Tai Chi Dynamics: Principles of Natural Movement, Health and Self-Development

2012 | Sport & Leisure

"Tai Chi Dynamics" is intended for intermediate and advanced Taiji players. The author, a Taiji practitioner for thirty-seven years and whose Ph.D. is in experimental physics, applies logic and basic scientific principles of anatomy, physiology, and physics to muscular action, breathing, and alignment in Taiji movement and push-hands. He clarifies, in depth, many perplexing concepts such as correct force by utilizing detailed explanations, illustrations, and photographs. Sayings from the Taiji Classics are quoted throughout, and exercises are provided to give readers a chance to confirm their understanding. Over a dozen self-defense applications of the basic Taiji movements are illustrated, and the effectiveness and completeness of Taiji as a martial art today is candidly analyzed. One chapter on teaching Taiji, stemming from over three decades of practical experience, ranges from suggestions on how to advertise and start a beginners' class, to class management including legal and financial aspects. A chapter on the late Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-ch'ing), with whom the author studied for five years in the early 1970s, sheds light on Zheng and his students.

One chapter deals extensively with aspects of self development from a personal perspective, discusses how doing Taiji correctly is a precursor to spiritual growth, and compares religion, science, and spiritual teachings. A detailed chapter on health, self-massage, and healing discusses fasting (including the author's own experience with a twenty-eight-day fast), analyzes differences between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, and provides exercises and methods of self-massage for head, legs, feet, and back. There is even a section on how to make your own footwear suitable for practicing Taiji. The book includes personal anecdotes and stories and has over ninety photographs and dozens of illustrations drawn by the author.

Robert Chuckrow (Author)