Rating: 
Summary: The best book on Tai Chi in the english language
Review: Bruce Frantzis has done more to demistify Tai Chi than any other western author. He takes the subtle and complex suject of Chi (life energy) and explains it in a way that westerners can understand, without over simplifying. Many other books have been written on Tai Chi, none display Frantzis's level of understanding. If you are an experienced internal artist you may be suprised at the authors willingness to reveal information that has long been kept secret; moveing Tai Chi from just a pretty dance to one of the most effective healing and martial arts in existance. As a practitioner of Taoist Internal Arts for 24 years I am truly gratful to B.K.Frantzis for unselfishly sharing such a wealth of information. Tai Chi teachers should take note: the cat is out of the bag. Either you teach the real deal or you might as well be teaching aerobics. Any perceptive student who reads this book will be able to tell the difference. Maybe the book will raise the standard of internal arts instruction across the board in this country. I hope so.The community could certainly use it.
Rating: 
Summary: Embarrassingly empty
Review: I couldn't wait to buy this book. What a disappointment!! Sure enough Mr. Frantzis would make a great politician: he managed to fill over 200 pages with ... nothing.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Thing
Review: I have an extensive library of books about the internal martial arts, qi gong and Chinese philosophy. This is one of the most valuable books in my collection. There is a great deal of material here, covered in great depth, most of which is not available anywhere else.Frantzis' book takes a unique tack, as one of the other online reviewer has already noted. This is not a how-to, with a long sequence of drawings or photos, diagramming a particular set or form. Rather, this is an extensive set of essays about various aspects of taiji. Most books about taiji contain a few explanatory chapters that give a brief history of the art, perhaps with some background about other martial arts. The rest of the book is then typically a how-to. Unless I have already studied that form with a teacher, I have always found the diagrams and photos interesting but essentially useless. The quality and value of the explanatory chapters vary with the author's experience, skill and ability to articulate the complexity and nuance of an internal martial art. Frantzis' book is desiged as a reference for the practioner of taiji, whether they are at a beginning or advanced level. It is a source of knowledge and new perspectives that can be consulted again and again, as one's level of expertise deepens and grows. A must have for anyone interested in taiji.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a hit
Review: I have been training in Tai Chi for 5 years and I am really unimpressed by this book. No real information. Lots of Bla-bla.
If you are interested in the martial application of Tai Chi get "Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications: Advanced Yang Style" by Jwing-Ming Yang.
If you are interested in the energy work get "Opening the Energy Gates of your Body " by Frantzis.
There are lots of good Tai Chi books out there. This is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Not a hit
Review: I have been training in Tai Chi for 5 years and I am really unimpressed by this book. No real information. Lots of Bla-bla.
If you are interested in the martial application of Tai Chi get "Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications: Advanced Yang Style" by Jwing-Ming Yang.
If you are interested in the energy work get "Opening the Energy Gates of your Body " by Frantzis.
There are lots of good Tai Chi books out there. This is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: The author has a BIG ego in a BIG book
Review: I wanted to buy this book as a gift for Christmas, but I declined. So far, it is the only Tai Chi book to say it can boost your sexual performance on the cover. Too bad it does not really tell you how, that's just on the cover to draw you in. There are no real forms, no techniques. It's not a how-to. It's thick and looks nice, but has one big theme: The author is saying how good is his supposed skill. Maybe he can con Westerners into buying this book, but I think most average masters in China can beat the crap out of Bruce Frantzis. I am a novice player in Tai Chi, but even I can see that this book is a thick pile of pulp. If his skill is as good as the quality of this book, I can(and should) beat him up for spoiling the reputation of Tai Chi. There are better books out there, go buy them.
Rating:
Summary: Average book
Review: In my opinion this is a rather plain book about Tai Chi. The author's deep knowledge clearly shows up. The problem I have with this book is that it is tailored to appeal a narrow section of the market: the prospective Tai Chi students. The book explains in great detail all the benefits one can gain from practicing TaiChi. However, it does not tell anything about "how". It is not an instructional book: it's mere Tai Chi propaganda. If you already practice Tai Chi and have just a decent knowledge about the energy in the body, you'll find this book only marginally useful. I am not saying that it's a terribly bad book. What I am trying to say is that from the author of "Opening the energy gates of your body" I expect much, MUCH more than that. I studied the "Gates" probably six times cover to cover, and countless times I consulted it to plan my Chi Gung training. I read "The big book of Tai Chi" once, and I don't think I'll read it again. Any average TaiChi student could write a similar book in 3 months: c'mon, Mr. Franzis, tell us something we don't know!!
Rating:
Summary: the big picture of tai-chi written by a real master
Review: the best book about tai chi i have ever read. the author has an incredible profound knowledge of tai chi and isn`t too good for trying to pass it on in the most clearly written language. he wisley doesnt want to teach this living taoist art of moving through a book, which a lot of writers tried to and failed. instead he provides a down to earth guide of why to start, how it works and criterias to find a suitable teacher. which is the most important and difficult first step in learning tai chi.
i found very good material on his web site : www.energyarts.com .
enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Just what I needed
Review: The Big Book of Tai Chi
By Bruce Frantzis. Published by Thorsons (add UK price here?) For a man who confesses to hating writing, Bruce Frantzis does a damn fine job of it. He has produced some of the best, most down-to-earth, books on the internal arts and his new mammoth volume - The Big Book of Tai Chi - is literally just that. He has decided to look at Tai Chi from an unbiased viewpoint, not favouring any particular style or school. Rather, he has looked at the foundation for all Tai Chi styles using his encyclopaedic knowledge and written a primer to them all. Mr Frantzis begins with the history, always contentious, and progresses to explaining how and why the internal arts work in relation to health, both physical and mental. He has long been a voice crying in the wilderness, warning of the inevitable collapse of the health systems in the West. While working as a Chi Kung doctor in China, Mr. Frantzis saw how vital Tai Chi and Chi Kung were in a country with a shortage of western-style doctors. Consequently, he has worked hard to bring his knowledge to the West, in the hope that it will be used to improve the health of the masses as it has in China. His ground-breaking Chi Kung book, Opening the Energy Gates, was just the beginning. The Big Book has a wider scope, discussing what the differing styles of Tai Chi can do for health and what to look for in a good teacher. Mr. Frantzis also considers the Taoist approach to health and how we in the West could benefit from it. Some of this has been covered in other books, but this one is a real blockbuster both in size and approach. The publishers are pushing its launch worldwide and seem to be of the opinion that this book will bring Tai Chi and Chi Kung to the attention of a much wider audience. It is an easy read but does not 'dumb down' the arts. It is intended for both beginners and seasoned players. One very detailed chapter is geared specifically to intermediate and advanced practitioners, another describes what beginners can expect from Tai Chi. Most Chinese masters have difficulty with our language and we certainly have trouble in understanding their often flowery and ambiguous descriptions of the form. With his fluent Chinese, Mr Frantzis gained insights into the Chinese culture and arts that is reflected in both his teaching and writing. The author also has the great advantage of being not only a top martial artist but also an accomplished practitioner in medical Chi Kung and Tui Na bodywork, both of which are branches of traditional Chinese medicine. As a lineage master in the Taoist arts in general, he can give an overview that few of us would be aware of were it not for this book. He considers how Tai Chi works for healing, physical and emotional self-defence, stress reduction, promoting longevity and developing spirituality. One chapter looks at how tai chi can benefit different groups of people. For example, tai chi can mitigate the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome in computer users. Another chapter helps students choose the most appropriate tai chi form for their particular needs. The five main styles, large, medium and small frame tai chi, and long, medium and short forms are discussed in detail. An excellent primer, the book could have done with some more illustrations, but as it does not champion a particular style, the interminable form photos aren't missed at all. A must for beginners, this huge work would also benefit any serious player who is modest enough to admit to not knowing it all and open enough to look deeper. Brian Cookman
Rating:
Summary: Just what I needed
Review: The Big Book of Tai Chi
By Bruce Frantzis. Published by Thorsons (add UK price here?) For a man who confesses to hating writing, Bruce Frantzis does a damn fine job of it. He has produced some of the best, most down-to-earth, books on the internal arts and his new mammoth volume - The Big Book of Tai Chi - is literally just that. He has decided to look at Tai Chi from an unbiased viewpoint, not favouring any particular style or school. Rather, he has looked at the foundation for all Tai Chi styles using his encyclopaedic knowledge and written a primer to them all. Mr Frantzis begins with the history, always contentious, and progresses to explaining how and why the internal arts work in relation to health, both physical and mental. He has long been a voice crying in the wilderness, warning of the inevitable collapse of the health systems in the West. While working as a Chi Kung doctor in China, Mr. Frantzis saw how vital Tai Chi and Chi Kung were in a country with a shortage of western-style doctors. Consequently, he has worked hard to bring his knowledge to the West, in the hope that it will be used to improve the health of the masses as it has in China. His ground-breaking Chi Kung book, Opening the Energy Gates, was just the beginning. The Big Book has a wider scope, discussing what the differing styles of Tai Chi can do for health and what to look for in a good teacher. Mr. Frantzis also considers the Taoist approach to health and how we in the West could benefit from it. Some of this has been covered in other books, but this one is a real blockbuster both in size and approach. The publishers are pushing its launch worldwide and seem to be of the opinion that this book will bring Tai Chi and Chi Kung to the attention of a much wider audience. It is an easy read but does not 'dumb down' the arts. It is intended for both beginners and seasoned players. One very detailed chapter is geared specifically to intermediate and advanced practitioners, another describes what beginners can expect from Tai Chi. Most Chinese masters have difficulty with our language and we certainly have trouble in understanding their often flowery and ambiguous descriptions of the form. With his fluent Chinese, Mr Frantzis gained insights into the Chinese culture and arts that is reflected in both his teaching and writing. The author also has the great advantage of being not only a top martial artist but also an accomplished practitioner in medical Chi Kung and Tui Na bodywork, both of which are branches of traditional Chinese medicine. As a lineage master in the Taoist arts in general, he can give an overview that few of us would be aware of were it not for this book. He considers how Tai Chi works for healing, physical and emotional self-defence, stress reduction, promoting longevity and developing spirituality. One chapter looks at how tai chi can benefit different groups of people. For example, tai chi can mitigate the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome in computer users. Another chapter helps students choose the most appropriate tai chi form for their particular needs. The five main styles, large, medium and small frame tai chi, and long, medium and short forms are discussed in detail. An excellent primer, the book could have done with some more illustrations, but as it does not champion a particular style, the interminable form photos aren't missed at all. A must for beginners, this huge work would also benefit any serious player who is modest enough to admit to not knowing it all and open enough to look deeper. Brian Cookman
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