martial) and wen (literature) - highly recommended!

After 10 years of Tai Chi Chuan practice advanced books like this are becoming a valuable resource. Until you understand chi flow, rooting, adhering, following, and the myriad of other terms that describe the fundamental elements of the art, much of the book may come across as esoteric. A respected elder in the art once told me that the 'classics' will not lead you astray. The trick is to find good translations without too much personal commentary.

This book has the wisdom from the classics with a bit of practical explanation. For those on the path this is a great resource.

The book is very clear in its message, the treatise is awakening, making us to refresh our study in Taijiquan, and for me, especially the chapter "Swimming on the Land" is enlightening.