Essential Tai Ji [Paperback]

Chungliang Al Huang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2001

For centuries people have embraced Tai Ji’s fluid, harmonious movements as a way of nourishing their bodies, minds, and souls. The peaceful, concentrated dance of Tai Ji (a more contemporary translation of the martial art commonly known as Tai Chi) stands in marked contrast to the fast and furious pace of our modern world. With easy-to-follow descriptions of basic Tai Ji movements and a detailed discussion of Tai Ji’s relationship to nature, space, and time, Chungliang Al Huang’s ESSENTIAL TAI JI provides an abundance of useful information on this ancient and beautiful art. Promoting strength, relaxation, and clarity, ESSENTIAL TAI JI will teach you how to unify mind and body, and achieve a more healthful state of being.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

CHUNGLIANG AL HUANG is a renowned interpreter of Tai Ji and its philosophies, president of the Living Tao Foundation, and director of the Lanting Institute in China. He lives in Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 78 pages
• Publisher: Celestial Arts; Revised edition (September 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587611090
• ISBN-13: 978-1587611094
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,296,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move With Joy, September 5, 2006

By 

Jim Paschal "Tai Ji Dancer" (Chesapeake, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Tai Ji (Paperback)

This is a beautiful little book, that along with the author's book: "Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain," shows the true essence of Tai Ji: the dance of life from within, the joy of pure movement. I give copies of this book to family and friends who I think are mature enough in their thinking to appreciate it. I found two of the reviews above troubling and misleading--there is far more to Tai Ji than "devastating martial art" and "the forms." I have been a teacher of martial art and forms for more than 40 years; fighting and forms are only shadows of the books' lessons. Instead of teaching dance steps, Chungliang Al Huang is teaching readers about the spirit of life's dance. If you don't understand, please read the book (or reread it). I recommend both books--unequivocally and joyfully!

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missing the Balance, January 2, 2004

By 

Tatsat (Bangalore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Tai Ji (Paperback)

The book is full of breath-taking pictures and awesome poetry, but for beginners its a big no-no. Due to lack of illustrations of movements in detail, a novice may just think Taiji is all about following your body, which in turn may make the learning of forms difficult. The approach of AlHuang to Taiji will be of tremendous help to people who have already fluent with their forms. To make myself more clear - say if you know the small circle form, then you may use such books to make them more fluent and dancelike by following your body which already "knows" how to do the form. For beginners - NO!. This is where the author misses the "Balance" between form and formlessness. Though the "Essence" or "Principle" behind Taiji is formless, it is only through form that we can begin to learn to implement this principle. So if you think you don't need the details of forms then go ahead and buy or else? Don't!!!

1 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars JUST USELESS NEW AGE, May 5, 2004

By 

Dr. Lecter "Some guy who practices" (ARGENTINA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Tai Ji (Paperback)

This is a nice book to show you what IS NOT Tai Chi. The REAL Tai Chi is one of the most devastating martial arts (Ask Master Erle Montaigue)This guy Chunglian is pleased to sell books about something NOT EXISTING such Tai Chi for health, meditation and peace. I really feel annoyed by this good-for-nothing Tai Chi (?). Why almost nobody explains about Dim Mak & Fa Jing?