Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing: Sim, Davidine, Gaffney, David: 9781556433771: Amazon.com: Books (original) (raw)
Customers say
Customers find the book very informative, helpful, and an ongoing resource for serious practitioners. They also describe it as a wonderful introduction and resource book. Readers also praise the writing quality as well-written.
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13 customers mention "Information quality"12 positive1 negative
Customers find the book very informative, helpful, and an ongoing resource for serious practitioners. They say it provides great information on the history of Chen style Tai Chi. Readers also mention the information is rare and important.
"This book is indeed a wonderful introduction and resource book for all serious Chen Taijiquan practitioners. Highly recommended." Read more
"I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great source of information on Chen Style Taijiquan, including training tips and techniques as well as..." Read more
"...Davidine have study with the best Chen teachers and translate their learning exceedingly well. This is an ongoing resource for a serious practitioner." Read more
"Great information on history of Chen style must read for studen of tai chi no matter what form you are studying" Read more
4 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive1 negative
Customers find the book well-written and informative. They say it's a must-have for any student.
"One of the clearest written books on taiji. David and Davidine have study with the best Chen teachers and translate their learning exceedingly well...." Read more
"...this book is very informative, and well written. A must havefor any student." Read more
"The authors may be experienced tai chi practitioners but they failed to write a clear and well-organized description off their art...." Read more
"Well written, interesting as well as comprehensive. A most for Chen style practicioners." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2021
This book is indeed a wonderful introduction and resource book for all serious Chen Taijiquan practitioners. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great source of information on Chen Style Taijiquan, including training tips and techniques as well as some stories of Chen family history. If you're a practitioner of Taijiquan, an enthusiast or just curious, this book is a must have item.
3 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2001
This work is for me, a long-awaited compendium of some of the best literature in both English and Chinese on Chen Taijiquan. Although this is not an "instructional" book per se - the book has no photos breaking down technique - this work is a must for the serious Taiji boxer. Understanding Taiji principles and theory is crucial to finding success in the art. And for Chen Taiji practitioners, it's absolutely essential.
To that end, this book manages to capture the plethora of thought ever published on the science of Chen Taijiquan, including a very nice historical summary. Standout chapters include clear explanations of Chen Taiji's "Ba Fa" or eight powers, Chen style push hands, and a decent explanation of the proper execution of "fa jing" (power issuing) ever to appear in English for the laymen.
As a longtime Chen Taiji boxer and writer on the subject, I particularly appreciated the authors' use of many quotes from famous Chen Taiji masters. Translated passages include quotes from: Chen Wangting, the style's founder; Chen Changxing, the compiler of the "Lao Jia" (Old Frame) and teacher of Yang Luchan; Chen Zhaopei, the beloved master that singlehandedly revived boxing practice in Chen village during one of China's most tumultous periods; Chen Zhaokui, the highly skilled son of the famed grandmaster, Chen Fake; and Chen Xiaowang, the current standard bearer. Also, the work contains a few diagrams with translations from the respected Taiji master and author Gu Liuxin and the noted Chen family boxing scholar, Chen Xin.
So needless to say, I highly recommend this book. I would have given it five stars if, for all of it's comprehensiveness, the work contained more photos of the masters without as many pictures of the authors. Regardless, I congratulate them on producing a landmark book on Chen Taijiquan, while raising the bar on martial arts literature in English. Great job!
25 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2015
One of the clearest written books on taiji. David and Davidine have study with the best Chen teachers and translate their learning exceedingly well. This is an ongoing resource for a serious practitioner.
2 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016
Great information on history of Chen style must read for studen of tai chi no matter what form you are studying
One person found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2019
Excellent detailed information
One person found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2014
I have been studying Chen Taiji for many years now
this book is very informative, and well written. A must have
for any student.
4 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2024
The authors may be experienced tai chi practitioners but they failed to write a clear and well-organized description off their art.
The initial history section is OK, not really any better than the WIkipedia tai chi article.
The remaining text is just a mass of unorganized, a bit incoherent and not that instructive text. Some of the text appears to be taken from other sources, like the meaningless quotes from some older sources.
The phrase "essential to tai chi practice" must have been used 20 times in the text but each in a different context and explained differently so it is not clear at all what is essential to tai chi practice.
The figures used in the book provided no useful information: pictures of people practicing, picture of a village, portraits of some old guys, Chinese diagrams, a people in a tai chi pose. And although the figures were numbered they were not referenced using that number in the text. And there are lots of pictures with untranslated Chinese writing that don't provide any useful information about anything.
The Philosophy and Theory chapter had a bunch of Daoist ideas randomly sprinkled in the text, an almost full-page picture of the qi hanzi, a diagram of something in Chinese, a diagram of something related to the I Ching (maybe). It also has a the silk-reeling section that does not really explain what it is although it does have a half-page picture of something with Chinese writing.
The Foundation chapter contained lots of detail about body positions and movement but no pictures to explain these concepts. It does have a 25 page Essence of Tai Chi section that describes so many concepts (with the Chinese terms) in such a wordy manner that it is not clear what the key ideas are. And there are pictures of people in tai chi poses and an old guy with Chinese writing that are totally meaningless.
There are no pictures describing any of the tai chi forms.
After reading the book a couple of times I still find it difficult to understand what tai chi is all about. I have seen a couple of much better books that I will read.
Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars É um tesouro de instruções valiosas!
Reviewed in Spain on October 20, 2024
Este livro é um dos melhores que já encontrei não só sobre Qigong e Tai Chi, mas também sobre uma vasta gama de informações importantes e pertinentes sobre os princípios das artes marciais chinesas e os seus fundamentos filosóficos.
É um tesouro de conhecimentos bem pesquisados e aplicados que os autores partilham generosamente nas páginas do livro. Altamente recomendado
5.0 out of 5 stars A good reference book for Chen Taijiquan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2010
This book was recommended to me by an experienced Chen-style teacher and I have to say of all the books I have accumulated on Tai Chi this is the most useful so far, and I can't understand why I haven't been aware of it before.
I found it to be the most rounded and concise guide to understanding Tai Chi that I've seen so far, and being focused on Chen, drawn directly and translated from some of the definitive masters, make it a perfect Chen-style reference book.
The explanations in all respects, particularly principles, are clearly written and easy to understand.
Of course you can't learn from a book alone, but it helps me to understand better some of the things I puzzle over from my learning experiences, builds a picture of the evolution of the styles, simplifies some of the more 'mystical' aspects and explains in simple terms some of the key points that aren't always obvious to the student.
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have book for those practicing Chen style or any other
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2004
This book is simply brilliant, it is so full of information it should be labelled as an encyclopaedia. But the best thing is it is not boring or hard to read, instead it keeps the readers interest with anecdotes of taiji masters that demonstrate the theory it so easily explains. And better yet its very easy to read and also makes the theory very easy to understand and so accessable to all. If you are interested in Chen style taiji or indeed in learning any form of taiji then this book will only help you on your path. Excellent.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Guide.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2015
A lot to read here so you must know your form or TaiChi Kata if you have one as there are only lists in this book not pictures of any form, so if you know what the moves are from the sentences then yes go for it, I am keeping my copy as I am still teaching myself and ths book is full of that sort of guidance and will be useful for years to come, so I am pleased with my Xmas present to myself here.
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2013
If you like Chen Style Tai Chi then get it and own it and read it and then keep it for reference. Another really good book on Chen. Some great information on requirements and principles and some really entertaining history about famous characters like Chen Zhao Pei and Chen Fa Ke. Wont help you learn your forms but will enrich the knowledge surrounding your practice