Taijiquan
Yang Yang & Scott A. Grubisich
(Reviewer - Rebecca Brown)
2005 Zhenwu Publication
ISBN: 0974099007

The Art of Nurturing. The Science of Power.

The art of Taijiquan (to our Western ears & the old Wade-Giles interpretation has been called “T'ai Chi Chuan” or simply “T'ai Chi”) is one of the greatest gifts that China has to share with the world. The word taiji is an ancient Doaist philosophical term symbolizing the interaction of yin & yang, natural opposites, which charge the nature of all things.

The martial arts of China are typically categorized as either “internal” or “external”. Taijiquan is a pugilistic art rooted in the Doaist concepts of the interplay, & necessary balance of yin & yang. It downplays brute strength & natural ability while emphasizing learned motor skills, nurturing, & the accumulation of hardness through softness, & is considered an internal martial art.

Yang Yang was born in Jiaozuo, near the fabled Chen Village in Henan Province. Plagued with malnutrition & poverty he barely survived his childhood albeit with a heart condition, which the doctors said destined him to an early death. When he was twelve, an uncle suggested he take advantage of the teachings of Taijiquan for which the nearby Chen masters were famous. Yang Yang was presented to Wu Xiubao, himself a student of two of the preeminent masters of the Chen family of teachers. Soon after starting to practice Taijiquan, Yang Yang's health improved, he was able to join in school sports, & begin to dream of a future, which would include going to university & becoming a student of the Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang in Shanghai, & eventually coming to America.

While Taijiquan was originally created as a martial art, it is also a holistic art that develops & informs one's life. Physical, mental & spiritual aspects are seamlessly integrated into its practice. It is a living & growing art, unrestricted by traditions, which is enriched by thoughtful insights from each successive generation. It becomes a deeply personal experience & expression of one's feelings, outlook, & understanding of life.

Everyone's caught glimpses, in movies or news broadcast, even advertisements, of people standing in lovely natural settings, moving their bodies through various positions. I'd always wonder what they were doing. Now I know -- Taijiquan. Living in the middle of nowhere, I've had to cobbled together a series of practices without the aid of a teacher, & now Yang Yang's book has given me the insights & the grounding that only comes from a teacher.

You will be introduced to the fine art, & learn The Foundation. Then you'll embark on Finding a Teacher, discovering Wuji Meditation, Taiji Form Movement, Push-Hands, & finally answer the question: Why Practice Taijiquan?

Taijiquan is elegantly written in a highly accessible language, explaining from both Eastern traditional & Western contemporary perspectives, accompanied by a little bit of history, some photographs & diagrams.

If you know of anyone interested in this ancient form of exercise & life enhancement, you could give no better gift than Taijiquan. It is a book that will accompany you all the years of your life, & an enjoyable read as well.

Master Yang won first place in the Shanghai University Martial Arts Championship three years running (1981-83), was voted Best Overall Martial Artist (1983) which won him a job as an instructor with the Shanghai Chen Style Research Association. In 1985 he moved with Grandmaster Feng Zhiqian to Beijing, & enrolled at the China University of Political Science & Law, where he earned a law degree. He was granted the formal title of disciple of Grandmaster Feng. Master Yang practiced business law for several years before coming the United States to study for a master's degree in Economics at Illinos State University. He is now the director of the Center for Taiji Studies™ in Champaign, & is pursuing a doctorate in kinesiology.
(06/19/05)

Rebecca