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Tai Chi Dynamics: Principles of Natural Movement, Health & Self-Development | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Chuckrow
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
Category: Book
List Price: $20.95
Buy New: $13.20
You Save: $7.75 (37%)
New (18) Used (1) from $12.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 372905
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 180
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 1594391165
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781594391163
ASIN: 1594391165
Publication Date: July 25, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Intended for intermediate level Tai Chi players. The author, a thirty-seven year Tai Chi practitioner with a Ph.D. in experimental physics, applies logic and basic scientific principles to clarify many perplexing concepts in Tai Chi such as force, muscle contraction, breathing, and more. Discusses self-development, Tai Chi massage, how diet effects Tai Chi, the role of a teacher and many more common concerns of intermediate Tai Chi students. Supported with photographs and drawings throughout.
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| Customer Reviews:
A bit too advanced for me right now... August 14, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is very informative, especially to me, as a beginner at Tai Chi although it is a bit over my head at times.
As far as the comments by others on the theory presented in the book, it is plenty of information for me. I do understand that when a person has been doing something such as Tai Chi, the theory becomes more important and the reader wants to get into greater detail.
I am very interested in the potential for self-defense presented in this book. I began to look into Tai Chi at my doctor's urging as a possible source of help with chronic migraines. It appears there are a lot of potential benefits with Tai Chi and this books expands on those.
Again, I think this book is a bit too advanced for a beginner and as such I would not recommend it to a person who does not understand the basics.
 Disappointing book about application of science to Taiji August 10, 2008
1 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book handles the application of scientific principles of physics and physiology to Taiji movements and postures. Such a book is a welcome addition to the available collection of books about Taiji that in general do not explain the physiological and physical base of the art. Since the author has almost 40 years experience in Taiji and holds a Ph.D. in physics he seems very well equipped to deliver a clarifying book about the subject. The book however does not live up to this expectation. The author namely has based his book for a great deal on a newly invented concept called muscular extension, where muscle bundles exert force by extending instead of contracting. He connects li or external strength with the familiar muscular contraction and jin or internal strength with the new muscular extension. Any scientific support for this phenomenon is lacking and the mechanism that he proposes is in strong conflict with both established physical laws and physiological principles. The concept is used throughout the book and many explanations are based on it. Although the book contains several useful and clarifying sections it is interspersed with this faulty concept which makes it difficult to separate the useful from the questionable stuff. It can therefore only be recommended as reading-matter for the very critical reader.
 An excellent primer on advanced tai chi "theory" August 6, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Let me start this review by saying straight out, if you have never taken a Tai Chi class, this book is not for you. Tai Chi has three components to it, a physical side, a mental side, and a spiritual side. An excellent teacher will teach all three, but the problem is many only teach the physical moves, not the reasons behind them.
This book explores the reasons behind them. It contains many topics from breathing and natural movement to self defense to self development and teaching taichi.
Like chess, taichi is easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master. This book can help you continue on your path.
Very Good Advanced Taiji Book August 3, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For the record, I received this book free from YMAA to review. I am only a beginning level practitioner of taiji, but found the explanations and some of the exercises in this book very helpful in my jujutsu training.
The author has presented a very thorough and detailed description of taiji movements. This is not a "How To" book that is going to teach you how to perform the gross motions of the typical taiji set, but explains the finer points of breath coordination, timing, muscular action and the rhythm of the energy of the movements.
I enjoyed the book, but the following sections were of special interest to me. I enjoyed the explanation of the self defense applications of some taiji movements. The section on health, self massage and healing included stories about TCM that was intriguing to me. I have added Yunnan Paiyao to my personal first aid package based on the author's recommendation.
The author also included a section on further development through teaching taiji. I wish every martial arts book included a section such as this. Although I have been practicing various martial arts for over 12 years, I have only been running my own class for 11/2 years and many of the author's discussion in this chapter I have wrangled with in my classes.
I disliked some of the author's discussion on self development. It is not that I agreed or disagreed with the authors position on dream interpretation, but I think these sort of ideas would be better left out of a taiji book. I would also like to have some more pictures of some of the exercises explained in the book.
All together it is apparent that the author is an exceptional taiji teacher and has developed a method of explaining taiji movements in written form that many taiji teachers may not be aware of. I would highly recommend this book to the intermediate or advanced practitioner.
Excellent supplement for Taiji practitioners July 14, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
First off, I received this book in advance from the YMAA for free. It's aimed at intermediate and advanced practitioners of Tai Chi, but if you're a beginner and you plan to stick with it, there are some excellent points on breathing and muscle movement that would be of help to everyone, regardless of experience. There's excellent information detailing kinesthesiology and movement dynamics that makes it a good read even if you're not interested in Tai Chi. The book focuses mainly on concepts in Tai Chi, and makes excellent use of diagrams to help illustrate points. There aren't many pictures, because as I said, it focuses mainly on concepts, but the ones that are there are detailed enough so that you can piece the movements together. Over all, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Tai Chi.
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