Customer Reviews

The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I've been studying the Yang long form for 2+ years now with a teacher who studied under Yang Zhen Duo. This book is a thoroughly annotated translation from the original Chinese; itself based on notes by earlier lineage holder in the Yang family and probably written by Zheng Man-q'ing/Cheng Man-ch'ing, pick your transliteration. Essence covers the Yang form as a series of responses to one or more attackers, in the format "suppose I'm in this stance and the opponent does X". Each response gives reasons and expected results. The translator includes notes on the response, changes from earlier books and photographs on the form, and elaborates on the classical Chinese mindset and references used in the original. He himself is an experienced practitioner of the form. The book has changed both the way I view many of the elements and how I practice the form itself. Essence is essential if you're studying Yang form, or interested in any of the Tai Chi schools.

This book is a wonderful time capsule, an attempt by two of Yang Chegfu's senior students to bring some of an oral transmission into written form. As such, it illuminates a transitional and dangerous period in the Chinese martial arts: the war with Japan was about to begin, followed by the repression of post-Revolution China. The translator has done a wonderful job in explaining the complexities of translating Classical Chinese into modern English, as well as making connections to the Taiji Classics which are interesting to read in parallel with this book.

No, a beginner won't learn Taiji from reading this book, that is not its purpose. It serves as an inspiration for more experienced students, as a means of illuminating practice and study of the Classics, and as a glimpse back in time to the end of imperial China and its climate of martial arts.

Unfortunately most Tai Chi books are written as supplements to training already received by the Masters students. The translator for this book points out several instances where there are questions of interpretation and he cross references other works to try and arrive to a meaning as close as possible to what Yang Chen Fu intended. Very informative and enlightening. It has improved my Tai Chi practice and understanding. Based on the text alone I would give this 5 stars. The quality of the pictures is why I only gave it 4 stars. Thats not the publishers or the translators fault but it distracts from an otherwise outstanding book.

While the Translator, Louis Swaim, made a moderately successful attempt to transmit the intentions of Yang Chengfu, he did not have sufficient material to do a complete and faithful rendition of Yang's teachings.

A unique aspect of this book is that the movements are presented as responses to attacks. But the problem of the presentation is somewhat like trying to recreate a complete motion picture starting with a handful of scattered strips from the original film. Although you can't be expected to learn taiji from this book, what is presented is worth owning.

The introductions, forward and two prefaces, while they do not offer new insights, they do provide interesting reading.

The body of the book, which contains 94 movements, contains movement descriptions and photographs showing Yang's posture at the end of the movements.

The photographs are dark and could stand digital reconstruction.

At the end of the book, a description of Push Hands is given. An attempt is make to make this a teaching section, but Push Hands does not easily lend itself to verbal description. Push Hands is followed by an explanation of Dalu, a two person push hands form.

In the Appendix, some of the Taijiquan Classics are given: The Taijiquan Treatise, Song of the Thirteen Postures, The Mental Elucidation of the Thirteen Postures, The Taijiquan Classic, and the Song of Pushing Hands.

Primarily, this is a book for your library.

This Book is not simple, but it gives an interesting sigth on Taijiquan. Learn about a simple, yet komplex topic. The book is small enough to be read during a weekend, but each page, each sentence can be a koan about bodymechanics and energy. Its not an introduction für novice taiji players.

Highly recommended. This book by Yang Chengfu is well worth having because by understanding the intent behind each of the Tai Chi movements it is easier to learn the movements (form) properly, which is the first important phase in learning Tai Chi. This is not a book for teaching the precise movements step-by-step (recommend Fu Zhongwen's excellent Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan book for that) but it is an excellent supplemental book to Fu Zhongwen's handbook. Superb translation and additional material from the translator Louis Swaim. In the small section on push hands at the end of the book some of the photographs are harder to make out but there is valuable and insightful information from Yang Chengfu on this subject and as always the translator's comments are excellent.

While its pretty difficult to learn Tai Chi applications from a book (!), its still worth adding this to the library, for all Yang based stylists