Customer Reviews

The Complete Taiji Dao: The Art of the Chinese Saber

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

 

 

I found this book to be both well written and a useful manual for studying Taiji Dao. The book begins with history of the Dao and depicts many swords used in China throughout time. The author then examines the basics, including methods of holding the Dao, Hand positions, Footing, etc. The author makes a point of labeling all important names throughout the book with Mandarin (Pinyin and Characters) and English for a clear presentation.

To the point I think most are interested in: "THE FORM"
The book follows into basic skills and then enters into a "Thirteen Posture Form" along with applications vs. spear attack. The Author describes that the form taught in his book comes from "Grandmaster Wang Peisheng, the president of the Beijing Wu Style Taiji Quan Association. He was instructed in this form by his grandmaster, Wang Maoshai, and his master, Yang Yuting. Wang Maoshai had learned it from Quan You, a student of Yang Luchan and the founder of Wu Style Taiji Quan." So for all intents and purposes I think this form can be classified as Wu Taiji Dao form. However, it is markedly similar to the Yang style form/s as well. The author makes note that a practitioner should keep in mind, "Although the movements of the form may differ from one group to another, all variations derive from the same fundamental Taiji Dao principles."

Ultimately, any stylist can benefit from this book whether they are looking for an introduction to Taiji Dao or for further education on the subject. With over 400 pages, this book certainly delivers your money's worth of Dao instruction.

A compilation of movements and information well put, however I would not recommend it to those looking to improve their movements w/ the sword or learning a new form by it.

This is really a mixed bag. Very good history, and fairly good explanations of the movements. The photos are completely useless. I have never seen a published work with such poorly reproduced photos. It is a shame that the publisher allowed an otherwise good and useful work to be ruined by lazyness or unwillingness to improve the photos. I would be happy to see another edition that was properly printed.

Practitioners of the Martial Arts know you can never have too many reference books on the Art, even if they are not for your primary style. All techniques, within reason, may be adapted. I am not a practitioner of Tai Chi in any form, but the saber techniques presented in Zhang Yun's volume "The Complete Taiji Dao: The Art of the Chinese Saber", was very comprehensible to me, though very different from the Filipino techniques I've previously studied.

For the serious student of the Arts, there is very comprehensive, but not overly dry, introduction section that covers the history of the primary fighting weapons demonstrated in the book and another section covering some basic hand and foot movements. This is not a general Tai Chi instruction manual, as weapons are generally considered an advanced technique, so some previous experience with related disciplines will be necessary to grasp what is shown here.

While clearly written, this volume is not meant as a how-to guide for those seeking to be self-taught. There are too many places subtle mistakes can lead to very bad habits and ineffective use of the techniques. In addition, the weapons themselves, even practice weapons, are inherently dangerous and many of the exercises will require a partner. If you truly wish to pursue this path of weapons training, seek a qualified Martial Arts instructor skilled in this style.

Not for everyone, but to have a complete Martial Arts bookshelf, this book should be on it. Beginners may not appreciate this book for what it is, but higher intermediate level students and above will treasure it; five stars.