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The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan | 
 enlarge | Author: Yang Chengfu
Creator: Louis Swaim
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $8.80
You Save: $8.15 (48%)
New (23) Used (12) from $6.88
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 295533
Media: Paperback
Pages: 160
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.5
ISBN: 1556435452
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.7148
EAN: 9781556435454
Publication Date: March 2, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: brand new copy we ship daliy
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Product Description
First published in China in the 1930s, this legendary text by the founder of taijiquan authoritatively explains every aspect of this practice, with detailed descriptions of concepts like "Lift the Spirit" and "Sinking of Shoulders and Elbows." Also exploring more complex ideas like "Solid and Empty Space" and "Using the Mind Instead of Force," the book teaches martial artists and even casual practitioners all the fundamental positions and applications, as explained by the master. This first-ever English translation includes extensive notes and explanations.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 only the instructor missing October 30, 2008
L. Ramirez (Fairfield,Ca.)
Just a note to mention totally enjoyable, and a great price! Thank you! Lenny Ramirez, Fairfield, Ca.
Translation could be better June 4, 2008
Path To Wisdom (USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I only read the first 10 pages.
Already found an error in translation.
This is before the numbered pages, before the pictures.
This is one of the big writings by Wu Siyu.
The translation says: The Dragon leaps, the tiger sleeps.
The correct translation is: the Dragon Soars and Gallops, the Tiger crouches (and gets ready to pounce on its target)
Someone should have caught the error. In the spirit of the fighter, why would a tiger sleep ? Also, a (Chinese) dragon doesn't leap.
Update: I found the Chinese version of this book in taiwan's book.com .
Wasted my money here. Yes, I read Chinese, even if I can't, today there is web dictionary.
Its not a start up January 18, 2008
Hans-Joerg Guenther (Dresden)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This Book is not simple, but it gives an interesting sigth on Taijiquan. Learn about a simple, yet komplex topic. The book is small enough to be read during a weekend, but each page, each sentence can be a koan about bodymechanics and energy. Its not an introduction fuer novice taiji players.
 Highly inspiring December 30, 2007
Nikwax (Portland, OR United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is a wonderful time capsule, an attempt by two of Yang Chegfu's senior students to bring some of an oral transmission into written form. As such, it illuminates a transitional and dangerous period in the Chinese martial arts: the war with Japan was about to begin, followed by the repression of post-Revolution China. The translator has done a wonderful job in explaining the complexities of translating Classical Chinese into modern English, as well as making connections to the Taiji Classics which are interesting to read in parallel with this book.
No, a beginner won't learn Taiji from reading this book, that is not its purpose. It serves as an inspiration for more experienced students, as a means of illuminating practice and study of the Classics, and as a glimpse back in time to the end of imperial China and its climate of martial arts.
Whispers from the Master June 16, 2007
John T. McCabe (Sioux Falls, SD USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
While the Translator, Louis Swaim, made a moderately successful attempt to transmit the intentions of Yang Chengfu, he did not have sufficient material to do a complete and faithful rendition of Yang's teachings.
A unique aspect of this book is that the movements are presented as responses to attacks. But the problem of the presentation is somewhat like trying to recreate a complete motion picture starting with a handful of scattered strips from the original film. Although you can't be expected to learn taiji from this book, what is presented is worth owning.
The introductions, forward and two prefaces, while they do not offer new insights, they do provide interesting reading.
The body of the book, which contains 94 movements, contains movement descriptions and photographs showing Yang's posture at the end of the movements.
The photographs are dark and could stand digital reconstruction.
At the end of the book, a description of Push Hands is given. An attempt is make to make this a teaching section, but Push Hands does not easily lend itself to verbal description. Push Hands is followed by an explanation of Dalu, a two person push hands form.
In the Appendix, some of the Taijiquan Classics are given: The Taijiquan Treatise, Song of the Thirteen Postures, The Mental Elucidation of the Thirteen Postures, The Taijiquan Classic, and the Song of Pushing Hands.
Primarily, this is a book for your library.
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