"Taiji Notebook for Martial Artists, Essays by a Yang Family Taijiquan Practitioner" by Scott M. Rodell is a highly readable and informative account of the author's realizations and understandings, internal and martial, acquired over decades of committed study. Rodell eloquently addresses and explains many of the subtle sticking points that he has experienced in practice and that other practitioners frequently encounter in their training. The gems found in this book will prove to be an invaluable resource for any t'ai chi chuan practitioner who wishes to deepen their understanding and experience of the art.
The first-ever English translation of the most important masterworks of Chen Style Taiji, as originally published by the renowned grandmaster Chen Zhaopi Chen Zhaopi (1893-1972) is universally recognized as a preeminant grandmaster of Chen Style taijiquan, an ancient martial art that is the foundation of all taijiquan schools. During his lifetime, Chen was lineage successor and teacher to Chen Village's current generation of senior masters, including Chen Xiaowang, Wang Xi'an, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai, and the late Chen Qingzhou. This book is the first-ever English translation of key selections from his seminal 1935 publication, Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks. Gathered together are taijiquan's most important texts dating back to its earliest period of development. These include the writings of its putative creator, Chen Wangting, and its reorganizer, Chen Changxing, and the biographies of eminent family members such as Chen Zhongshen. Author and translator Mark Chen's commentary provides readers with the most complete picture of taijiquan's origins, evolution, and theory to date. Also included is a step-by-step, pictorial exposition of Chen taijiquan's "old frame" first form, demonstrated by Chen Zhaopi himself.
The phrase “martial arts studies” is increasingly circulating as a term to describe a new field of interest. But many academic fields including history, philosophy, anthropology, and Area studies already engage with martial arts in their own particular way. Therefore, is there really such a thing as a unique field of martial arts studies? Martial Arts Studies is the first book to engage directly with these questions. It assesses the multiplicity and heterogeneity of possible approaches to martial arts studies, exploring orientations and limitations of existing approaches. It makes a case for constructing the field of martial arts studies in terms of key coordinates from post-structuralism, cultural studies, media studies, and post-colonialism. By using these anti-disciplinary approaches to disrupt the approaches of other disciplines, Martial Arts Studies proposes a field that both emerges out of and differs from its many disciplinary locations.
Bob Klein explains how an ancient system of exercises teaches you to regain power in your life and to regain senses that have been lost in modern times. He explains how each detail of Tai-chi training is designed to solve the problems of everyday life. What is consciousness and how does it control your body and your perceptions? What is it that creates your thoughts and behavior? How much control do you have over what is going on inside of you?Learn to be immune to intimidation and to be more powerful than your own fear. Feel completely connected to the natural world around you. Increase the power of your attention and creativity. Strengthen your body and immune system. Understand what is going on inside of other people. You don't need to do Tai-chi to read this book. It uses this healing system to let you see our culture and your life through ancient eyes. But if you do practice Tai-chi, Mr. Klein explains how every aspect of Tai-chi training is designed to produce a specific healing effect in the student, and how to escape from prisons of our own making. It is a powerful and life-changing read.
Treasured for centuries by karate's top masters, the Bubishi is a classic Chinese work on philosophy, strategy, medicine, and technique as they relate to the martial arts. Referred to as the "bible of karate" by famous master Chojun Miyagi, for hundreds of years the Bubishiwas a secret text passed from master to student in China and later in Okinawa. All of karate's legendary masters have studied it, applied its teachings, or copied passages from it. No other classic work has had as dramatic an impact on the shaping and development of karate as the Bubishi. Karate historian and authority Patrick McCarthy spent over ten years researching and studying the Bubishi and the arts associated with it. The first English translation of this remarkable martial arts manual includes numerous explanations and notes. McCarthy's work also includes groundbreaking research on Okinawan and Chinese history, as well as the fighting and healing traditions that developed in those countries, making it a gold mine for researchers and practitioners alike. For the final word on the true origins and spirit of classic Okinawan martial arts, one need look no further. This karate book is one of the best karate training supplements available.
This is the book Ken Gullette wishes he had been able to read when he first began studying Tai Chi, Bagua and Xingyi in 1987. It gets to the point, stripping the mystical mumbo jumbo away, leaving detailed, real-world explanations of the six fundamental body mechanics that everyone should know when they study Tai Chi (Taiji), Bagua and Xingyi. For the first time, these body mechanics are organized and discussed clearly, with more than 250 images and highly-detailed but simple language. If you are a student or even a teacher of these arts, you should be able to learn something here that will deepen your own insight into the arts. Ken has studied with some top internal arts masters, and during the first ten years he was teaching, he boiled down the body mechanics he learned into six key concepts. In this book, he explains them in the same step-by-step detail that he uses in teaching his students, building on each of the concepts until you have a clear roadmap of what you need to practice for high-quality internal structure and movement. As Ken explains it, "The true intent of the internal arts is self-defense. The body mechanics in this book are the starting point you need to develop the structure and internal strength that is required for the relaxed power, the iron wrapped in cotton, that the internal arts are known for. This is the starting point upon which all other skill is built." Ken has studied these arts since 1987, is a tournament champion, winning in empty-hand and weapons forms, no-contact, light-contact and full-contact matches, and he has students worldwide who have studied his DVDs and his website, www.internalfightingarts.com. Concepts covered in these pages include: the ground path, peng jin, whole-body movement, silk-reeling energy, Dantien rotation, and opening/closing the kua. From the explosiveness of Xingyi to the relaxed power of Tai Chi and Bagua, the road to internal skill is long and difficult, but very satisfying. There is nothing "soft" about these arts. They are powerful arts of self-defense. And it all starts here.
This clear, step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of Bagua Zhang lays out the principles, practices, and underlying philosophy of this cerebral and sophisticated Chinese internal martial art. Leading readers from the most basic precepts of Bagua Zhang practice to advanced techniques, Kent Howard draws on his deep understanding of the art and his decades of teaching to set students on a path toward mastery. While Bagua Zhang is often perceived as a complex martial art that is difficult to learn, Howard breaks it down into clear and easily absorbed principles and exercises that beginners can master and incorporate into higher levels of practice at their own pace. Numerous easy-to-follow photographs illustrate core practices such as circle-walking, post standing, and palm changes, as well as foundandational techniques of posture and alignment, fluid motion, generating whole-body power, absorbing and redirecting energy, striking while in motion, and much more. In addition to providing a solid foundation for a lifetime practice, Bagua Zhang Fundamentals also offers more advanced practitioners valuable tips on how to increase their knowledge and understanding of this multifaceted martial art.
CHEN PAN-LING'S ORIGINAL TAI CHI CHUAN TEXTBOOK (TAI CHI CHUAN CHIAO TSAI), translation of the Chinese text published in 1963, emerged when Chen chaired a committee of renowned martial artists of the 1940s. The resultant form, supported by scientific theory, incorporates the best from many styles popular at that time. Over 300 photos & illustrations act as a foundation for today's family styles. Tai chi chuan's mission is mental & physical well-being through self-defense. Scientific research supports tai chi's effectiveness in improving balance. Falls can mean decreased mobility, increased expenses, even nursing homes. This dilemma means more taxes for all, & poor quality of life for senior baby boomers. Teaching tai chi chuan to people of all ages is the express purpose of the original text, & the present translation. Y.W. Chang, Chen's senior student, collaborates with Ann Carruthers, a qualified curriculum developer & educator. This text has the elements of other tai chi chuan books, but with more structure for teaching & learning. Commentary, glossary, & other teaching aids make it an ideal supplement for university & hospital settings, along with the traditional martial arts studio. Blitz! Design, 2731 Palmer Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118-6323; 504-862-0168.
A longtime teacher and Harvard researcher presents the latest science on the benefits of T’ai Chi as well as a practical daily program for practitioners of all ages Conventional medical science on the Chinese art of T’ai Chi now shows what T’ai Chi masters have known for centuries: regular practice leads to more vigor and flexibility, better balance and mobility, and a sense of well-being. Cutting-edge research from Harvard Medical School also supports the long-standing claims that T’ai Chi also has a beneficial impact on the health of the heart, bones, nerves and muscles, immune system, and the mind. This research provides fascinating insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms that explain how T’ai Chi actually works. Dr. Peter M. Wayne, a longtime T’ai Chi teacher and a researcher at Harvard Medical School, developed and tested protocols similar to the simplified program he includes in this book, which is suited to people of all ages, and can be done in just a few minutes a day. This book includes: • The basic program, illustrated by more than 50 photographs • Practical tips for integrating T’ai Chi into everyday activities • An introduction to the traditional principles of T’ai Chi • Up-to-date summaries of the research on the health benefits of T’ai Chi • How T’ai Chi can enhance work productivity, creativity, and sports performance • And much more
