Customer Reviews

Tai Chi Dynamics: Principles of Natural Movement, Health & Self-Development

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent book for the critical thinking practitioner of Tai-Chi-Chuan who at least has some moderate experience. Moderate experience because many of the theories and thoughts in the book may be difficult for a beginner to grasp and critical thinking since some of the ideas especially later in the book may or may not be considered part of Tai-Chi and are very spiritual in nature.

Personally the best parts for me were the detailed breakdown of the individual elements in the form. The careful analysis and theory of the physical aspects of the body were very illuminating. Other reviews have questioned some of the body mechanics, such as "muscle extension" as opposed to "muscle contraction" for the production of power but I believe this is a feeling one is supposed to have, not necessarily an actual muscle movement. Even the book is not sure what "muscle extension" is and conjectures that it might be a constriction of muscle fibers. Actually many of the other chapters concerning posture, force, breathing, strive to help the practitioner achieve a proper feeling. Although the concepts may be couched in terms of physical and mechanical action, the proper feeling and sense is the most important. This is where critical thinking comes in and someone with existing experience practicing Tai-Chi can properly interpret the information.

Another important chapter for me was the one on breathing. As the book suggested I read it a couple of times and came away with a much better understanding of the relationship between the body, movement and the flow of chi. I felt this chapter alone was worth the price of the book.

There is so much covered in the book and on some very widely ranging subjects from the physical to the spiritual. It almost feels like this is the last book the author will be writing on Tai-Chi and he wants to put everything in it. For me the book was designed with an open interpretation in mind. Every person who reads it will come away with their unique and individual take on the effects on body and mind. As the author said in his first book "The Tai-Chi Book" which now I am reading thanks to this book, when he first looked into the art and asked what were the benefits of doing Tai-Chi-Chuan, the response was; "It is different for each person". I think it is the same with this book.

Overall this reviewer feels the author has taken a very difficult and wide ranging subject and made it as understandable as it can be. No one has all the answers but this book goes a long way in the eternal journey that is Tai-Chi-Chuan.

Disclaimer: I was offered this book for free to do a review, but I was going to buy it anyway and took advantage of the offer. I did like the book enough to purchase the author's previous book on Tai-Chi-Chuan called "The Tai-Chi Book" which I am now reading. If the author lived closer, I would really liked to have taken some lessons from him.

Though I disagree with his theories on muscle extension, there is more than enough valuable information to make up for this. The chapters dealing with Health, Self Massage, and Healing as well as those dealing with Teaching are excellent.

I altered my foot massage to match the one he shows and had immediate positive results!

There are also many exercises provided to help strengthen a practitioners skill in push hands and footwork.

This book is meant for the intermediate or advanced practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan. It's only other drawback, and Dr. Chuckrow gives early warning, is that some parts must be read several times before they are understood. That's true with any complex idea.

I recommend that this book (and Exploring Tai Chi, by John Loupos) be included in any Tai Chi library.

*Disclosure- I received this book through YMAA for free to review. *

Although Robert Chukrow is billed as a Ph.D. in experimental physics, it seems that he has left behind the `experimental' ideal for the realm of anecdote and supposition. Dr. Chukrow states that "Many verifiable scientific principles have originated with conjecture." True enough, but they became scientific principles only after backed up by facts.

As an example, Dr, Chukrow places a great deal on the idea of `muscular extension'- the idea that a muscle can `push' or cause movement by extending, rather than contracting. The problem with this idea is that the mechanism of muscular movement is well described in cellular and molecular biology. Actin and myosin filaments within muscle fibers interact in a `ratchet' mechanism that only provides force by shortening, or contracting. They cannot provide force by lengthening. Dr. Chukrow provides a diagram of a possible mechanism of muscular lengthening, but his diagram would require that muscle fibers be arranged in a dramatically different way- one not found in real life. In addition, if `muscular extension' was so powerful, why are all axial skeletal muscles arranged in opposing pairs? Why not a single muscle that could do both active contraction and extension?

While this idea of `muscular extension' might be a good training tool for visualization, much like imagining the limbs inflating with air for the feeling of `peng', Dr. Chukrow seems to treat muscular extension as a physiologic fact, and bases much of his explanation of tai chi phenomena on this idea. However, until he gives me a better reason as to how `muscular extension' really occurs, I retain a significant amount of skepticism about his explanation.

Dr. Chukrow covers many topics in his book... perhaps too many. His chapters on self-defense and martial applications are fairly basic, but my impression is that Dr. Chukrow's main focus is not in those aspects of tai chi. Other topics, including fasting, dream interpretation, the nature of consciousness, and life after death, range far from the empirical world, and turn the physical exercise of tai chi into a near pseudo-religion.

Despite my misgivings about the presentation of many of his concepts, there are some very good things in this book. I thought his chapters on `seemingly paradoxical admonitions' that makes the student question those `always/never' statements, push hands, and teaching students were enlightening and worthwhile chapters for any tai chi player to read. I also enjoyed his chapters on relationships and dynamics in tai chi movement after I learned to take his ideas on muscular extension figuratively and not literally.

I leave with a quote from an Amazon reviewer of Dr Chukrow's previous writing "The Tai Chi Book"

"I was hoping for a book written by a smart man of Western science to provide some insight into this most esoteric of Eastern "mythological" topics. I was hoping for a breakdown of at least basic biomechanics, some Western-style research into physiology, so that those concepts would be used to elaborate on this author's insights into the learning process of understanding and mastering Tai Chi.

Not to be."

Dr. Chukrow does provide an answer of sorts to this reviewer, but I'm afraid that some of his biomechanical and physiological explanations are lacking. He continues to delve into aspects of philosophy and metaphysics that may or may not fall into your definition of the study of tai chi chuan, just as he did in his last book. There are some very good concepts in Dr. Chukrow's writings, but the reader has to separate the wheat from the chaff...

First off, I received this book in advance from the YMAA for free. It's aimed at intermediate and advanced practitioners of Tai Chi, but if you're a beginner and you plan to stick with it, there are some excellent points on breathing and muscle movement that would be of help to everyone, regardless of experience. There's excellent information detailing kinesthesiology and movement dynamics that makes it a good read even if you're not interested in Tai Chi. The book focuses mainly on concepts in Tai Chi, and makes excellent use of diagrams to help illustrate points. There aren't many pictures, because as I said, it focuses mainly on concepts, but the ones that are there are detailed enough so that you can piece the movements together. Over all, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Tai Chi.

Let me start this review by saying straight out, if you have never taken a Tai Chi class, this book is not for you. Tai Chi has three components to it, a physical side, a mental side, and a spiritual side. An excellent teacher will teach all three, but the problem is many only teach the physical moves, not the reasons behind them.
This book explores the reasons behind them. It contains many topics from breathing and natural movement to self defense to self development and teaching taichi.
Like chess, taichi is easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master. This book can help you continue on your path.

For the record, I received this book free from YMAA to review. I am only a beginning level practitioner of taiji, but found the explanations and some of the exercises in this book very helpful in my jujutsu training.

The author has presented a very thorough and detailed description of taiji movements. This is not a "How To" book that is going to teach you how to perform the gross motions of the typical taiji set, but explains the finer points of breath coordination, timing, muscular action and the rhythm of the energy of the movements.

I enjoyed the book, but the following sections were of special interest to me. I enjoyed the explanation of the self defense applications of some taiji movements. The section on health, self massage and healing included stories about TCM that was intriguing to me. I have added Yunnan Paiyao to my personal first aid package based on the author's recommendation.

The author also included a section on further development through teaching taiji. I wish every martial arts book included a section such as this. Although I have been practicing various martial arts for over 12 years, I have only been running my own class for 11/2 years and many of the author's discussion in this chapter I have wrangled with in my classes.

I disliked some of the author's discussion on self development. It is not that I agreed or disagreed with the authors position on dream interpretation, but I think these sort of ideas would be better left out of a taiji book. I would also like to have some more pictures of some of the exercises explained in the book.

All together it is apparent that the author is an exceptional taiji teacher and has developed a method of explaining taiji movements in written form that many taiji teachers may not be aware of. I would highly recommend this book to the intermediate or advanced practitioner.

I have studied Tai Chi with Robert Chuckrow since 1988. In addition, I have studied Kinetic Awareness with Elaine Summers.

As a teacher, Chuckrow encompasses what he has garnered from many teachers and through his study of other disciplines. His method of teaching is to emphasize and communicate an understanding of the underlying principles of Tai Chi. His knowledge of physics definitely helps to explain these principles. As a dedicated teacher, he wishes to make his knowledge and insights fully available to his students and, through "Tai Chi Dynamics," to share and extend it to other practitioners of Tai Chi.

Chuckrow has studied Kinetic Awareness extensively with Elaine Summers and holds a master certificate in that art. In this book, Chuckrow often explains Tai Chi principles by referring to muscular extension, which is one of the underlying concepts of Kinetic Awareness and has been used for decades in the fields of physical therapy, Yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, dance, bicycling, swimming, gymnastics, and weight-lifting. As a student of Kinetic Awareness, I am very familiar with this concept. I have incorporated it into my movements, which, as a result, have undergone much refinement. I feel more power in any action by using muscular extension. I find this not only in the practice of Tai Chi, but also in hiking, activities of daily living, and my work as an artist, particularly in wood sculpture.

In "Tai Chi Dynamics," Chuckrow shows how muscular extension is present in Tai Chi movement. He gives many examples and exercises and shows how muscular extension can explain some of the more elusive concepts of Tai Chi very simply. Moreover, he explains and shows how the subtle movements of Tai Chi use the passive movement of gravity and centrifugal force. He considers the importance of circular motion, yin and yang, and peng, how to feel the power when everything in the body is connected, and how both movement and intention operate in Tai Chi.

This book is a work of maturity--the consideration of ideas from a lifetime of thought and experience. I recommend it to practitioners of Tai Chi who wish to broaden and deepen their art. I know I will study and refer back to this book many times to develop my own understanding of Tai Chi principles.

I am enjoying this book very much. It covers a wide variety of subjects, many of which were pretty new to me (I am a beginner at tai chi.) I have especially enjoyed the chapters entitled Relationships of Conditions (etc.,) the Dynamics of Movement, and Seemingly Paradoxical Admonitions. Lots of insights not covered in the other materials I have - all
very thought provoking.

There is lots for a beginner to grow into here. I look forward to referring back to this book often with deepening understanding.

Tai Chi Dynamics is an excellent and erudite book written by a true expert. While most of the book is for the intermediate or advanced student, anyone with an interest in the martial arts can benefit from this reading. A beginner can also learn the basic precepts and goals of Tai Chi while the advanced student will obtain a deep understanding of the concepts and background of the art. The book should be read a chapter at a time in order to better absorb the contents as there is a great deal of information which the author imparts to the reader. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to go far beyond only practising the graceful movements of Tai Chi.

First off, this book is recommended for any level practitioner of Tai chi....but the ideas explained within can be applied in any other martial art. The author of this book has been doing tai chi for 40+ years, so you can consider him somewhat of an authority on the subject. Some of the sections in this book are written from a scientific standpoint, which is good and bad.....good because the author provides very detailed explanations to how and why things work, bad because its like a really really smart guy is explaining physics to you. So if you have that scientific mind set this will be an easy read, if not it might take a few re-reads to totally grasp the ideas....but it will be worth the effort. the books section on push-hands, and on dynamics of movement are fantastic and will provide beginners with a lot of insight, the section on breathing and on martial applications should appeal to the intermediate players, and for the advanced student/teacher there are sections on self development which contain ideas and recommendations for teaching and personal growth. There is also a wealth of other information to be discovered in this book. Be sure to check out the bibliography as well. A great addition to my collection.