Traditional Sun Style Taijiquan (Saddleback College-CPS7) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been studying the Sun-style of taijiquan for about a decade and have had a chance to meet one of the co-authors of this book. Tim Cartmell, at a weekend workshop of the solo form covered in this book. Tim is that rarity... a martial practitioner who teaches as well as he performs and who writes as well as he teaches.
You can't learn a form of movement by reading a book, no matter how competent the written and photographic content; but a beginner can certainly get a very good idea of what the Sun-style solo form is about as well as the potential benefit of studying its health aspect. Furthermore, anyone who has experienced that style of taijiquan from a teacher will, without a doubt, get new insights into it.
My one complaint, as a martial artist, is that the combative applications of the various postures are not illustrated in any way; though some interesting two-person postural testing methods are described in detail. But, the book really isn't about the combative side of that style so I shouldn't have been surprised!
An excellent book by an excellent teacher...

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"Traditional Sun Style Taijiquan" is the most complete and comprehensive text to date on the Sun style.The book includes chapters on the history of the style, the benefits of practice, the important principles of the style, basic exercises, a complete breakdown of each movement in the traditional form with thorough explanations of all relevant details, as well as methods of testing the form for accurate execution.All exercises and form movements are illustrated with photos accompanying the text.When practiced as originally designed, Sun style Taijiquan provides a profound study into correct methods of postural alignment, unified body use and coordinated movement, as well as a coherent method of building the health while uniting the mind and body.

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Tai Chi Chuan: Body and Mind in Harmony Review

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(More customer reviews)In this first popular explanation in English of T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Wu Style), Sophia Delza, the only Western woman master of the system [circa 1961], discusses its underlying philosophy and describes every step of each movement in picture and lucid text. Of it she says:
T'ai Chi Ch'uan is a system of activating the body for the development of physical, emotional and mental well-being that produces a feeling of satisfaction and a sense of tranquility that Western exercises do not give. This in itself may not sound unusual since many exercises so promise, but what is unique in this case is the technical method, with its form and spirit, which promotes the desirable state.
We in the West are apt to overdo in exercises and sports, believing that a hard, tense movement indicates strength and control and that power comes from the ability to expend strength violently. The technique of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is contrary to such a method. It is in the philosophy of T'ai Chi Ch'uan that energy can be controlled, strength balanced, vitality stabalized by using the body in such a way as not to strain the muscles, not to overactivate the heart, not to exert oneself excessively. The technique of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is based not only on a physical method, but also on an emotional and mental attitude, from which a state of awareness, calmness nd concentration evolves. This consideration of man's total health is intrinsic in the forms and techniques of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
--- from book's dustjacket

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The Complete Book Of T'ai Chi (DK Living) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have studied three books on Tai Chi. The different forms used by different masters can create confusion. The form in this book is an accepted standard. The layout, details, photographs, tips and text are superb. Pictures of the entire form are reproduced, in sequence, on the fly leaves. Learning Tai Chi requires a teacher. But this book will accelerate your learning process appreciably.

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Long Life, Good Health Through T'ai Chi Ch'uan Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a wonderful guide to Tai-Chi Chuan. I have read this book, along with her husband's book, for both of her Tai-Chi courses at SFSU. This is a great book to carry with you, even if you are not enrolled in any of her courses or her outside classes at her studio. You really do develop long life and good health through this beautiful exercise. Simmone is a great teacher through words and action.

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Long Life, Good Health traces the historical and philosophical development of Tai-Chi Chuan within the context of the sister martial arts from which it was created. This book includes precisely sequenced photographs, and step-by-step instructions. Though intended for beginners, Long Life, Good Health should fascinate more advanced students who want to research and compare ancient forms and lineages of Tai-Chi Chuan.

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Compact Tai Chi: Combined Forms for Pratice in Limited Space Review

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(More customer reviews)This book presents an unusual but practical approach to the tai chi form, turning it into a circular stepping pattern instead of the traditional pattern in order to save space, so you can do it at home or in a limited space. Although I know the traditional long Yang form, I have no problems with this and find it an excellent approach and of value.
However, what the author has done is basically create four short forms. If you are a student of a more conservative, traditional teacher, you probably know that they don't think much of the short forms, regarding them as of limited health and medical value. In fact, the great master who invented the original Yang short form after WWII at the behest of the Communist Party, said it was worthless and didn't practice it himself. However, this depends to a great deal on whether you subscribe to the traditional Chinese medical theories as well. But if you are a serious student of tai chi, you should seek out a teacher and learn the original long form of your style just for your own education, whichever of the many tai chi styles you practice. They are really not that difficult to learn, because many of the main moves and sequences repeat themselves several times, such as grasping the sparrow's tail, the signature and most important sequence in the Yang form.
By the way, there is actually a 300-move long Yang form which is the original, not the 108-move form. Having learned it, I would say it's more like the 108-move form with more complex transitional movements between the major moves, but if you can find a teacher that offers that, I would definitely learn it. Otherwise, the more commonly available 108-move form would be fine. If you just don't have time to do the long form because of your busy daily schedule, I would recommend you do the short form each day, and then try to find enough time on the weekend to do the long form.
As for myself, as I said, I have no problem with the author's using shorter and more compact forms myself and have often found it difficult to practice my long form in my house, and often end up only working on a few moves or small section of the form, which is all I had room for. Surely a longer sequence like this that could be done in a smaller space would be better than that. Of course, you could simply modify your own form into a circular format and do that. :-) Anyway, the forms in this book also cover the five major styles of of tai chi and I found that interesting and useful as well. So overall, a fine book with a creative approach with a lot of practical utility and that offers a lot of breadth in that it covers the five important styles.


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Many of us don't have enough space to practice thetraditional Tai Chi "forms." Tsao coils the traditional linearform into a circular format, taking only one-quarter the arearequired to practice conventional Tai Chi. Each posture isillustrated to demonstrate the movement in detail. Tsao presentsfour independent sequences to meet the needs of all skill levels.Index. 530 photographs.

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