Books on internal part of the (Yang) Taijiquan???

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by oldyangtaiji, Jul 3, 2006.

  1. Steffan_de

    Steffan_de New Member

    Anatomy of Yang Family Tai Chi

    oldyangtaiji

    The book delves into and explains specific alignment details and structural actions to create Jing throughout the body. The book discusses issues from the non-public form and therefore reveals many of the Yang family secrets. It gives specific instructions on how to test your Qi and Jing development and a very revealing commentary on Yang Cheng-Fu's 10 essentials with a fresh translation of the original Chinese text.

    It is available on amazon now.

    Hope this answered your question.

    Steffan
     
  2. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    As I understand there are also practical exercises to test internal energy (Qi)and internal power (Jin)?
    Has this book any specific exercise to develop Qi/Jin?
    How may photos/drawings are in the book (10,20,30,..)?
    What is says about the use of mind/awareness/feelings?
    Can you maybe give a hint about this "secrets"? Can you maybe tell me about one sicret discussed in the book?
     
  3. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned

    Test your qi... it's an ironic classic!

    I just did it - I have Q-I of 157.
     
  4. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    Last week I received the book "Taiji Notebook for Martial Artists" by Scott M. Rodell. Here is my review.
    A little book with 82 pages and 17 pictures/drawings. As says its subtitle the book contains "essays by a Yang family Taijiquan practicioner".
    There are personal experiences and reflections of the author about why the form is done slowly, Fang Song, breathing & Fajin, Tuishou, Sanshou, etc. There are also some tips that were given to the author by Wang Yen-nien and William C. C. Chen.
    Probably not the best book about Taijiquan but has many useful tips. If you are a serious Taijiquan practicioner I recommend it (it is in the same rank with the books: T'ai-Chi Ch'uan: Lessons with Master T.T. Liang by Ray Hayward, There Are No Secrets by Wolfe Lowenthal and Steal My Art by Stuar Alve Olson). For people that are iterested in more "practical" side of Taijiquan this is probably not the best book. However the book has many useful tips for practice, but as I uderstand it don't want to be a "complete" book on Taijiquan but only a "notebook".
    I hope tha you will find my review useful :)
     
  5. Steffan_de

    Steffan_de New Member

    Anatomy of Yang Family Tai Chi

    About Yang secrets revealed in the book... the correct stance for "bend the bow to shoot the tiger" is explained ... specific ways that the thighs and shins are rotated to create spiraling jing ... and so much more.

    Qi testing actually tests your ability to direct your Qi and is not a test to determine any specific levels of Qi. The Eigh Stabilities test is shown and explained for testing the chuan jia (fighting frame).

    Just read it.


    Steffan
     
  6. fatb0y

    fatb0y Valued Member

    Are you the author?
     
  7. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    I remember discussing those leg spirals with my Chen style teacher and he told me that you do not physically spiral your legs, only your intention spirals down into the ground. This was a bit of a relief as I'd hate to think what all that twisting would do to your knees. Though to be honest, I consider the idea of spiraling "intention" into the ground to be fairly meaningless. How do you actually "do" that?
     
  8. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    Ooh - I think he is the author, you know.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2008
  9. liokault

    liokault Banned Banned

    It's a 'potential' spiral!
     
  10. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    Yeah? Really? Can you explain?
     
  11. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned

    No!
     
  12. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned


    I could, but just the fact that you dare question it means that you are in no way worthy to receive such advanced knowledge!
     
  13. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned

    I don't believe that you can test your qi, or if you could, I thinkt he test will be as meaningless and flawed as tests for iq. I also think that any great "secrets" revealed will be really basic things that most other profficient martial artists will already know just through dilligent and careful exercise and practice.

    And I also wonder why I would ever want to buy a book on Yang taiji when I've never seen, out of all the thousands of available videos, seminars, programmes, teachers of Yang taiji, and out of all the claims and presented public perception of usefulness, any yang taiji person ever use Yang taiji in any practically impressive way whatsoever. Perhaps you could explain?
     
  14. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    Aww - that's what they always say. :(
     
  15. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    You know, I could feel a little hurt at that comment. Then again, I don't really call what we do "Yang style" as a rule...
     
  16. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned


    Don't be hurt - your demonstrations are demonstrations of possible uses of techniques. Those are very useful ways of demonstrating techniques that we see all kinds of people do - even MMA, Boxers, San Shou. I've got a couple of Cung Lee demonstrating leg take downs like that. I separate off training videos - they're another category of video to practical use demonstrated video.

    I think what I'd like to see - not that the world is there to accomodate me, lol - is on a minimum level, teachers demonstrating their stuff in reasonable contact free sparring, perhaps with their own students - that's a first level. Then anything after that would be gloves on, proper contact against decent opponents of whatever styles.

    At some point, as a kung fu/wushu community, we have to take a look at all the word count/public claims on taiji and compare it to the practical demonstration count, and sadly, there's really almost nothing to show by way of taiji in free fighting. We see odd techniques used here and there - but my argument is never about the techniques of taiji; any technique can be used if you are good enough - but about the way we move kung fu/wushu, espcially in this, our own country/zone, towards more effective, martial levels, and away from endless drivel about qi and the other stuff that's usually basic stuff with fancy names.
     
  17. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned

    And also, no wants there to be some awesome young Yang taiji fighter out there more than me. I love wushu. I respect it. I think it is the highest level martial art theory on earth. I don't want to learn BJJ - I want to get better and better at glorious Quan, and see it get better and better!
     
  18. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    OK - I won't be hurt then. :)
     
  19. jkzorya

    jkzorya Moved on by request

    Oh and I agree with the other stuff you just said, too.

    oh incidentally, you're not in the van outside our house - I looked.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2008
  20. oldyangtaiji

    oldyangtaiji Old Yang Taijiquan

    I don't see any "secret" here. Maybe there is "quan" but I don't see any "gong" here. I found only few very "useful" resources and none of them contained the word "secret" in its title or subtitle. In my "library" I have more than 500 books/videos on martial arts and more than 300 are on IMA. Probably only 10 (or less) of them are (useful and) indispensable.
    There are no secrets only things that authors of the books don't know or don't want so share with others!!! I discovered "secrets" from only few books/DVDs/teachers, and now the majority of resources (aviable) make me laugh.

    I am interested only for practical applications of the "internal" martial arts, and many TJQ schools don't teach in this manner. I practice RBSD systems and there is no place for "mystical" Tai Chi stuff. However there are many "useful" things in Tai Chi, but not all. I found "The Classics" one of the most misleading things in TJQ (very few understand them and there is a lot place for TJQ mystification).
    The lack of practical teaching and use of TJQ is the reason that nobody take it seriously when it come to fight / combat / self-defense. Probably less than 1/3 of schools know that TJQ is a martial art, and even less teach it in this way (maybe 5%). Only 1% of TJQ people can defend themself with TJQ, and even less than 0,1% can use it to fight with an expert martial artist.
    Because of mystification and unpractical teaching there is a decline and (I hope that no also) dying of TJQ! Many TJQ masters know to use their "Jin", many also demostrate it, but (almost) nobody know how to fight. All the TJQ word is searching for an authentic TJQ fighter, but nobody found he yet.

    In my opinion there is a lot of egoism in hypocrisy in TJQ world. Nobody (of the "grand" masters) want to talk and teach the "practical" side because don't want that their followers surpass them! They show a "bait" to attract people, talk about "secrets", and people waste their time (for years) leraning the (external) form from them. The truth of TJQ in this way remains only with few grandmasters and their (lineage) disciples.
    I don't believe that "nobody" know the truth about TJQ or that they don't know how to teach it. They benefit from people ignorance, so they can "teach" and sell ($$$) their "service" unimpededly.
     

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