Softcover

ISBN 10: 1594392781 ISBN 13: 9781594392788

Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center, 2014

Finalist - 2015 USA Best Book Awards

Learn today's most popular tai chi forms!
This book is designed for self-study and can help you learn both the Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 24 Posture form and the Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 48 Posture form quickly and accurately.

Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 24 Posture is one of today's most popular tai chi forms. Once learned, it can be performed in only six minutes. If you are learning tai chi in school, a fitness club, a community or recreation center, or even the local park, this is the tai chi form you are likely to encounter.

The martial arts applications for each posture are shown so you can understand that every movement has a purpose.

Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 48 Posture is a popular tai chi form practiced by those who want a longer, more challenging sequence. Once learned, it can be performed in only twelve minutes. The forty-eight posture form is often the next form a student studies after learning the twenty-four posture form.

Here's what is inside this book:

• Theory to help you understand important tai chi concepts
• Warm-up exercises for safe and proper tai chi practice
• Fundamentals so your tai chi movements will be easy and natural
• Foot diagrams so you will know what direction to face
• The complete Simplified Tai chi Chuan 24 Posture form, step-by-step
• Martial applications for each movement of the twenty-four posture form
• The complete Simplified Tai Chi Chuan 48 Posture form, step-by-step

No matter your age, tai chi chuan is a wonderful way to improve your health and well-being.

About the Author:

Grandmaster Liang, Shou-Yu, is author of numerous martial art books and videos, and an internationally renowned teacher of Chinese martial arts and qigong. He is one of China's top coaches, a past judge for numerous national martial arts competitions, and head coach for the first and second Canadian National Wushu teams. Grandmaster Liang operates his martial arts institute in Vancouver British Columbia.

Wen-Ching Wu is author of seven books and five videos. He is a past USA martial arts grand champion and has been teaching martial arts since 1991. Wen Ching Wu resides near East Providence, Rhode Island.

Review:

This guide successfully explains in clear language and visual imagery the basic concepts of this gentle martial art. The third edition of Simplified Tai Chi Chuan: 24 Postures with Applications and Standard 48 Postures gives detailed instruction about this health-enhancing exercise. Experienced martial arts practitioners and teachers, Shou-Yu Liang and Wen-Ching Wu write knowledgeably about two condensed forms of tai chi chuan intended for beginning and intermediate students. In 1956, the Chinese Sports Commission developed a twenty-four posture alternative to the Yang style long form to promote the practice of tai chi chuan. An expanded forty-eight movement sequence, compiled by the Chinese National Athletic Association in 1976, incorporates postures from Yang, Chen, Wu, and Sun styles. Some fast movements included in that sequence “characteristic of martial arts power emission called fajin” offer students new challenges. Both sequences emphasize the rewards that come with consistent practice. An introductory narrative reviews the history and theory behind the five principal styles of tai chi and explains the body movements, awareness of breath, and coordination of mind with internal energy that are basic to the practice. The authors write in a straightforward style that establishes the clear focus necessary for learning this ancient art. Because Chinese pinyin words and phrases used in the book may be unfamiliar to novices, Liang and Wu provide English equivalents, in parentheses, after each pinyin word. These terms include, for example, “taijiquan (tai chi chuan),” “qi (chi),” “dan tian (dan dien),” and “qigong (chi kung).” An appendix lists the names of postures in sequential order for the twenty-four and forty-eight movement forms. A glossary of Chinese words provides further clarification. According to the authors, tai chi postures evolved in imitation of animal behavior and other aspects of nature. The English translations of these names offer visual reminders to students as they learn to execute the movements. Names such as “White Crane Spreads Its Wings,” “Wild Horse Parts Its Mane,” and “Needle at Sea Bottom” are followed by parenthesized pinyin phrases. Photographs show a man performing each posture, with directional arrows indicating his foot and hand movements. Charts and graphs offer additional visual help and complement the book’s explanatory text. Martial arts applications for the twenty-four posture form follow a similar format. In the photos, two participants wear white and gray jackets to distinguish their defensive or offensive positions. These explanations are not included for the forty-eight posture sequence. The book ends abruptly with that form’s closing posture, a minor flaw in this otherwise professionally astute work. As an instructional book, Simplified Tai Chi Chuan successfully explains in clear language and visual imagery the basic concepts of this gentle martial art. Tai chi chuan is traditionally practiced in groups, often in the company of a leader or teacher. Learning these simplified forms on one’s own requires considerable patience and commitment. Nevertheless, those wanting to undertake this challenge will find helpful knowledge and encouragement in the book. Others interested in learning the history and theory of this fascinating martial art will be well served. (Margaret Cullison, This guide offers excellent instruction for those who wish to know more about this internal martial art. Foreword Reviews, October 16, 2014)