Customer Reviews

The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"In this book we will examine the Chen family treasure, the chronicles that were hidden for nine generations until the time of Chen Wang Ting, near the end of the Ming dynasty...", P. 8.

For those new to Tai Chi: The practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan (trans. Grand Ultimate fist) must be willing to spend a great deal of time refining each movement. Tai Chi will teach even the most athletic practitioner to move muscles that they didn't know they had and to stretch their range of movement without loosing balance. To be soft but not weak, to deliver powerful strikes but not tense (Like a whip it may crack at the end but it is a flowing motion that gets it there). To listen to the opponents move and unbalance them (Granting the practitioner the ability to win a fight without hurting the opponent should he/she choose to do so). For health it is a non-impact exercise that will teach you how to use and strengthen your body. It is good for the elderly because the training is soft and gentle (In fact training with too much power will hinder ones Tai Chi development).

The Book: This book is for those who want to deepen their knowledge of Tai Chi. It breaks apart and gives detailed explanations of the philosophy, training methods, and learning sequence. It will NOT ACTUALLY TEACH YOU ANY OF THESE THINGS. It will only explain what you are looking to accomplish within each aspect of training. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants an overview of what Tai Chi is. Experienced practitioners should read and reread this book (as they improve in one skill something else will suddenly make sense). For learning applications I would recommend Feng Zhiqiang and Chen Xiaowang¡¦s English language book, ¡§Chen Style TaijiQuan¡¨, ISBN# 7505404806. I would not recommend attempting to learn a form from a book, find a qualified teacher or buy the video.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction. The Overview

* The Yin-Yang Reversal Theory

* The Tai Chi Body

* Tai Chi Balance

* Tai Chi stillness and Action

* Awareness Energy

* Enlightenment Through Action

Chapter One. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing Principles

* The Weak Beats the Strong

* The Slow Beats the Fast

Chapter Two. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing

* Step One: Investigate the Body, the Form, the Waist, the Top of the Head, the Spine, and the Steps

* Step Two: Study Moving, Receiving, Collecting and Striking Energy

* Step Three: Study Following, Sinking, Lightness, and Dexterity

Chapter Three. Investigating the Method of Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Push Hands

* Step One: The Push Hands System of Awareness Energy

* Step Two: The Posture and Force of Adhere, Stick, Connect, and Follow

* Step Three: Seeking Awareness Energy in Push Hands

Chapter Four. The Energies of the Eight Gates and Five Steps

* The Energies of the Eight Gates Clearly Defined

* The Five Steps Clearly Divided

* The Practice of the Set and its Representation of the Eight Gates and Five Steps

Chapter Five. The Sequence of Learning Tai Chi Boxing

* Part One: The Practice of the Set

* Part Two: The Practice of Drawing Silk

* Part Three: Learning to Separate Energies

* Part Four: The Practice of Chi Kung

* Part Five: The Practice of the Spirit of Vitality

* Part Six: Uniting the Inside with the Outside

* Part Seven: Getting the Opportunity and the Position

* Part Eight: Sacrificing Yourself to Follow the Opponent

* Part Nine: Knowing Yourself and Knowing the Enemy

* 1. The Order of Learning Tai Chi Boxing

* 2. The Foundation of Centrifugal Force

* 3. Lightness and Dexterity are Revolving

* 4. The Seventy-Two Essential Terms of the Chinese Boxing Art

* 5. The Yin-Yang Summary by Chen Chang Hsing

Chapter Six. Guidelines for Tai Chi Application

* The Nine Principles of the Practice of Tai Chi Boxing

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Drawing of Silk

* The Nine Rules of Tai Chi Martial Arts

* The Tai Chi Boxing Book ¡§Kung Hsin Chieh¡¨

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Chart for Evaluating Progress

* The Question of the Hard and the Soft

* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Definition and its Motion

The Ancient Poem of the Universal Post

This is truly a classic. The major energies of T'ai Chi are clearly delineated. All serious practicioners of T'ai Chi and other internal arts should have this in their collection. The guidelines for measuring one's skill and progress are austere and inspiring.

There is a lot of information is Guttmann's translations of Kuo's T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle. However, I found much of it difficult to access. Kuo discusses many aspects at great length, especially the internal energy work of the system. To do so, he uses a very specialized vocabulary that is not always explained clearly. There are also points where I felt that the translator may not have chosen the best word to make the meaning clear. One example of this is where the text speaks of adding "strength to every separate strike." The word "strength" seems odd, as it suggests a muscular strength rather than a soft power. This may not have been the meaning, but it is an example of where more explanation by the translator would have helped. However, it is clear that the author knew a great deal about tai chi and has honestly tried to pass on what he knew. I found the section on if tai chi was only a soft art, or could it also contain hardness to be especially interesting. While I wouldn't recommend this as an introductory text, someone who already has a background in tai chi could get a lot out of The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle if they were willing to put in a bit of effort.

If you are looking for a step-by-step form book, this is not for you. This is not intended for a beginner. The author assumes you are already familiar with the basics.

Contained in Guttman's text is the essense of the practice, the sensations you should feel during the movement, the weight distribution, etc. with heavy emphasis on peng-ching (uprooting.) While Kuo Lien-Ying is supposedly citing the Chen family chronicle, it is highly unlikely that any actual Chen document mentions Wudang, Zheng Sanfeng (who only began to be associated with martial arts in the Epitaph of Wang Cheng Nan as early as the 1600's,) or a Wang Zhongyue, so that part of the book I find highly dubious. Regardless, the information here is still very valuable for anyone practicing Taiji Quan, even outside the Quangping Yang style. The text covers the philosophy and the energies (forces) of Taijiquan, the foot movements and their intricacies, as well as the postures which they are implemented in, explaining each in painstaking detail.

In a market oversaturated with picture books, this one has special meaning as it attempts to explain the finer details in the movements, as a teacher would. Not an easy read, but you will not walk away empty-handed by any means.

Even though there are many styles of Tai Chi Chuan, this book can help all understand how to approach the study. It's difficult but worth the effort to incorporate this book's contributions into your practice. An excellent guide!

This is such a great book for advance tai chi practisioners. It explains all the basic, and complete thoughts that every Tai Chi practisoner should understand clearly in order to reach the highest level of Tai Chi. I highly recommend this book !! The content of this book is priceless !! It deserves much more expensive price !!

This is really a good book.
Absolutely not for beginners.
It is very deep in the analysis of almost all the Tai Chi aspects as you can see in the Book Summary listed by other reviewers. It really gave you material to think and work on.
Anyway sometime there are terms not explained that could really mislead the meaning of the matter. That's the reason why only 4 stars. I really and strongly recommend this book to all the instructors and advanced practitioners whatever style they practice. This is a book that will forever give you Tai Chi insights each time you read it.

have to give 4 stars not 5 because parts of the book complicated. overall very interesting and the words are written well, an easy read though some parts are really boring. You will learn from this book. Push hands awarness energy, chi energy, details necessary to become a good taiji player. I like this book and its worth your money. I have read many terrible taiji books and this one is not.

I am an American Tai Chi and Qigong Association (ATCQA) certified Trainer. I found the that the book articulates the body-mechanics of Tai Chi through the symbolic, language of Taoism. The information in this book integrates many topics found in classical treatise and as such implies a teaching approach that would be foreign to a reader uninitiated in Chinese Cosmology. These topics discuss the unity of opposing forces and attempts to explain how one can manipulate such forces by the recognition of physical movements that are referred to as energies. Like Taiji Quan, the effort is difficult to communicate and is only meant to be understood by either an experienced practitioner or a devout student doing independent research to reinforce study under a Sifu or Master.

If you are an experienced practitioner or a devout student then this book is a treasure. When one studies the applications of Taiji for reasons of health, form or combat the power of the resulting knowledge can only be realized when one has the capacity to integrate the compartimentalized, knowledge espoused in the Art. For one who is not ready the information will be daunting or evasive. Miyamoto Musashi believed that if one knows the way of strategy then he/she could see the way (The Tao) in everything and that there would be no need for a teacher in any endeavor. The author of this book understands the concept of strategy and is talking to others who have the same skill-set.

A reviewer infered that the author is not really teaching anyone how to do anything. To a person that did not have a grasp of Eastern Strategy he would be correct. If you are a Westerner and do have a grasp of strategy this book will appear to give clear explanations to what some readers would deem as isoteric philosophy. It will suggest how to combine Eastern Cosmology with body-mechanics and how to integrate the nuances of stillness and movement in order to manipulate the physical energy of an opponent in combat; moreover, how to understand how these energies can be used to understand one's self. This is a cultivation process essential in the effort to progress in Taiji Quan and this book can help one evolve using this internal martial art form.

I loved this book and it is great use to me in the continuous training of myself and my advanced students. If you are a Pugilist who has been studying martial arts like Western Boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Xingyi or a Mixed Martial Artist for at least a decade and are in the research stage of your progress, you will find value in posessing this book.

Master Gurjot K. Singh, M Ed.
Retired US Army Ranger & Drill/S.E.R.E. Qualified Instructor
Professional Tai Chi Trainer (ATCQA Level II of III)

The Art of Western Tai Chi Ch'uan: The Supreme Ultimate & Sweet Science Of Boxing With 10 Limbs

This book contains instructions and advice from the fame Kuo Lien-Ying. One would be wise to pay attention. I found this book more enjoyable and useful than his other which is based heavily on theory.