Customer Reviews

Warriors of Stillness Vol. I: Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts (Warriors of Stillness-Meditative Traditions in the Chinese Martial Arts)

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Mr. Diepersloot has written a book which has immediate impact on the training of anyone applying it. A potentially esoteric discussion of the Wuji meditation principles is nicely leavened with historical anecdotes, theory and very practical suggestions. An instructor is certainly necessary for achieving depth in this art but I found that I was able to immediately incorporate his description of how to find the Wuji point, developing that to the central pole through the body, into my Taiji practise and gain marked improvements. His explanations of the Taiji sphere and cylinder, while similar to descriptions in other publications, were nicely placed within the text to enhance understanding.

A central tenet of his book is that insufficient attention is paid to the Wuji point. He makes the point that in Taiji theory, the Wuji is the starting point, the one, from which all else, the many, springs. Student reflection on this agrees with him, as the starting position in the Taiji form is the simple standing posture, with both hands by the side. Mr. Diepersloot posits that insufficient attention is paid to this idea and argues his case well, based on the ideas of his master in this art.

My understanding of what I was trying to do with Quiet Standing Meditation stepped up a notch on the first day I trained with these ideas in mind. I also gained far greater awareness of internal body mechanics and, I believe, immediately improved both my balance and my control of my central point. These were reflected in improvements in my form.

All of this from the application of one profoundly simple mental exercise and a little theory. More advanced exercises are also included but I have a lot of work to do before then. Mr. Diepersloot has provided what I believe to be a fundamental text on internal martial arts, one which I recommend to any neigung exponent. I will use it for years to come.

At the age of thirty-one I was told I had borderline high blood pressure of 140/90. I was also told this was not a good omen, to be thirty-one with that b.p. I tried yoga, meditation, eating fruits and vegetables, supplements like Carnitine and Co-Q10. Bupkus. A friend who studies tai chi told me about this book. I've done some tai chi and was open to reading the material which, though not tai chi, concerns exercises for cultivating and regulating internal energy. Particularly since tai chi is supposed to lower blood pressure, it made sense to check it out. After two months of doing no other form of exercise but the standing exercise in this book--but doing it daily for up to thirty minutes at a time--my blood pressure dropped to 120/74. My stress test rated the medical equivalent of an A+. That was four years ago. When I stop exercising from laziness, the b.p. creeps up. When I go back to the book, it goes down and stays down, my energy goes up and stays up. The cardiologist said "I don't know what you're doing but keep doing it." In short, I strongly recommend this book.

Dipersloot has been practicing various forms of the 'soft' martial arts for quite a long time. This volume covers his discovery of the importance of Qigong standing meditation from three masters. He then discusses some finer points of Taiqi's 'Grasp Bird Tail' which is the only moving form now practiced by the senior master he trained under.

Dipersloot has quite a lot of good tips for standing meditation which is great since too many authors seem to imply there is nothing to it. It is true that, like sitting, you just need to stand _but_ it does help to have some pointers. That is, if you start standing meditation then eventually your body will find the correct Qi position but this could take a long long time for many.

His points about the correct posture and breathing from the Dantien are communicated quite clearly. So are the guidelines from Master Cai about the energy points and general alignment. There is a great section, taken from one of Master Cai's discussions, that very succinctly covers the important aspects of meditation in general and standing meditation in particular.

The real weakness here are the very crude computer-modified "photos". Diepersloot apologizes at the beginning about the quality of the photos (he was busy writing down everything the masters said) but that is not an excuse for what is used in the book. Spending some extra time with some volunteers to get quality photos would help the give the book the image of quality it requires; they would also help make some points much more clearly.

A good reference for anyone with some questions about standing meditation. Should go up on the shelf with Mantak Chia, "Qigong Empowerment" and "The Roots of Qigong". better yet, find out when WISH is holding a class near you and go meet a real master for proper instruction.

I've reviewed most of the books written on Chi Gung and have taken classes with many fine instructors in New York and California. This is one of the very best books available on the subject. It's particularly well suited to people who want a simple, sensible and effective routine to follow without having to take a lot of esoteric and expensive classes

This book very effectively describes the way of qi cultivation using an apparently simple qigong technique: simply standing. It would seem easy to do, but it isn't. For some reason I have a strong feeling that the simplest things practiced deeply and consistently have the most profound effect. This book was carefully put together by the author, after much practice and being present with the master. I sincerely hope a video is forthcoming, as is mentioned in the introduction. This is a book I keep going back to for further refinements and learning of this powerful way.

Well, you can take a gander at all my reviews. I've read quite a few books on the subject, as well as being a fairly experienced practitioner now. I'm not really into qigong. I am into Tai Chi-- not that there's a huge difference. And I think Sifu Diepersloot would agree.

What Sifu D. has wrought is a comprehensive book on the fundamentals of Tai Chi stance and movement training. There is Wuji standing posture, bow and arrow stance, stepping and facing, and push hands instruction in this book. It's written step-by-step, as well as with inserted anecdotes where relevent. Very nice presentation of weight distribution, how to align the body-- meticulously detailed, step-by-step instruction. Also, the why's and what for's are all anticipated and answered.

I agree with other reviewers-- there is clarity here-- no mysticism. How to apply structure and intention to transmit/receive force and discharge/disperse it. A staged progression through push hands like exercises-- how to feel, what to feel, how to progress and advance.

I also agree with the comment on photos. Why keep bad photos and further abstractify them for this book? Take new ones and use those, especially for the instruction illustrations. The vague ones of Master Cai (Sifu D.'s instructor from whose words he derives this book from)-- he can keep for interest and aesthetics, but what's stopping him from taking pictures of himself for the instruction part of the book? I'm pretty suspicious as to why-- not confident in his own postures?

Despite that, I can't argue with the advice and the instruction. I had some mild concerns that his "suck and tuck" instructions for Wu Ji posture abdominal/pelvis/thoracic alignment was incomplete-- the way I've learned it there's an additional dropping into the pelvic bowl-- but that may be stylistic diferences. And when he stepped into his instruction of super-advanced push hands, he got rather vague, although it is a vague subject about anticipating presence and such.

There is no multiple forms or sequence of Tai Chi in this book. No applications. I guess that's what makes it "qigong". It's all about the core mechanics, alignments, and energy transmission theories (and by this I mean force, not life energy in the more mystical sense) of Tai Chi itself (Yang style). A superb book for beginner or expert-- a great breakdown, with some cool exercises to practice that I think will prove very helpful.

This would be one of a few books on my must-read for internal martial artists list (if I had such a list).

That's really a good book.
Good for absolutely beginner as well as for experts. It explains theory (without any mystics) and how to develop skills. Very deep, simple and consistently step-by-step approach. It tells you how a joint (just to give an example) should be used and how to work to consistently achieve that skill. The best think I appreciate of this book is about "how to do" and "how to develop" sensitivity (with clear examples and the work to do) on both your body, the external environment, rooting, push hands .......
You can use this book as beginner to just start your journey on Internal Martial Arts as well as to get insight from it on improving your study and to help your pupils advancement with the exposed exercises.
I read this book some years ago and I have to admit it greatly influenced my practice, knowledge and skills.
I highly recommend this book (as well as the other Diepersloot's book) it absolutely will not a waste of money.
I really have to thanks Jan for writing these books and to apologize for waiting so much to review them.

Song of Central Equilibrium

We are centered,
stable and still as a mountain.
Our qi sinks to the dantian. We are as if suspended from above.
Our Spirit is concentrated within and our outward manner perfectly composed.
Receiving and issuing energy are
both the work of an instant. *
-Classical Taijiquan poem


Based on the teachings of Grandmaster Cai Song Fang, Jan Diepersloot, in his book, Warriors of Silence, explores the theoretical and the practical aspects of meditative Chinese martial arts and their application to the partnered practices of Push Hands, various other martial arts techniques such as "fajing" and to the cultivation of relaxation and total body integration for health benefits and the healing arts. I teach Taiji and Qigong in San Francisco, California and I highly recommend this book to all of my students through my website mini magazine: www.fasttracktaichi.com

The book is divided into three sections: The first section, "Being Mindful of the Center", deals with the cultivation of relaxation and integration for health and healing. In this section, discussing the historical and philosophical reasons for the cultivation of the Center Point, Diepersloot talks about the "wuji" Center as a center of gravity, as a biological center and as a center of awareness. From the Center "wuji" point he expands his discussion to the cultivation of the Center Line, sinking the qi, the importance of foundation and the Upper Torso, advanced standing techniques and closing practices. Finally, as he expands the concepts of the cultivation of "qi" life energy, "yi" intention and blood circulation in the body, Diepersloot makes a definitive and coherent argument showing the relationship and connection between the Chinese view of health and longevity and the Western perspective of healing and prevention of disease. For example:

"The principle of wuji qigong is that the practice of optimum posture promotes optimum health. We put awareness
on the centerpoint so the qi will generate in the belly. When the center is full and the centerline is truly plumb and
open, the qi begins to overflow and circulate up and down in the centerline and the other meridians. Therefore,
meditation on the centerline, ie. postural meditation, is the key to proper circulation of the qi through the entire
body where the qi can do its healing work, breaking down the blockages and strengthening weak areas. The skill
of wuji qigong and central equilibrium utilizes the mind to suffuse all parts of the body with qi." **

The second section, "Being Mindful of The Foundation & Sphere", talks about the cultivation of relaxation and integration for use in the martial arts. In this section, the author advances to the cultivation of the Foundation through shifting, opening and closing of energy, and stepping and walking forward and backward. He talks about the stages of practice and the structure and types of spheres through the cultivation of the sphere; horizontal, vertical, and diagonal circling. Finally, he combines the Center Line, Foundation and Sphere concepts through a series of exercises that develop power and energy in the body for martial arts application. He describes various Push Hands strategies, advanced methods for neutralization, and the principle of Relative Motion.

The third section, "Being Mindful of the Connection" examines the use of energy and strength in the partnered practice of Push Hands. Diepersloot describes how using movement and stillness to neutralize and using stillness and total body integration to discharge energy is the essence of the power of the internal martial arts practice. He examines Master Cai's unique use of Stillness, how to cultivate Jin, and the four levels of skill development: Integration and Cylindricality, Sphericity and Unitary Expansion, Spherical Awareness and Peripheral Intentionality and finally the fourth level, Empty Force and Interacting Fields of Awareness.

Warriors of Stillness is a book that extensively develops and explores this relationship between Chinese (internal) meditative and (external) martial arts and the correlative relationship between "soft" energy overcoming "hard". According to Jan Diepersloot :

" Chinese martial arts is a vast body of principles, techniques, theories and practices developed over a period of
time in an attempt to gain control over human conflict. External martial arts is based upon the energy of
movement and internal martial arts is based upon the movement of energy. The external arts are based on
strength and movement, the internal on awareness and stillness. Stillness is the ultimate weapon to be used
against the adversary"***

Master Cai's unique achievement in martial arts, according to Diepersloot, is "his mastery of the paradox that the perfection of stillness leads to the control of movement. Wuji Gigong is, first and foremost, the cultivation of energy skills in the stillness of the center. ` In his work as a martial artist, Master Cai pushes the art of "achieving more by doing less" toward the ultimate limit of "achieving all by doing nothing."****

Warriors of Stillness is a MUST read for students of internal martial arts. It is an amazingly detailed and completely engrossing book. I could not put it down and I will certainly review it again and again. A book for both beginning students, as well as for more advanced practitioners, Warriors of Stillness will keep you expanding your thinking with its wealth of information, diagrams, examples and its clearly presented synthesis of Eastern philosophy and Western psycho-physiological explanation.

Reading Jan Diepersloot's book gave me insight into my own Wuji Qigong meditation practice and opened the door to new levels of understanding. It inspired and encouraged me to practice and gave me confidence to search deeper within myself to use my wuji-taiji knowledge as a "spiritual path to refine my character, personality, and spirit".


Song of Wuji Qigong

"Stand with the feet parallel the width of the shoulders
Keep the knees unlocked and expanding,
Feel as if they're squeezing a big boulder
Relaxing the hips and keeping the pelvis tucked
Expand the lower back and keep the abdomen sucked
"Hollowing the chest and rounding the back"
The arms hang naturally by the side
Holding your head high as if suspended from the sky
Tongue touching the palate, close your eyes
Sink your awareness down the belly
Naturally breathing in and out
While aligning the three points on a straight line
Let the qi fill your body
and peace will fill your mind."

Master Cai Song Fang instruction for Wuji Qigong
compliled by Jan Diepersloot


Postscript: Author, Sifu Jan Diepersloot, has been a student of internal martial arts since 1975 and is a senior student of Master Fong Ha and has studied with Masters Han Xingyuan, Yu Penxi, and Sam Tam. He studied extensively with Grandmaster Cai Song Fang and was so profoundly affected by the practice of Wuji Gigong that he based this book on Master Cai's teachings and philosophy. Jan Diepersloot has been teaching internal martial arts since 1981 and is the founder and current director of the Contra Costa Center for Healing and the Arts in Walnut Creek.


* Warriors of Stillness, Vol. 1, Jan Diepersloot, 1995, page 5
**Warriors of Stillness, Vol. 1, Jan Diepersloot, 1995, page 50
***Warriors of Stillness, Jan Diepersloot, Vol.1, 1995, page ii
**** Warriors of Stillness, Vol.1, Jan Diepersloot, 1995, page xi, xiv



Kiyoko Hancock
@all rights reserved March 2010

I agree with other positive reviews. There is a mystery to this standing meditation and slow moving practice that the author sheds light on. As a novice, it helps me with mental reminders when my group performs in silence. A note on the illustrations that many reviewers don't like -- these are not the freeze frame high detail shots that other martial arts books are full of -- these are artistic interpretations of the author's experiences as he practices. I may be in the minority, but I appreciate the attempt to portray something that words can't convey in pictures. When detail is needed there are clear illustrations in the form of line drawings, but when 'feelings' are needed the photo illustrations capture some of the 'wordlessness'of Tai Chi.