T’AI CHI CH’UAN
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
I encourage all students to read a variety of references about T’ai Chi. Developing questions and searching for answers is an important part of learning T’ai Chi. Read with an open mind ! Although consistencies are abundant regarding the principles of T’ai Chi, you will find there are many different interpretations. Below is a brief sampling of references I have found to be interesting. Numerous other references are available. There is also a plethora of information available on the internet.
- David Adams
Recommended Journals:
T’ai Chi Magazine
Wayfarer Publications
P.O. Box 26156
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 665-7773 FAX (213) 665-1627
E-mail: taichi@tai-chi.com
Web Site: http://www.tai-chi.com
Best all around T’ai Chi publication, discusses all aspects and styles of T’ai Chi and Qi Gong. Articles by and about many contemporary Chinese and American masters, sifus and other T’ai Chi enthusiasts. Writing styles sometimes crude depending on the author; sometimes editeding leaves something desired. Photographs good, B&W and occasional color.
6 issues/yr; $20/One year, $30/Two years.
Journal of Asian Martial Arts
Via Media Publishing Co.
821 West 24th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16502
(814) 455-9517 FAX (814) 838-7811
Excellent high quality (glossy) paper publication. Beautiful B&W photographs. Discusses many different martial arts styles as well as health-oriented topics. Almost every issue has at least one article pertaining to T’ai Chi and Qi Gong. Articles can be quite technical, but are very well written; superb editing.
4 issues/year; $9.75/issue, $32/One year, $55/Two years.
Kungfu-Qigong
Pacific Rim Publishing
P.O. Box 4657
Santa Clara, California 95056
(800) 824-2433 FAX (408) 727-9107
Web site: http://www.tcmedia.com
60/40 mix of hard style/Kungfu and soft style/T’ai Chi/Qi Gong articles, including some pretty obscure stuff. Mediocre B&W photos and lower quality paper. Writing and editing mediocre. Some articles difficult to read due to the use of strange italic fonts and wrapping of text around photos. Stocked with full page, all-color adds for martial arts supplies available from the publishers parent company T.C. Media.
6 issues/year; $15/One year
T’ai Chi and Alternative Health Magazine
P.O. Box 6404
London, England E18 1ET
Tel/FAX 0181 502 9307
Fairly new publication. Each issue divided into sections including News & Reviews, Beginner’s Guide, Theory & Application, Alternative Health and History & Philosophy. Good, mostly B&W photos. Printing of text over background images and colors makes some articles difficult to read. Some good articles, some kinda spacey. Essentially a publication by the editor’s T’ai Chi school, the John Ding International Academy of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Lot’s of book and CD adds.
4 issues/year; $5/issue, 14 pounds/year.
Inside Kungfu
P.O. Box 461624
Escondido, California 92046-1881
(800) 877-5528
About 98% hard-style oriented, with lot’s of body building and kill’em dead technique. However does have the occaisional T’ai Chi or other soft-style article. Moderately well written and edited. Lower quality paper. Lots of photographs, mostly B&W but a fair number of color. Lots of adds.
12 issues/year; $3.99/issue; $29/One year.
Qi Magazine
P.O. Box 116
Manchester, M20 3YN England
44 (161) 929-4485 FAX 44 (161) 929-44891
E-mail: qimag@michaeltse.u-netcom
A journal oriented towards Qi Gung, TCM, Feng Shui and health, with occaissional articles on T’ai Chi Ch’uan ( especially healing aspects).
6 issues/year; $5/issue.
Recommended Books:
T’ai Chi Ch’uan for Health and Self-Defense - Philosophy and Practice
- Master T. T. Liang
Vintage Books, 1974, 134 p.
Excellent, concise discussions of the principles of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Very down to earth. Includes personal viewpoints of Master Liang, very articulate. Chapters include discussions of the T’ai Chi classics, use of mind intent, Qi flow, importance of relaxation, history of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and lots of fundamentals.
The Tao of T’ai Chi Ch’uan
- Jou, Tsung Hwa
T’ai Chi Foundation, 1991, 257 p.
Sort of a textbook style, T’ai Chi 101. All the basic information about T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Philosophy, Classics, History, I Ching, Developing Qi, etc... Lots of somewhat esoteric yin-yang stuff. Interesting sequential diagrams or illustrations of forms and sequences of movements of different styles. A good reference but very dry.
Advanced Yang Style T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Vol. 1, T’ai Chi Theory and T’ai Chi Jing
- Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming
Yang’s Martial Arts Association (YMAA)
YMAA Publication Center, 1989, 276 p.
Your basic boy scout manual of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. First chapter is general background info, history, philosophy, postures, hand positions, etc... Extensive chapters on the concepts of Chi and Jing. Fairly good pictures showing demonstrations of postures, movements, kicks, etc... Brief discussions explaining eight trigrams concept.
Good appendices containing “T’ai Chi classics” and Dr. Yang’s interpretations of them.
Advanced Yang Style T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Vol. 2, Martial Applications
- Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming
Yang’s Martial Arts Association (YMAA)
YMAA Publication Center, 1991, 246 p.
As the name implies, this volume emphasizes application of T’ai Chi Ch’uan techniques. One chapter goes through extensive detail on applications of 38 selected movements. Each movement is explained and analyzed, then several application examples are given for each movement and are categorized as “downing the enemy”, “chin na control” and “cavity strike or strike of the vital points”. Good photographs show play by play. A chapter on push hands technique, and other chapters on fighting strategy.
Cheng Man-ch’ing, Master of Five Excellences
- Mark Hennessy
Frog, Ltd., 1995, 166 p.
Recent translations of the writings of Chen Man-ch’ing. Sort of an autobiographical sketch of his life. Chapters on each of the five ‘excellences’ or arts he mastered, including calligraphy, poetry, painting, medicene and t’ai chi ch’uan. One last chapter on his life philosophy. Very interesting reflection about a truly a gifted man who had enormous influence on contemporary t’ai chi. He died about 1975.
The Lost T’ai-Chi Classics From the Late Ch’ing Dynasty
- D. Wile
State University of New York Press, 1996, 251 p.
The book focuses on development of T’ai Chi in the 1800’s, considered the formative years. Discussions of history and the T’ai Chi classics, and recent translations of some newly found works. Very difficult reading, but excellent historical reference.
Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain - the essence of T’ai Chi
- Al Chung-liang Huang
Real People Press, 1973, 188 p.
Definitely less formal view of T’ai Chi. Huang is into the philosophical aspects of T’ai Chi and the body - mind experience. He studied with many different teachers and styles, and seems to say ‘do your own thing’. Kind of what you might call a new age approach. The book is more about Huang’s philosophy and expessing yourself than it is about conventional T’ai Chi. Nevertheless there is some interesting reading.
The Complete Book of T’ai Chi Ch’uan
- Wong Kiew Kit
Element Books, Inc., 1996, 317 p.
As the subtitle says, A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Practice. Author background in Shaolin hard styles, then Chen style T’ai Chi Ch’uan. He emphasizes the martial aspects of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. First third concerns philosophy, health aspects and history. The discussion of push hands and partner “combat sequences and tactics”. Then there is detailed description and discussion of several of the most popular styles. Nice illustrations. Good reference.
Yang Style T’aijiquan
- Yang Zhenduo
Morning Glory Publishers, 1996 (third ed.), 291 p.
Author is only living son of the famous grand master Yang Chengfu, and is now age 73. First chapters discuss principles etc.. This book focuses on a complete explanation of the traditional long form (103 movements total in his explanation). Movements are explained in detail with a succussion of b&w photos (>200 pages) to show movements.
Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai Chi Ch’uan
- Cheng Man Ching
Translated by Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo and Martin Inn
North Atlantic Books, 1985, 223 p.
This is a great reference book, essentially the philosophy of Cheng Man Ching, one of the greatest masters of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Many chapters on physiological and psychological aspects of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, as well as an excellent series of pictures of the T’ai Chi movements with complete explanations of the body mechanics and applications involved each.
The Tai Chi Journey
- John Lash
Element Books Limited, 1989, 144 p.
The entire book consists of an explanation of T’ai Chi through the eyes of the author, and described as an interpretation of the Tao Te Ching. A bit on the lofty side, but many good points are made. Interesting to hear his interpretation of the poetry of the Tao Te Ching.
The T’ai Chi Boxing Chronicle
- Kuo Lien-Ying
Translated by Guttman
North Atlantic Books, 1994, 141 p.
One of the best references I have seen on T’ai Chi Ch’uan theory. Extensive investigation of the many types of Jing involved with the movements and their applications. Also contains an excellent section on the theory and techniques of T’ai Chi pushing hands.
Push Hands: the handbook for noncompetitive T’ai Chi practice with a partner
- Herman Kauz
Overlook Press, 1997, 128 p.
The best reference I have seen on pushing hands. Thorough explanation of the theory, and ‘step by step’ for each type of the practice of push hands. Covers single and double handed. Excellent photographs. Author was a student of Cheng Man Ching and had extensive judo background.
There Are No Secrets
- Wolfe Lowenthal
- North Atlantic Bookc, 1991, 142 p.
Beginner’s T’ai Chi Ch’uan
- Vincent Chu
- Multi-Media Books, 2000, 142 p.
Contains summarie of the history, philosophy, health benefits and fundamentals of T’ai Chi. Photos and explanations of correct and incorrect stances and postures. A simplified, “22 Technique” short form is described and illustrated with excellent photographs.
- Cheng Man-ch’ing
- North Atlantic Books, 1981, 135 p.
Sort of a condensed version of Cheng Man Ching’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Good B & W photos of the postures of the Cheng Man Ching short form. Also photos of pushing hands and applications.
- Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
- YMAA Publication Center, 2001, 121 p.
This is a translation of the T’ai Chi Classics of transmitted by the Wu and Li families. The original Chinese verse is given for each classic, followed by the translation by Jwing-Ming.
- Da Liu
- Schocken Books, 1986, 173 p.
Excellent reference on meditation aspects of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, including breathing methods, meditation postures and methods, Traditional Chinese Medicene (TCM), and principles of T’ai Chi which apply to everyday life.
- Stuart Alve Olson
- North Atlantic Books, 2002, 208 p.
One of my favorite books of all times about T’ai Chi by one of my favorite authors, and foremost student of T. T. Liang. Well written, with fascinating historical lessons, stories and anecdotes about Liang’s life. Includes accounts of his survival of imprisonment by the Japanese, his sickness and cure through practice of T’ai Chi, his encounters with many fascinating T’ai Chi masters from whom he received training, and his whimsical sense of humor. Excellent reading.