Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book. Very helpful and easy to understand.
Review: A book that you will read several times over, each time gaining a new & different essense. The author is an amazing
person. Very enlightening. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: A man who speaks poetically of his love of movement
Review: As a new student of Tai Chi (really new) I want to learn more than just the moves. I bought this book because of previous reviewers' comments and I am eternally greatful to them and to my wisdom in paying attention. If I never took that first step, I would still know the essence of Tai Chi. It is in the words of Al Huang. Surely a man who speaks like this will be immortal through his gifts to the rest of us.
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Summary: This book has helped me save lives.
Review: I love this book. As a Chi Gung practioner with over 30 years experience, a Shaman, and an Author (CHI GUNG: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick), I would like to share that I think that this book is truly wonderful. It gently teaches a different perspective on Tai Ji, a view that encourages relaxation, spontanaity, and love. This book is about truly living in the moment and embracing life with a smile. Sure, there are a lot of purely technical books out there but I think that many of them actually miss the whole point of what Tai Ji or the healing arts are all about. What this book shows is that Tai Ji can be about having fun as you twirl in the moment with the wonders of childhood. Buy this book. It just might give you a fresh perspective on life. And with that, you can look at any challenge from a new angle and that's where creativity comes in. That is how this book has helped me to save the lives of others in crisis situations.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious and potentially misleading
Review: I purchased this book because it had 5 star reviews and I thought it might be worth adding to my collection of books on tai chi. I was sadly disappointed. This is not really a book about tai chi chuan; at least not as it is generally understood, particularly in China. Rather it contains the author's musing about forms of slow meditative movement loosely based on certain tai chi chuan principles. I say "musings" because on the whole what the author has to say is vague and not very coherent.Perhaps the character of the book can best be described as self-consciously "new age". The only reason I can think of for buying it, is as an illustration of one of the directions in which tai chi has developed in the west. If it were the only book one were to read on the subject, what little you would learn from it would be highly misleading.
Rating:
Summary: Keeping up to the caption - "Essence of Taiji"
Review: If you think there is anything to the reviews that rate this book less than 4 stars - then think again - the caption of the book says "Essence of Taiji" and not "Forms of Taiji Chuan" nor even "Essence of Taiji Chuan". This book does NOT give details of forms, motifs etc, but it gives you tremendous insight into the principles of Taiji. In fact it is one of the very few books available that teach you Taiji instead of Taiji Chuan or Taiji Qigong. Most of us use our Taiji form practice as a drug, i.e., we just do the practice everyday and forget all about it. But this book will teach you how to imbibe the subtle yet profound principles behind Taiji into your life. In short, this book teaches you a secret! So pick it up quietly before you miss the Chance! I have read many many books on Taiji, believe me, this is one book that doesn't cover the health or psychological or philosophical aspects of Taiji, instead it dwelves into the EXISTENTIAL, SPIRITUAL and INSPIRATIONAL aspects of this great art.
Rating:
Summary: Keeping up to the caption - "Essence of Taiji"
Review: If you think there is anything to the reviews that rate this book less than 4 stars - then think again - the caption of the book says "Essence of Taiji" and not "Forms of Taiji Chuan" nor even "Essence of Taiji Chuan". This book does NOT give details of forms, motifs etc, but it gives you tremendous insight into the principles of Taiji. In fact it is one of the very few books available that teach you Taiji instead of Taiji Chuan or Taiji Qigong. Most of us use our Taiji form practice as a drug, i.e., we just do the practice everyday and forget all about it. But this book will teach you how to imbibe the subtle yet profound principles behind Taiji into your life. In short, this book teaches you a secret! So pick it up quietly before you miss the Chance! I have read many many books on Taiji, believe me, this is one book that doesn't cover the health or psychological or philosophical aspects of Taiji, instead it dwelves into the EXISTENTIAL, SPIRITUAL and INSPIRATIONAL aspects of this great art.
Rating:
Summary: Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Taiji
Review: Like an eariler reviewer, I bought the book based on it's high rating, the author's reputation, and my positive experience with Chaungliang Al Huang's collaboration with Alan Watt's "Tao, the Watercourse Way". But this book left me very disappointed. The book was rather a rambling transcription of tapes from his classes involving comments on movements we could only visuallize. Also, Al Huang has a unique "dance" approach to tai chi that differs from most teachers approaches in the way that Jazz differes from Classical music. I suspect Chaungliang Al Huang's approach works wonderfully in a seminar, but it did not translate well into book form. I do not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing: I don't understand this books popularity
Review: Like an eariler reviewer, I bought the book based on it's high rating, the author's reputation, and my positive experience with Chaungliang Al Huang's collaboration with Alan Watt's "Tao, the Watercourse Way". But this book left me very disappointed. The book was rather a rambling transcription of tapes from his classes involving comments on movements we could only visuallize. Also, Al Huang has a unique "dance" approach to tai chi that differs from most teachers approaches in the way that Jazz differes from Classical music. I suspect Chaungliang Al Huang's approach works wonderfully in a seminar, but it did not translate well into book form. I do not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Written by a truly understanding man
Review: Most of this book is about the wisdom behind the movements(this is not a how-to book). The last three chapters are on calligraphy, the zen ox pictures, and the Tao Te Ching. A wonderful pulling together the ideas of Taoism.
Rating:
Summary: Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Taiji
Review: Ok, for those of you truly seeking Taiji wisdom of substance and quality, don't purchase this book! It is not worth your time. The actual principles of Chen Style or Wudang (Classical Yang) style are not covered within the pages of this book. While the writer may have personally received some legitimate teaching as a youngster in China, what he now offers is a trivialized, New Ager, Westernized, watered down version of a very lethal and potent Martial Arts system. If you are genuinely looking for practical, intelligent and competent information on Taiji Quan, you should check out the works of present day Masters like Waysun Liao(Essence of Taiji), Wong Kiew Kit(Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan), Yang Jwing-Ming(Classical Yang Style Taiji), or Master Jou, Tsung Hwa (Dao of Taijiquan: Way of Rejuvenation). Otherwise, you should allow your Sifu to recommend to you what books to read. The book you are looking for is not (Emrace Tiger, Return to Mountain).
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