YMAA ISBN 1-886969-71-X51295
This is the latest offering from Dr. Yang Jwing-ming and his YMAA Publication Centre. Dr. Yang is a publishing phenomenon who has single-handedly produced a huge number of writings on Chinese martial arts and Qi Gong. He is particularly noted for his skill in White Crane Boxing and is on the seminar circuit in Europe and the USA. I don’t know him personally, but I saw him demonstrating Tai Chi in America back in 1992.
One of the things Chinese scholars will like about this book is that Dr. Yang has included the original Chinese texts as well as his translations and commentary. The texts themselves have appeared in English before in one form or another, but not in the one volume. The use of the word “secrets” is overdone, but reading the book, I did get a couple of new insights - on the concept of “Double Weighting” and Dr. Yang’s translation of shi as “patterns” instead of postures, his explanations of the difficult concept of suspended headtop are also good.
The texts are not all of the same quality or importance especially text 12 which purports to be an old Tai Chi Classic from the reign of the Emperor Qian Long (1736-96) during the Qing dynasty, and which claims “…Heng Ha, two Qi’s are marvellous and infinite” These are in fact the onomatopaeic names of two legendary Zhou dynasty marshals. Heng (Snorter) could discharge two columns of white light from his nostrils to consume his enemies, while Ha (Blower) could emit a deadly yellow gas, yet the good doctor takes all this at face value.
All in all the description on the cover “A Motivational Pocket Guide for Tai Chi Chuan” is a pretty accurate one and at £10.95 it is a worthwhile investment for the expert as well as the enthusiast.
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