Customer Reviews

Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

More than just a collection of the movements for various forms of Taijiquan, this book includes the theories and principles of Taiji from both Eastern and Western perspectives. The author examines the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of the art to bring the reader a deeper appreciation of what it is and is not. It even includes one of the best sections I have ever seen on what to look for in a good teacher. With the popularity of Taiji there has been a flood of teachers, some of whom know little about the art other then one of the standard forms.

Of course it includes the expected meditation forms and techniques that are in all Taijiquan books. If you have ever wondered why you should practice Taiji this book contains an excellent section on the best of what Taiji has to offer the practitioner. The book concludes with an appendix that covers the history of the popular Chen Style. Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, the Science of Power is a highly recommended book to anyone interested in Taiji.

Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power is certainly one of the most well written books on any martial art in recent times.

Written by a contemporary master who not only thoroughly understands the art but can explain its intricacies in a way that makes sense to the western mind. It's not so much a "how-to" book as far as showing applications or forms, but it explains the principles and lays out the proper way to train in such a way that I think any martial artist would benefit from reading it.

I am beginning a Qigong practice. After researching many books on the art, I decided on this one. I feel very lucky to have found it. It is a clear and helpful guide to the practice. Yang Yang is a scholar and martial arts master. You will benefit from both his skills. He very clearly directs you in a practice, while explaining the intention behind each direction. In a complete practice, you seek to acquire the internal and external aspects of Taijiquan. If either component is missing in your practice, "gong", the fruit of practice, is limited. Specifically, Dr. Yang Yang's complete curriculum includes, "Three essential pillars": Qigong, Taiji Form, and Push-hands. My advice is to search out a copy of this book and buy it. I think you will appreciate it as much as I do.

I am a Yang-style tai chi student but found this book to be perfect for everyone. Yang Yang perfectly captures the essence of our art and presents it in a readable and enjoyable style. I read it slowly to savor every concept and every turn of phrase. This book is highly recommended to those just beginning tai chi or those who have been doing it for many years. If you have never experienced what tai chi can do for you, this book will send you looking for the nearest sifu.

Yang Yang's book, Taijiquan, is very deep and goes beyond what most people will ever know or need to know about Taijiquan and science. As a M.S. student in Exercise Science, as well as a practitioner of Hunyuan Taijiquan, I was very impressed at the depth that Yang goes into in describing the neural mechanisms at work in Taiji. He also points out various topics that western science can delve into that has yet to be investigated.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Taijiquan as well as to students of Exercise Science in order to better understand why Taijiquan is as helpful as it is in delaying aging processes.

This book is for me a sort of Bible on the inner aspects of Taiji. This is to say that I read it and reread it and find it helpful again and again. This book does not show you the moves of Taiji. If you want to learn the moves I recommend the books and DVD's of Liang, Shou-yu. But for the inner aspect of nurturing your health and your power there is none better that I have found than Yang Yang's book. His organization is called The Center for Taiji Studies and can be found at [...].
Highly recommended.

Yang Yang practices a modern form of Chen style Tai Chi called Hunyuan (or more formally, "Chenshi Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan"), which was developed by Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang, one of China's most famous modern Tai Chi masters. I don't know Master Yang personally, but I've practiced the same style of Tai Chi for 20 years here in San Francisco under a different Chinese master, Zhang Xuexin, and I can tell you, this book is very well-written, and covers all the fundamentals and more. It is certainly one of the best books in English, both for Hunyuan Tai Chi in particular, and for Tai Chi in general. The book is not a "how-to," move-by-move manual; instead it's about the underlying principles of practice and the development of "neigong" (inner energy and skill). Yang Yang has a strong background in the martial arts, and studied Hunyuan Tai Chi directly with Grandmaster Feng for many years in Beijing as a formal disciple. He also has a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois, with a focus on the mechanisms and benefits of Tai Chi, which adds a unique modern scientific angle to his writing. If you ever wondered what Tai Chi was really all about, this is the real stuff. It's very hard to find material of this depth. If you want to start Tai Chi, read this first, it will set you on the right path. If you already practice, read it to deepen your understanding.

Best book on Taiji for beginners or more advanced that I have read. It is very clearly written. Scientific literature review is very helpful.

Whether beginner or expert, Master Yang Yang's book will provide a foundation on not only what Taijiquan is and is not, but how to work your way into an understanding of it.

The book begins with some self-history of Master Yang Yang, then dives into what exactly Taijiquan is, and what it means to practice a martial art, with emphasis on both words. There follows an excellent chapter on how to pick an instructor, which is often neglected in the face of advertising and convenience.

The meat of the book goes through the three pillars of Taji practice: meditation (feeling and building your Qi), forms (using and extending your Qi) and push hands (feeling Qi from the outside). In each section, he provides the why's (why is meditation crucial), the how's (how to get started, the basics) and motivation (if you need any). The chapters also discuss how these three pillars are linked to one another.

The final chapter, "Why Practice Taijiquan?" pulls it all together, describing what you will, might and will not get out of efficient practice.

There also follows a quite well done appendix on the history of Tajiquan and the Chen school.

This is not a technical "how-to-do-the-forms-and-moves" book. For that, I recommend Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming's series of books and DVDs (or, if you are lucky enough, take one of his seminars).

You will not learn Taijiquan from this book. But you will get a excellent background and a sense of what it is, how you should approach it and practice it, and what it can become inside you. Master Yang Yang writes not only with thought and intellect, but you can feel the passion that he has for his art. Martial artists say that the art lives through them, and that comes through in this book.

This book is easy to read, and give great insight into the art of Taijiquan. I was fortunate enough to take lessons from the author and still use the principles I learned in those lessons. The book helps me remember and focus on these principles. Thank you Yang Yang!