Customer Reviews

Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health & Longevity

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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.

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.

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.

Sunrise Tai Chi (Book)
By Ramel Rones

Skill level: Beginner
Available from: YMAA Publication Center, ymaa.com

Sunrise Tai Chi is a great book for people interested in investigating Tai Chi as it applies to health. The text is simple and easy to understand and the use of pictures and text and combined very well together. The one thing I would like to see in the pictures are arrows showing the directions of motion in the photographs. This technique was used in another YMAA book and it clarified a lot about how to move. The form, stretches, and Chi Kung are all very complete and understandable.

The book is well organized beginning with a very brief introduction and history. The book then moves through Chi exercises, in-motion skill building, and a basic understanding of the techniques in the form. The book ends with the chapter on learning the Sunrise Tai Chi Short Form based on the first Yang Style Tai Chi form. Again a great way to investigate Tai Chi for the first time. The only real issues I had with this book are, first, there are no martial applications. This isn't needed if you are just looking into Tai Chi from a health perspective but Tai Chi is a martial style so my preference is to have some applications. The only other issue I have is that the material is far to simple to be useful to anyone other than a beginner. If you have any Martial experience, especially with Tai Chi, this is not the book for you.

All-in-all it is a great book for people just getting started on Tai Chi for health. It does focus a great deal on Chi development which is not normally something I spend a lot of time on in my training but is still written in a clear concise manner.

The book retail price is listed as $16.95 and is worth a look if you want more information on Tai Chi for health.

For more complete reviews on martial arts related media visit: guinnmartialarts.com

Written with the assistance of author David Silver, "Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi For Health & Longevity" is the work of martial arts gold medalist Ramel Rones (who is also a Scientific Consultant for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, as well as the Tufts and Harvard Medical Schools). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese system of exercises that has become popular throughout the United States. Rones provides an historical overview of Tai Chi Chuan, as well as its underlying principles. Specifically designed for use by beginners, "Sunrise Tai Chi" has much of value for even the more experienced practitioner in developing symmetry and balance between strength and flexibility; the loosening and strengthening of muscles, tendons, and ligaments; improving the circulation of blood and Qi energy; increasing bone density; massaging internal organs, boosting the immune system, taping into the energy of the universe, improving martial arts skills, and generally improving the quality of daily life. "Sunrise Tai Chi" is very highly recommended for students of the martial arts, for students of alternative medicine, and for non-specialist general readers with an interest in developing and maintaining their general health and overall physical fitness.

Sunrise Tai Chi provides an introduction to Tai Chi Chuan, with easy to understand descriptions of the history and principles, plus visualizations to help with the hard-to-understand breathing/mental disciplines and a short "Sunrise Tai Chi Form" that should prove a quick learn for beginning and advanced students.

More advanced students will find benefit from the visualizations provided for focus and energy. The concepts of qi/chi and Eastern concepts of energy are difficult to grasp, especially when described in flowery languages that are unfamiliar. Mr. Rones (an advanced student of Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming, whose martial arts books are among the best I've read) provides a different perspective for these visualizations which should help all students look at energy flow in a different way.

The book is broken down into the following sections:

Chapter 1: What is Tai Chi - a brief coverage of the history and philosophy.

Chapter 2: Human Energy: Internal Visualization - this visualizations chapter provides a step-by-step program, building simpler visualizations (starting with abdominal breathing), progressing through visualizations for both the upper and lower dan tien to gates and bubble breathing. Physical and mental aspects for both are covered. This is the most fundamental but complex portion of tai chi / qigong training, and Mr. Rones breaks it down into simple repetitive pieces, including providing a great description of the "baton" between the upper and lower energy centers.

Chapter 3: Sunrise Tai Chi Mind/Body Program - the program goes through twenty-one sitting or standing meditations, again with focus on both physical and mental aspects. Mr. Rones provides discussion on what these movements are doing and why they should be held for three minutes or more (as you progress through the program).

Chapter 4: Understanding Tai Chi Movements- in preparation for presenting his form, Mr. Rones provides a detailed walk through posture, stance, Tai Chi movements and transitions. Much of this material is available in other books, but the descriptions included here are quite detailed; he walks through stances (such as diagonal flying, press and ward off) first with legs stationary, then combining the leg movements.

Chapter 5: Sunrise Tai Chi Form - Mr. Rones Sunrise Tai Chi Form is a balanced left side/right side form, incorporating some basic Yang-style stances and movements.

The subtitle of this book is "Simplified Tai Chi for Health and Longevity", and describes exactly what this book provides: taking the complexities and sometimes dauntingly long forms and putting it into a format accessible for all.

The author, who is obviously very skilled in martial arts, has written a supportive text that is supplemented with an excellent DVD that gives the "hands-on" approach today's visually oriented audience prefers. In his book, the author emphasizes having patience with one's efforts but makes it clear that no techniques can be accomplished without "practice, practice, practice!" The diagrams and photos in the book are extremely helpful, especially for the beginner who is trying to learn the theory and basics of martial arts. But the DVD is definitely the author's niche and provides the real "how to."

Sunrise Tai Chi is a great system for starting your day. The beginning student will find enough information in this manual to start a practice that will enhance their health and longevity. The beginning chapters give enough background information and line drawings to lay the groundwork for a practice. A lot of attention is given to breathing practices, the keystone of any taiji form. Photos of the form are clear and easy to understand, however, as some others have suggested, it would be nice to have them numbered for easy reference. I very much like the photos of the wrong way to perform a movement and wish that there were more illustrations used. Having studied taiji under several teachers, I found that it is sometimes very hard to understand how to do a movement or stance correctly, but I can see right away, when someone points out how not to do it. Using the bamboo pole to show knee and sacrum alignment are good examples of this type of teaching. Sifu Rones does a wonderful job of explaining the movements and mindset of tai chi. I would recommend this book to any beginning student, people with health problems, older people, looking for a way to retain health and experienced people from the hard arts, looking to balance their practice.

As a side note, I received this book as a gift to review for the ymaa. I do not own the DVD, but imagine it would be a useful companion to the book. I have been teaching taiji and qigong for about six years and would not hesitate to recommend this, as a starter book, to students.

Sunrise Tai Chi is an excellent introduction to the topic, and a useful companion to the DVD of the same name. Like the DVD, the book shows Rones' down to earth yet respectful view of Tai Chi and related disciplines. The illustrations are clear and the discussions concise and useful. As both a cancer patient and academic neurologist, I have benefited greatly from the material that is so expertly taught in this volume.

I've been practicing Tai Chi for just under a year now and found that this book filled in many of the holes that I had in my understanding around the practice. I was skeptical that I could learn much about Tai Chi from a book, as I have tried others but didn't really take much from them. This book however is laid out extremely well and covers both the physical and (to me more importantly)the mental aspects of training that I never got fully from my instructors, DVDs, or any other books I read. I had several light bulb moments as I read this book that immediately translated into more effective practice. While it is always best to learn the actual physical movements of Tai Chi from a knowledgeable instructor, I highly recommend this book, especially to those who are interesting in learning more about the internal aspects of Tai Chi.