The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan [Paperback]

Yang Chengfu (Author), Louis Swaim (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2005

The publication in 1934 of Yang Chengfu's book, Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Taijiquan Tiyong Quanshu) marked a milestone in the modern evolution of the art of taijiquan. Using what is best-termed demonstration narrative, the author presents form postures and suggested applications from his own perspective, as he performed them. This methodology renders Yang Chengfu's direct, hands-on teaching of the art with such immediacy and liveliness that the reader experiences the master’s teaching much as his students did.

This English translation finally makes Yang Chengfu's classic work available to taijiquan enthusiasts in the West. It includes notes and commentary that clarify the author's frequent classical and literary turns of phrase and elucidate the philosophical and political underpinnings that shape the text. The translator investigates and compares several early taijiquan books in order to help explain the roles played by two of Yang Chengfu's students, Dong Yingjie and Zheng Manqing, in bringing Yang Chengfu's words and teachings into print.

Serious students of taijiquan, and those wishing to deepen their knowledge of taijiquan history and theory, will find this seminal work indispensable to their study and practice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I highly recommend The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan as a valuable resource for Taiji players, with the actual words of Yang Chengfu to guide them in their practice.”
—Dojo Rat

About the Author

Louis Swaim lives and practices in Oakland, California. He is the translator of the highly regarded handbook on the art of taijiquan, Fu Zhongwen: Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan (North Atlantic Books, 1999). He studied Chinese history, Mandarin, and Classical Chinese at U.C. Berkeley. After completing a master's degree, he continued his language study at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taiwan. He has been a taijiquan practitioner for thirty years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (March 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556435452
• ISBN-13: 978-1556435454
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yang Chenfu for English readers, October 18, 2005

By 

Arturo Clavijo (Bogota, Colombia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Paperback)

The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan, which was written by Yang Chengfu, was published in 1923, but despite its importance for taiji practitioners in the west, it was available only in Chinese. I knew about it because my taiji`s master; Dr. Qi Ke Bao, used it as one of his main sources for studying and, of course, teaching it. This book is for advance students who already are acquainted with Yang style long forms and with pushing hands exercises. The emphasis of the author is in functional features and in applications. It is written, as the translator points out, as "demonstration narrative"; when I was reading it, I felt as if receiving specific instructions for the important points in each movement. I think that the translation is precise and that Louis Swaim, the translator, was able to make Yang Chengfu`s ideas accessible to an English reader (Qi Tiang Shu, my master`s son and a Taiji master himself compared some random paragraphs with the original Chinese version and concluded that the translation kept the original sense). I found the translator's comments appropriate and very useful. He explains the meaning of some words, which are difficult to grasp, in such a way that they become more intelligible for a western reader. I think that for someone interested in Taiji, mainly in Yang style, the reading of this book is as necessary as the reading of the Taiji Classics.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yang taichi bible, August 15, 2005

By 

Anonymous reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Paperback)

This book is the second, and the most complete book written by the founder of Yang style taichi chuan, Yang Cheng Fu.
The form is explained from the application point of view, with large and clear photos of Yang Cheng Fu performing the form (one image per posture).
This is the historical record of the great master, and a must have for every Yang style practitioner.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan, October 17, 2005

By 

J. J. Kambic - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan (Paperback)

I have only been taking Yang Style TaiJi 108 form classes for 8 months now. This book reinforces the basics and fundamentals that I have been repeatedly taught all this time. But the book goes beyond that because it helps me to visualize the "opponent" against whom the form is applied.
I highly recommend the book to Yang Style TaiJi students who already have taken classes under a coach who teaches and stresses the need for a solid foundation in form; e.g., upright posture, breathing to the dantien, relax the shoulders and sink the elbows, etc.