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

~ (Author) "After two decades of study, I have begun to understand that Tai Chi Chuan is a spiritual discipline..." (more)
Key Phrases: doing push hands, tan tien, stiff force, Lao Tzu, Professor Cheng, Lao Shr (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"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

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 (January 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556431120
• ISBN-13: 978-1556431128
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,449 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advice for all range of beginners, June 25, 2000

By	Richard Morgan (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There are no secrets in this book., August 15, 2000

By	Roger Black (Midwest) - See all my reviews

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.

19 of 20 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

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.