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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully illustrated, broad in scope, encouraging intro, July 8, 2000
This review is from: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tai Chi (The Complete Illustrated Guide Series) (Paperback)
If you wish to learn Tai Chi, any book alone is probably insufficient. That said, an introductory reference and overview is equally likely essential. Angus Clark has drawn from his broad experience and deep understanding of the history, forms, and practical benefits of this art in crafting this lovely book. The book begins with a very helpful historical perspective of Tai Chi and articulates well its relationship to other Chinese martial arts. The presentation of the Short Form (a variation of the Cheng Man-Ch'ing short form) is quite well done with additional material on useful variations. Throughout the book the breadth of Tai Chi's value is constantly reinforced. From relaxation and exercise, through general health and fitness, to defense and martial forms, Clark nicely opens the door to the cosmos of Tai Chi. Of particular value are a collection of short notes from Westerners who have taken up this art for a variety of reason and for varying lengths of time. I found these particularly encouraging. As a newcomer to Tai Chi, I will be supplementing this book with videos and probably local courses. Clark's work is superbly supported with that of the numerous talented illustrators. The result is a lovely book to enjoy, share, and reread often.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book works for me, March 21, 2002
This review is from: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tai Chi (The Complete Illustrated Guide Series) (Paperback)
This is my favorite tai chi book. It has helped me re-learn tai chi and then go beyond. As an exercise that seems so non-strenuous, tai chi has significantly improved my muscle tone and control. I agree with another reviewer in that I don't think tai chi can be learned entirely through a book, but I had taken tai chi lessons for over a year. I stopped practicing and quickly forgot most of what I had learned. The book has helped to bring it back to me. My first reason for chosing this book is that it matched the form I learned in class - the Chen Man Ching version of the Yang Short Form. There is a recommended variation part way through the book, but it also provides the original postures. Even better, the book's instructions include a visualization/ meditation to go with many of the postures. For example, with the first movements of the single whip, you are asked to imagine your hands casting a small fishing net and "surrounding yourself with a spray of silver light." I have found the warm-up exercises in this book to be helpful too. Some are deceptively simple yet powerful. Finally, the end provides some suggestions on how to incorporate tai chi practice into daily home and work life. You don't have to go through the whole form. If you have only a few minutes or a small space, you can practice one or two movements and concentrate on those. This book is worth seeking out.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A few comments, November 3, 2004
This is a well written and beautifully illustrated book on tai chi. The paper is the nice, glossy type so the photos and illustrations really stand out. But there is a lot of good information here too. There are the usual discussions of tai chi's health and spiritual aspects, but for me the best part of the book was the presentation of the Hou style short form, which I hadn't seen before, and the comparisons at the end of the volume where the author contrasts the different styles, such as Wu, Yang, Sun, Chen, Hou, and so on. Although brief, this gave me a better understanding of the origins, similarities and differences of the major styles. Much of the first part of the book is taken up with discussions of physiology, which, as a physiologist myself, I could have done without, but for the general reader there's some useful information here. One interesting feature is there are about a dozen interviews with different people who have been practicing tai chi for months to many years about how tai chi has helped or influenced them. Overall, a good book for a beginning to intermediate student.
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