Taijiquan: Chen Taiji 38 Form and Applications (Tuttle Martial Arts)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on the short form
Review: Charles Tuttle has a long tradition of publishing quality martial arts books, and Nishiyama and Brown's Karate, The Open Hand and Foot Fighting, published in 1960, if I remember right, was the first large hardback book I had ever seen on the subject. This book is no different and continues the Tuttle tradition of publishing quality books in the martial arts.

I've studied both Wu and Yang style Tai Chi, but have never had a chance to study the Chen style. There has been increasing interest in the Chen style in recent years, and I wanted to at least learn a little more about it and how it compares with them. While you can't really learn Tai Chi from a book, this book was fine for helping to learn more about the style and how it differs from the two other styles that I know. And if you already know the form, a book like this is useful for reminding you about the details of the postures, or the correct sequence of moves.

Considering it's just under 100 pages, this is a surprisingly solid little book on the Chen style short form. At 38 moves, it includes key postures unique to the Chen style and eliminates the repetitions in the longer form. The author gives a brief history of the origins and history of the Chen family style, attributed to Chen Wang Ting, who reinterpreted general Qi Ji Guang's northern boxing techniques as described in his Canons of Boxing in a more Taoist way. There is also a brief account of the evolution of the Chen style from the Lao Jia or original long form to the Xin Jia or New Frame version of both Xi Lu and Er Lu, emphasizing the development of the unique twining movements characteristic of the style, and pointing out that the modern tendency to exaggerate these twining movements and make them bigger is incorrect.

In addition to the above, there is also a brief explanation of the short form, a list of individual movements broken down into four sections, and a chapter showing nine martial aplications. Finally, there is a description of yin and yang concepts and a short biography of the author (the current grandmaster), a short glossary, and bibliography with a few suggestions for further reading. Overall, another excellent book from Charles Tuttle on one aspect of the Chen style.

Rating:
Summary: Huh?
Review: I read this book in the store. That's ten minutes of my life that I will never get back. Obviously, it is not possible to learn Taiji from a book. The job of a Taiji book is therefore to provide answers and insights not available in the normal course of study. This book provides virtually nothing; in fact, it seems more than anything to be a marketing pamphlet for Ren's school. Readers who liked this book seem to think that "less is more." I agree with this in the sense that no book at all would have been better than this one. At least that way, I'd have my ten minutes back.

Chen Xiao Wang's 38 form is not "standard curriculum" in China. It is only taught in Chen Xiao Wang's school, and since he now lives in Australia, it is hardly practiced at all in China.

Rating:
Summary: A great resource for Chen students
Review: I think that a lot of people who purchase martial arts books are hoping to find some special or secret information that will provide them with insight into what is missing from their training. The secret though to Chen Style, like almost anything else, in my opinion is continuous correct application of tai chi principles and the maintaining of correct structure. Without maintaining the principles of tai chi and your structure, no matter the number of books, or the hours of practice, you are not going to get very far. I think this is where this books stands out. This is a workbook for the serious practitioner who is like most people can not train in Chen village or with a proficient master everyday of the week. This book provides people with accurate and detailed images and descriptions of movements by one of Chen Styles premier practitioners providing an excellent reference point and guide.
While I have been very fortunate to have received instruction from Stephen Berwick (a student of Ren Guang Yi and excellent instructor in his own right) I still find that I occasionally get confused about movements/posture and I look to this book. I also use this book to refine or improve my postures that I already know.
While nothing can beat hands on corrections and teaching from a competent instructor few people have the time to train with their instructor for more than a few hours a week. This book helps fill that gap. As a reference and work book it is invaluable to the casual and serious Chen Style practitioner.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Book Answers All of Your Questions about Taiji
Review: It is accepted in Taiji circles that it is almost impossible to learn a Taiji form from a book. The nuances and complexity of movements make all but the simplest of postures impossible to depict accurately in a static format such as the printed page.
That said, Ren Guang Yi's volume makes an admirable attempt. The 38 posture form shown in the book, devised by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang (Master Rens' teacher) is a melding of several existing traditional forms in the Chen style of Taiji. This book is an excellent reference for students already practicing or learning the form. The design is clean and crisp, with multiple views of many postures. The text accompanying the photos is concise, eschewing overly complex , confusing descriptions of movements in favor of brief, general instruction.
Of particular interest is the chapter dealing with applications of the forms' movements for self defense. Taiji was developed as and remains a martial art, a fact which is too often ignored in the west. The Chen style is famed for it's combat usage, and this section shows several posture applications, including hand and foot strikes, joint locks, and throws.
All in all, a welcome addition to the llibrary of english language books on Taijiquan, and the Chen style in particular.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Book Answers All of Your Questions about Taiji
Review: It's rare that a martial arts book invites such different reactions: You either love or hate this book. Yes, you can get through this rather short book quickly. Short though the book might be, it is an informative ride. Unlike many Taiji books out there, this book offers a clear depiction of the form, with clever and practical applications, performed in regular (street) clothes . . . Cool! This alone not only makes the book stand-out from the other Taiji books available but makes the book a very practical learning tool. Cool clothing aside, the content (more so than the technique presentation) was really important to me. The sections on history, training, theory--albeit brief--really shed light on many issues that (Chen) Taiji practitioners expend way too much energy trying to figure out.

Read this book if you want simple, powerful answers to your questions about Chen Taiji.

I was recently in Chen village and saw that Chen Xiaowang's curriculum--which includes the 38 Form--is taught as the standard curriculum. Certainly this is not the case all over China, but the fact that the 38 Form is now standardized at Chenjiagou--the birthplace of Taiji--meant alot to me.

Rating:
Summary: Solid information and nice presentation
Review: The simplicity of Ren Guang yi's first book on Chen Taiji was a surprise. Like so many Tai Chi books, I expected something complex. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book clearly presents Chen Taiji as what it is, an effective martial art. The clear instructions and very interesting tidbits of information make this book sort of unique - at least for martial arts books. The page on the application of Yin/Yang theory, for instance, was probably the clearest explanation I ever read on how this popular Chinese concept actually works in Tai Chi. I've heard that Ren Guang yi is a very direct, straight forward instructor - which is often hard to find in the Tai Chi world. Well this book is refreshingly straight forward and to the point, I guess just like Ren Guang Yi's teaching reputation. For a non-BS view on this complex discipline, I recommend this book.