0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
This is one of the best approaches to Tai Chi Chuan study ...., 2006-02-27
Even though there are many styles of Tai Chi Chuan, this book can help all understand how to approach the study. It's difficult but worth the effort to incorporate this book's contributions into your practice. An excellent guide!
1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Not written by master Kuo, 2005-08-29
I have been studying with Simmone Kuo for 2 years. Sifu Kuo's widow. She warned me about this book because it was written without the families consent and it has almost nothing to do with the late Kuo Lien Ying.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
This is really a great book, 2002-09-03
This is really a good book.
Absolutely not for beginners.
It is very deep in the analysis of almost all the Tai Chi aspects as you can see in the Book Summary listed by other reviewers. It really gave you material to think and work on.
Anyway sometime there are terms not explained that could really mislead the meaning of the matter. That's the reason why only 4 stars. I really and strongly recommend this book to all the instructors and advanced practitioners whatever style they practice. This is a book that will forever give you Tai Chi insights each time you read it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A lot of information, but hard to access, 2002-01-05
There is a lot of information is Guttmann's translations of Kuo's T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle. However, I found much of it difficult to access. Kuo discusses many aspects at great length, especially the internal energy work of the system. To do so, he uses a very specialized vocabulary that is not always explained clearly. There are also points where I felt that the translator may not have chosen the best word to make the meaning clear. One example of this is where the text speaks of adding "strength to every separate strike." The word "strength" seems odd, as it suggests a muscular strength rather than a soft power. This may not have been the meaning, but it is an example of where more explanation by the translator would have helped. However, it is clear that the author knew a great deal about tai chi and has honestly tried to pass on what he knew. I found the section on if tai chi was only a soft art, or could it also contain hardness to be especially interesting. While I wouldn't recommend this as an introductory text, someone who already has a background in tai chi could get a lot out of The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle if they were willing to put in a bit of effort.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Rare early Chen family writings!!, 2001-05-31
"In this book we will examine the Chen family treasure, the chronicles that were hidden for nine generations until the time of Chen Wang Ting, near the end of the Ming dynasty...", P. 8.For those new to Tai Chi: The practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan (trans. Grand Ultimate fist) must be willing to spend a great deal of time refining each movement. Tai Chi will teach even the most athletic practitioner to move muscles that they didn't know they had and to stretch their range of movement without loosing balance. To be soft but not weak, to deliver powerful strikes but not tense (Like a whip it may crack at the end but it is a flowing motion that gets it there). To listen to the opponents move and unbalance them (Granting the practitioner the ability to win a fight without hurting the opponent should he/she choose to do so). For health it is a non-impact exercise that will teach you how to use and strengthen your body. It is good for the elderly because the training is soft and gentle (In fact training with too much power will hinder ones Tai Chi development).
The Book: This book is for those who want to deepen their knowledge of Tai Chi. It breaks apart and gives detailed explanations of the philosophy, training methods, and learning sequence. It will NOT ACTUALLY TEACH YOU ANY OF THESE THINGS. It will only explain what you are looking to accomplish within each aspect of training. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants an overview of what Tai Chi is. Experienced practitioners should read and reread this book (as they improve in one skill something else will suddenly make sense). For learning applications I would recommend Feng Zhiqiang and Chen Xiaowang¡¦s English language book, ¡§Chen Style TaijiQuan¡¨, ISBN# 7505404806. I would not recommend attempting to learn a form from a book, find a qualified teacher or buy the video.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction. The Overview
* The Yin-Yang Reversal Theory
* The Tai Chi Body
* Tai Chi Balance
* Tai Chi stillness and Action
* Awareness Energy
* Enlightenment Through Action
Chapter One. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing Principles
* The Weak Beats the Strong
* The Slow Beats the Fast
Chapter Two. The Three Steps of Tai Chi Boxing
* Step One: Investigate the Body, the Form, the Waist, the Top of the Head, the Spine, and the Steps
* Step Two: Study Moving, Receiving, Collecting and Striking Energy
* Step Three: Study Following, Sinking, Lightness, and Dexterity
Chapter Three. Investigating the Method of Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Push Hands
* Step One: The Push Hands System of Awareness Energy
* Step Two: The Posture and Force of Adhere, Stick, Connect, and Follow
* Step Three: Seeking Awareness Energy in Push Hands
Chapter Four. The Energies of the Eight Gates and Five Steps
* The Energies of the Eight Gates Clearly Defined
* The Five Steps Clearly Divided
* The Practice of the Set and its Representation of the Eight Gates and Five Steps
Chapter Five. The Sequence of Learning Tai Chi Boxing
* Part One: The Practice of the Set
* Part Two: The Practice of Drawing Silk
* Part Three: Learning to Separate Energies
* Part Four: The Practice of Chi Kung
* Part Five: The Practice of the Spirit of Vitality
* Part Six: Uniting the Inside with the Outside
* Part Seven: Getting the Opportunity and the Position
* Part Eight: Sacrificing Yourself to Follow the Opponent
* Part Nine: Knowing Yourself and Knowing the Enemy
* 1. The Order of Learning Tai Chi Boxing
* 2. The Foundation of Centrifugal Force
* 3. Lightness and Dexterity are Revolving
* 4. The Seventy-Two Essential Terms of the Chinese Boxing Art
* 5. The Yin-Yang Summary by Chen Chang Hsing
Chapter Six. Guidelines for Tai Chi Application
* The Nine Principles of the Practice of Tai Chi Boxing
* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Drawing of Silk
* The Nine Rules of Tai Chi Martial Arts
* The Tai Chi Boxing Book ¡§Kung Hsin Chieh¡¨
* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Chart for Evaluating Progress
* The Question of the Hard and the Soft
* Tai Chi Boxing¡¦s Definition and its Motion
The Ancient Poem of the Universal Post