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There Are No Secrets: Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing and His T'ai Chi Chuan [Paperback]

Wolfe Lowenthal
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 27, 1993
"Wolfe Lowenthal's quiet little memoir will with window-opening wisdom reinforce, I think, my view of how Cheng stood on Tai Chi. It tells how a young writer reacted to this strange Chinese man when he appeared in New York City in the mid-1960s and stayed there for a decade before returning to Taiwan to die in 1975. In a nickel town where neurosis is a cardinal virtue, the Tai Chi center established by Cheng soon became an oasis of learning. In my visits there I was invariably approached by a quiet fellow with a ready smile and loads of questions. His form and sensing hands improved but he never lost his kindly ways. This led me once to tell the three seniors that the one person in the club who best exemplified Tai Chi was this junior. That man who has since become a teacher of the art is the author if this book."
-Robert W. Smith, from the Preface

Frequently Bought Together

There Are No Secrets: Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing and His T'ai Chi Chuan + Gateway to the Miraculous: Further Explorations in the Tao of Cheng Man Ch'ing + Master Cheng's New Method of Taichi Ch'uan Self-Cultivation
Price for all three: $30.82

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Wolfe Lowenthal was born in 1939 in Pittsburgh, and began his study of t'ai chi chuan in 1967 with Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing, in New York. Over the years, he has worked as a typesetter, screenwriter, and peace activist. He currently lives, studies and teaches at his school, the Long River Tai Chi Circle in New York City.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: North Atlantic Books; First Edition edition (January 27, 1993)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1556431120
  • ISBN-13: 978-1556431128
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

This is a book written for tai chi students from a student's perspective. mho  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
This book, and all others by Wolfe Lowenthal, like taijiquan itself, are works of art. Justin Z. Smith  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Advice for all range of beginners June 25, 2000
Format:Paperback
Tai Chi Chuan, despite the plethora of books on the subject, is still quite mysterious. Most of the books available are instructional in that they have diagrams and/or pictures of one (or more) of the forms and explanations of how to get from Point A to Point B. In There Are No Secrets, there are no such maps to a form. Instead, Wolfe Lowenthal provides the pearls of wisdom that Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing gave him.

Part an insight to the influential Tai Chi Professor, part sagely advice on how to practice Tai Chi, and part one man's personal search for meaning, There Are No Secrets is composed of many short untitled chapters that relate these parts in almost wandering way. Each chapter is self-contained and brief enough to drive the point without pontificating. Lowenthal's "relaxed" style is invigorating and helps the overall flow of the book making it a joy to read.

As for the Tai Chi student reading this book, it is clearly enough written that the newest practitioners will enjoy and gain insight as well as those older "beginners" struggling with the nuances of Push Hands, Applications, etc. Whether you're looking for serious insight or a more casual subject to renew your interest level in Tai Chi, I'd highly recommend purchasing this book - to read today and all of your tomorrows.

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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars There are no secrets in this book. August 15, 2000
Format:Paperback
Pull up your chair and sit comfortably back as Wolfe tells you of his experiences as a student of Cheng Man-Ch'Ing. That's how informal and easily read this book is. This book has lots of advice and applications for the subjects of Tai Chi Chuan, Push hands and internal energy told in an easy and relaxed manner. Students of Tai Chi Chuan and Push Hands will learn much in this book for their art and for life. Whether a "new" beginner or a "not so new" beginner this book is a must for anyone studying the subject.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sincere, engaging portrait of a Taichi Chuan master April 26, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Utilizing his experience as a disciple of Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing, the author draws out many aspects of the teaching and character of the great master. These stories are revealing and entertaining, illustrating the lessons of Taichi practice in a clear way. Especially enjoyable are the descriptions of push hands, internal power development, and the myriad of difficulties to be overcome through continuous practice and accomplishment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended by my Tai C'hi instructor
A keeper for my library. More words required to submit this review, but those words say it all for me.
Published 1 month ago by Echo
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
This book, and all others by Wolfe Lowenthal, like taijiquan itself, are works of art. One of the themes that stand out to me are removing the ego and the machoism from martial... Read more
Published on December 27, 2010 by Justin Z. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars The essance of Tai Chi.
This book is a masterpiece I am a black belt and have read many books on Tai Chi none I have never read anything that came close to the level of wisdom and the value of said... Read more
Published on March 6, 2010 by Daniel Hubbard
5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and Informative Guide
I have heard my Tai Chi instructors cite this book for three years, so I finally bought it. Like I expected, it was very helpful, teaching vital lessons to mastery of this... Read more
Published on August 9, 2009 by Zach J. Kamla
5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable Read for Practitioners of CMC
This is in part a light-hearted recounting of the life of the late Professor Cheng M'an Ching. The author describes time spent at Professor Cheng's New York Taiji studio, and some... Read more
Published on March 10, 2009 by Demitri Pevzner
5.0 out of 5 stars great tai chi book
I really liked this book. I have been studying Tai Chi for just over a year and a half, and this book is one of several recommended by my teacher. Read more
Published on January 23, 2008 by hyside
5.0 out of 5 stars Insight
Fabulous insight into aspects of Tai Chi hinted at but never fully revealed in previous texts I have read. Read more
Published on September 28, 2007 by Andrew Westgate
5.0 out of 5 stars No secrets, just simple truths.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough to all martial artists. The author has done a first class job of capturing the humor and joy in life despite the many setbacks and... Read more
Published on April 28, 2007 by Robert G. Brown
2.0 out of 5 stars Actually, There WERE Secrets . . .
In taiji circles (no pun intended) it's common knowledge that Cheng taught select students a set of nei gong exercises that he found invaluable for taiji and even calligraphy. Read more
Published on December 3, 2005 by louienapoli
3.0 out of 5 stars Pieces of Gold, interspersed with Psychological Angst
Pieces of Gold, interspersed with Lowenthal's Psychological Angst
All of the preceding reviewers points of view are mostly true, this book has some great gems and insights... Read more
Published on June 2, 2004 by Craig J. Townsend
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