Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health & Longevity [Paperback]

Ramel Rones (Author), David Silver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

Each day, millions of people worldwide practice Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), which has been known for centuries to promote deep relaxation and excellent health, to prevent injuries and illnesses, and to improve martial skills. Tai Chi has steadily become a popular form of mind/body exercise as more and more people in the west discover the rich rewards of living in a holistic way. Tai Chi is a journey through the mind, the body, and the spirit, that can be practiced by everyone. Increasingly, you can see people practicing in the park - moving slowly in a meditative state, or even perfecting their martial arts skills. But what is Tai Chi really? This book clearly introduces the history and underlying principles of Tai Chi Chuan from a modern and unique perspective. For the beginner, this program is a comprehensive introduction to authentic Tai Chi, allowing you to fine-tune your mind/body skills and create balance among them. For the intermediate and advanced, it includes important instructions and refinements, helping you expand your knowledge of the internal arts. In the end, you will understand and experience the ultimate goal of Tai Chi: the harmonizing of the three forces - human, earth, and heaven. * Develop symmetry and balance between strength and flexibility * Loosen and strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments * Improve circulation of blood and Qi energy * Learn how to increase bone density * Massage internal organs with gentle movement * Boost your immune system to help heal chronic conditions, including arthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and cancer * Improve your quality of life and daily physical performance * Tap into the abundant energy of the universe * Learn and improve your martial arts skills

Editorial Reviews

Review

Working with Rami (Ramel) for the last five years helped me repair a debilitating back problem, and definitely gave me a better quality of life. I highly recommend and encourage people to learn and follow Rami's program.-Larry Lucchino President & CEO of Boston Red Sox

From the Publisher

SILVER MEDAL FINALIST for Living Now Book Awards: Meditation/Relaxation, 2009
(Sponsored by Independent Publishers)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594390835
• ISBN-13: 978-1594390838
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing Tai Chi book!!!, November 11, 2007

By 

Tyr Shadowblade (TM) (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health & Longevity (Paperback)

I have perused over a dozen "Tai Chi" books and found them all to be mostly useless. The average Tai Chi book either presents page after page of postures and katas without any meaningful explanation, or provides some quasi-mystical New-Agey commentary that makes little sense -- and then there are Erle's bizarre "combat tajiquan" books. It had gotten to the point that I had given up on ever finding a book that could help me to understand the basic principals of Tai Chi . . . and then a friend gave me the gift of "Sunrise Tai Chi" by Ramel Rones.

This book is amazing. Unlike other authors, Ramel does not start out with a dry commentary on the history of the art, followed by a few pages of speculation regarding the concept of qi, then filling the bulk with page after page of complex and difficult to follow katas. No -- he goes right into the deep esoteric secrets of qi -- explaining in easy to understand language exactly why people derive benefits from Tai Chi practice. I've studied similar topics for years, and have friends who have mastered various Eastern modalities, so I can attest that Ramel is highly qualified to expound on these difficult subjects -- and he does so in depth.

The middle portion of the book covers preliminary stretches and postures. Ramel goes into great detail here as well, and points out many common errors that require correction. Proper body mechanics, breathing, relaxation, and meditation are also covered.

The forms are simple and easy to learn. Anyone can do them. And, although this is an "introductory" text, there is a GREAT DEAL of information that will be of use to current Tai Chi students, as many concepts addressed here are NOT fully understood and appreciated by the average instructor. This book serves to fill in the gaps in one's knowledge and correct any possible misconceptions.

This is an outstanding book, and the techniques work exactly as Ramel says they do. I am recovering from PTSD and have been under an enormous amount of environmental stress as of late -- which has resulted in an inordinate amount of tension that has been manifesting as an annoying facial tic. A week after practicing just the relaxation techniques (haven't yet started doing the forms), I'm feeling a lot better and tic is pretty much gone. Thanks Ramel!

This is the ONLY Tai Chi book I've ever seen which I can recommend -- and I do so emphatically. "Sunrise Tai Chi" will help you to relax, become more flexible, have more energy, and improve your overall health. Many, many bogus systems promise all that and more, but Ramel actually delivers -- and the price is cheap too. YOU NEED TO ACQUIRE THIS BOOK AND PRACTICE THE TECHNIQUES. Highly recommended.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a good place to start, November 26, 2007

By 

J. Barr (Westerville, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health & Longevity (Paperback)

A few cavets first. YMAA Publications has asked me to review this book and so I did receive a copy of the book and DVD's at no cost to myself; that's the sole extent of my "compensation" but I like to be honest. I've studied aikido, juijitsu for over 25 years (a friend corrected a previous review) and chi gung for about half that time. Mind/body practice is at the heart of my business and day to day practice. If you look at my other reviews you'll find that if you have a lame product the worst thing you can do is ask me "what I think" because I'm going to tell you. I looked at the material from the perspective of a teacher and practitioner of martial skills.
First the inconveniences....
1.When I first opened the book I turned to "How To Use This Book". That's almost as far as I got. This section appears to be a compendium of babble to a new user. If the author is speaking English I couldn't understand it. I was expecting instruction not a lecture written in "navelgazese." I've seen far too many books written like this and was afraid the rest of the book would follow....fortunately it didn't. The rest of the book was jargon free except where tai chi or chi gung terms were appropriate. Rip this page out and you'll be none the worse for it.
2.The book has a good series of pictures of good size so you don't have to get out a hand lens to see them, but having their sequences numbered is a small thing that would help the flow and understanding.
3.The DVD's are high quality learning tools. The Sunrise Tai Chi DVD I especially appreciated as a professional teacher at large. The instruction section done by Mr. Rones is worth the price of the rest of the DVD and book put together. Having taught martial skills I appreciate instructions like "put your hand here like you are petting a big dog"...that's hard to screw up. The only draw back is that when the forms are performed you only get one view on screen. This is especially true with the Sunset DVD (which by the way is a different set of exercises). Trying to determine what you need to do looking only straight on is difficult and another screen should be added to show the motion from the side and behind.
4.More of the DVD's should be of Mr. Rone doing the instruction rather than a flat voiced reader trying to sound calm (he sounds bored). I imagine that this was done to speed up the tape process but I'd gladly pay for a longer DVD with more explanation from the author than a voice over from the guy who does The Weather Channel.

Those few inconveniences considered lets look at the positives...
1. Mr. Rones does an excellent job of doing what I've learned in other martial applications. He teaches you some solid basic principles! Which you practice and practice and practice. This may sound boring but practicing the various stances as he teaches them I believe you'll find fun and invigorating. The way the stances are taught make the lessons "bite size"--you don't feel that you're never be able to "learn it all". Each section feels like a stand alone learning.
2. I especially liked the fact that he teaches the skills, segregating upper from lower body. This allows you more flexibility in practice. Many of the basic exercises make a great break in the work day as they can be performed from a seated postiion. This also means that older or injured people with limited mobility can benefit. If you are really interested in tai chi, chi gung, or any martial skill....you'll benefit from learning to perform these apparently simple basics...correctly.
3. Mr. Rones puts a lot of emphasis on the internal foundation, a part of instruction that people want to skip over to do "the real thing." In fact the first 40+ pages are devoted to correct breathing...BRAVO!I know when I teach that's the first thing I do. If you can't breath well, you won't be able to perform well no matter what you do. Breathing is one of the important intersections of the mind/body so special study here will pay off down the road.
4. Abbreviated connected forms of the separate forms you learn can be found in the book and the DVDs but they really are a whole. If you buy the book you could fumble through the forms and stances but the DVD reinforces what you've read and you can see how its done.
5. Mr. Rones has great psychosomatic awareness and this comes through not only in his demonstrations but also in his instruction. I'm very glad to see someone take great care in describing how the body should be working as you move, not only in Tai Chi, but also in day to day life. The only way that you'll get clearer instruction is if you are there in person. He is especially careful about knee health and takes the time to explain correct body position...so pay attention!
6. This is not another tai chi forms book and tape. If you are expecting to learn the full Yang form or short form, you won't find it here...but having said that let me tell you that what you do learn is far more valuable to your over all health and long term development.

All in all the positives of this material and the superior teaching by Mr.Rones so far outway the few inconveniences that you would be ignoring an important and hard to find resource if you are interested in martial skills in general and tai chi and chi gung in particular. Few sources I've come across over my years of study and practice have the quality and simplicity of instruction that this book/DVD combination possess.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent presentation of Taijiquan, May 16, 2007

By 

Patrick H. Dickson "TAIJIQUAN.COM" (Cupertino, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health & Longevity (Paperback)

I already own the Sunrise Tai Chi DVD, and as I stated in my review, it is an excellent work. When I began reading the new release of the material in book form, I was pleased to discover that I was able to learn new skills that I somehow didn't pick up from the DVD. When an author creates a DVD or a book on a subject, if they are competently put together, they can each assist the student in different ways. It's a synergistic approach where the whole is greater than the parts.

Different knowledge comes across with varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the medium it's being demonstrated with. The video can teach me some concepts about breathing for example, that I can't get from the book. Yet there are other concepts concerning the governing of the breath that I seem to better grasp when reading the book. Take whatever nuggets you can from each and dwell in their strengths, not their weaknesses. The beauty is that if you own both the video and the book, you will certainly learn the material more fully.

Ramel Rones demonstrates thoroughly his excellent grasp of the material presented. His understanding of the material is evident in his ability to show many aspects of Taijiquan, and at the same time teach a straight forward, doable course that not only makes sense, but works. His material has a lot of the basics, which determine the eventual skill level of the practitioner. Anyone desiring to learn Taijiquan would do well to start with this book and DVD combination.

The following chapters are presented:
1. What is Tai Chi
a. Introduction
` b. History
2. Human Energy: Internal visualization
3. Sunrise Tai Chi Mind/Body Program
4. Understanding Tai Chi Movements
a. Before Beginning Your Moving Stances: Tai Chi Drills & Form
b. Stances
c. Moving Stances
d. Stationary Tai Chi Movements - Drills
e. Ward Off, Rollback, Press, & Push: Legs Stationary
f. Ward Off, Rollback, Press, & Push: Legs Moving
g. The Five Building Blocks
5. Sunrise Tai Chi Form

In the five chapters listed above are so many sub sections of topics that I would be typing all night to reproduce the table of contents. Taoist and Buddhist Breathing, Baton Visualization, Four Gates Breathing, Center of Gravity Energy Center, Third Eye Pulsing Breathing and numerous other topics are presented in a lucid manner by the authors Ramel Rones and David Silver.

One of the features of this course that I love is the emphasis on learning the form and doing the left and right versions of ALL THE MOVEMENTS. As you know, most Taijiquan forms have many of the postures that are only practiced in either a left or right version, but not both. Learning the moves from both sides is extremely important and leads to a better understanding of the moves as well as an enhanced ability in applying the application of the move.

The yin yang symbol shows the completeness of the whole when created from combined opposites. Ramel's approach in presenting a very strong mind/body connection and demonstrating and teaching the student/reader how to accomplish this connection displays his true understanding of how to bring the most valuable effects to the practitioner in a lucid manner.
Ramel Rones has the benefit of being one of Master Yang's senior disciples. The logic and strength of correct knowledge carries over from Master Yang to his student Ramel Rones. The addition of David Silver and the many skills he brings to the table result in another quality work from these two. I look forward to future projects, hoping I have the time to study and learn this wealth of material.