(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best tai chi & qi gong books

These were posted to a similar thread yesterday about learning aikido, and might fit into this discussion as well. The last few are not at all at the basic level, but I enjoy them so much I thought they should stay:

For an enjoyable exploration of the history and protocol of the dojo, try "In the Dojo" by Dave Lowry: In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts https://www.amazon.com/dp/0834805723/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_4LAjxb1G1DTNG

For an entertaining, and actually true, bildungsmroman of a trio of Oxford students who find themselves in Tokyko and decide, out of boredom, to join the year-long intensive Tokyo police riot squad training program. This was Gozo Shioda's dojo, probably in the 1980's, and is an accurate glimpse of what training was like in the early days of the Yoshinkan style: Angry White Pyjamas: A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons From The Tokyo Riot Police https://www.amazon.com/dp/0688175376/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_yNAjxb9VXJ7PN

You may also be interested in Aikido Shugyo, by Gozo Shioda, which describes his early days with O-Sensei, and his post-war experiences, along with some philosophical refections: http://www.shindokanbooks.com/shugyo.shtml

If you are looking for something meaty and practical, check out the excellent books by Marc Tedeschi, "The Art of Holding" and "The Art of Throwing" which are essentially jiu-jjtsu but form an extremy comprehensive catalog of practically every fundament technique in taijitsu regardless of the art or style: The Art of Holding: Principles & Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/1891640763/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_28Ajxb9YBNQDY and The Art of Throwing: Principles & Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/0834804905/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_T.AjxbZQZ76CK

Finally, I hesitate to suggest this one since it probably won't mean anything until you have much deeper immersion in practical aikido techniques (and it might be hard to find, being almost out of print), but it's a good compendium of aiki-jitsu style, the formative roots that predate aikido, and depending on your background and mindset might add some dimension: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-hidden-roots-of-aikido-9784770023278?cc=us&lang=en&

Have fun!

I believe it's Yang short form, but it has 60 movements I think, not 37. Regardless, this book was highly recommended by a great tai chi teacher I had:

• Body Mechanics of Tai Chi Chuan
  
  Personally I feel like a very basic qi gong form can be as effective or more so than for tai chi. If you're interested I could probably walk you through some basic movements.

The main thing is that you should see if there's an instructor nearby. In general, doing taijiquan is relatively safe, but there are some movements which may hurt your knees if the movement isn't quite right.

This ebook has excellent cost to quality ratio (the Kindle e-book edition is free). It's nice for filling in the background on the main styles and terminology.

So, there are a few different styles. Most common one is Yang family style, and within the different branches of what counts as Yang style, the shortened 24 postures form is probably the most common. If you really, really can't find an instructor, Ian Sinclair's video series on the postures can get you started here. There's also a few alright introductions into the shorter Chen forms on YouTube, but those do look like they just might be a bit piratey. For-pay, there's Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts site (link) which offer a wealth of material, but if you rely only on master Ken (no, not that Master Ken) you'll essentially need Skype and/or a way to video yourself to get feedback.

There is also a wealth of literature; depending on your interests, there may be some literature which tells about the connection of the set to the traditional Chinese medicine theories or the applications embedded into the movements. (Though in the form, the actions are more or less mimed and applications may vary considerably on how the form is done.)

E: Added a note on Chen family style resources.

This might get a little shop-talky, but have you ever read Da Liu's little book on I Ching and Tai Chi Ch'uan? (That, as far as I can remember, is the actual title.)

It's really kind of interesting - he talks about internal states of the 108 forms as corresponding with various hexagrams. I remember him comparing... I think it was Hex 33, but definitely something with Gen/Mountain underneath... with the horse stance, the yin lines being like super-stable, rooted legs.

Oh, yeah - it's on Amazon. Not a thick book at all, but pretty interesting. Using the body as a study guide, sort of.

There are principles and techniques to apply. There is the yang Taiji bang vs the yin taiji ruler, and the postures for static zhan zhuang differ for each. The dynamic qi building exercises differ even more. You might want to do some research to learn from a master who actually teaches these techniques in depth.

Specific to your question: the Taiji bang should be cylindrical, rounded at the ends, the length of your wrist to your elbow, and the diameter of your wrist. It can be held with palms flat against the ends for zhan zhuang, so a rolling pin might not work. It can also be held around the ends as you would a staff or baton, and the wrist like diameter is intended to strengthen your grip for qinna or grappling as well.

This is an image of both the bang and ruler. The shorter stick is the ruler.
https://images.app.goo.gl/geUZk5LQstrhfYQXA

Look for instructional material like this: https://www.amazon.com/Special-Taoist-Taiji-Stick-Qigong/dp/B0019TPE34

You should be able to find Master Wang Feng Ming's website if you want to purchase a copy directly.

Special note: there is a very cringe worthy video I've seen of someone teaching exercises he created himself while holding a home depot wooden ruler, probably because he's heard the term Taiji ruler. Be selective and discerning of the information you find on the net, including mine.

The Secret Teachings Of Aikido by John Stevens.
I really enjoyed the book, as it starts with Ueshiba's youth (military stage, family)
continues with maturity (religious beliefs, influencers, training, meditation, dojos) and continues with his elderly years(philosophy, uchi-deshi, meditation, enlightenment).
It's a lot of value in there to see his evolution and how aikido was modeled over the years. Throughout this book I've also learned that he achieved his greatest strength at the age of 50.

Here are a few good titles that come to mind. Some are older:

• Nei Jia Quan by Jess O'Brian
  
• Way of Hunyuan by Chen Zhonghua
  
• T'ai Chi's Ancestors translated by Douglas Wile
  
• Lost T'ai Chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty translated by Douglas Wile
  
• Xing Yi Quan Xue The Study of Form-Mind Boxing by Sun Lu Tang
  
• Xing Yi Nei Gong Xing Yi Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell
  
• Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua by Lu Shengli
  
  They are fun to read, but no replacement for a good teacher.
  
  Enjoy!

A great book for Yang classics is Tai Chi Touchstones by Douglas Wile. You get pretty much every famous passage, song, poem, and less known extracts and bits of oral transmission up to Yang Cheng Fu and including a few of his disciples, plus added commentary.

OP, I was told you don't want to micromanage. Even things like breathing, I was told you don't want to try and force it. Early on you want to relax, and reduce the noise in your body. But you do want to be aware of what you're doing to follow the 10 important points that make your form tai-chi and have some alert spirit.

Hrgood,
Many thanks for your wonderful reply to my questions - these kinds of answers are exactly what I am looking for.
In addition to the Draeger and Otaki book (which I am going to buy because you and Dave recommend it so highly), here are the details of a couple of other Kata books, just in case you are not aware of them.

1. 'Ju -No-Kata: A Kodokan Textbook Revised and Expanded from 'Born on the Mat' - (2004) - by Keiko Fukuda (I have this book)
   https://www.amazon.ca/Ju-No-Kata-Kodokan-Textbook-Keiko-Fukuda/dp/1556435045/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ju-no-kata&qid=1573000556&sr=8-1
   
   
2. 'Kata Judo - The Authorized Text - British Judo Association' - (1982) by T.P. Leggett and Dr. Jigoro Kano
   https://www.amazon.com/Kata-Judo-Renshuden-judo-library/dp/057201175X (I also have this book)
   
   
3. 'Judo Kata : Les formes classiques du Kodokan Paperback' – (2018) - by Roland Habersetzer (Adapter), Tadao Inogaï (Contributor)
   https://www.amazon.ca/Judo-kata-formes-classiques-Kodokan/dp/2846174105
   
   
4. 'Judo - Nage-no-Kata' - (2009) - by Ute Pfeiffer
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Judo-Nage-no-Kata-Ute-Pfeiffer/dp/1841262803/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=judo+kata&qid=1573001117&sr=8-13
   
   
5. 'Judo Kata: Practice, Competition, Purpose' - (2016) - by Robert W. Smith M.A. (Author), Llyr Jones Ph.D. (Author), Biron Ebell M.A. (Author), & 4 more
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Judo-Kata-Practice-Competition-Purpose/dp/1893765350/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=judo+kata&qid=1573001117&sr=8-14
   
   
6. ' The Complete Seven Katas of Judo' - (1986) - by M. Kawaishi (Author), Mikinosuke Kawaishi (Author), E. J. Harrison (Translator) I AM GOING TO BUY THIS ONE BECAUSE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1957, AND BECAUSE THE TRANSLATOR, E.J. HARRISON WAS A STUDENT OF KANO'S IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY
   https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Seven-Katas-Judo-Kawaishi/dp/0572000596
   
   
7. ' Ju-no-Kata' (German)
   https://www.amazon.ca/Ju-no-Kata/dp/3878920105/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ju-no-kata&qid=1573002020&sr=8-3

Hi there. I applaud your interest in traditional JSA (Japanese Sword Arts). I am not at all an expert but I did study Nakamura Ryū for two years. First, a quick and small correction: iaitō = sword for iai, iaidō = the way of iai.

The standard, default advice you will get on this matter, as with any kind of combat skill or physical activity, is this:

Get a qualified teacher.

Yes, you can begin "studying" with a bokken and not risk injury quite as much as with an iaitō or shinken (live blade), but you will invariably develop some bad habits that will be very difficult to unlearn. Better to start your journey with a clean slate if possible. All the books and videos that exist cannot critique your form and mistakes, or show you in-person the right way to do it, or explain things you are not picking up on. And moving up to shinken without training is a bad idea, for obvious reasons I hope.

To that end, the folks at e-Budo* can help you find a legitimate JSA dōjō near you, if one exists. Note that "near you" is a relative term; some iaidōka travel hours to get to practice. That is the exception rather than the rule, I'm just pointing out that people make it work if they really want it.

With all that being said…

I didn't read many iai books when I was studying Nakamura Ryū — I was always much more interested in the art historical aspects of the arms & armor, not as much the usage — but I know that Flashing Steel is a popular book about a legitimate style (Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryū). The same author also produced a video series which I have never seen. Of course I would be remiss if I did not mention my own ryū's founder, Nakamura Taizaburo, and his book on the subject.

These books will not allow you to "learn iaidō" in a practical sense, but they will give you a solid start on understanding it, studying the fundamentals in an academic way, etc. I mean, you can of course pick up a lot of practical skills… but you will also be interpreting the instruction in a unique way, and the result will not be correct from the school's perspective. This is the kind of difficulty that WMA (Western Martial Arts) practitioners face, interpreting historic fencing manuals… if they had the option, you can bet they'd study under living inheritors of those styles.

---

*Unfortunately e-Budo seems to be stalling at this moment.

The point of the video is to look at your form (whichever style your practice) and look at what function the movement/posture has. Martial forms were put together by past masters to teach students principles of movements and how energies/techniques can be applied with certain movements.

The issue with some (not all) traditional forms is that some teachers and/or students do not know or practice the function of what their forms are trying to teach. In terms of Tai Chi, there are many applications hidden within the form. Some are obvious, some are not. After learning the Yang style Tai Chi Chuan form, my sifu took each posture and taught us at least two applications and added more throughout the years.

No, this guy is not a "Tai Chi guy" and I doubt he is a "TKD guy" (I don't practice TKD), but his message about translating your form into something that is functional in a self-defense/fight situation is something that anyone from any style should at least learn if not strive for. As another person has said, at least this guy looks at Tai Chi as a serious functional martial art instead of just saying that it's useless. He posted another video asking "Can you win a fight using Tai Chi?". I suggest watching the video, but the short answer is yes, if Taiji is trained properly with martial intent and practices.

I've read a good book called Hidden Hands: Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Martial Arts Forms that explains what this guy is showing with greater detail.

If you'd like, I will buy this book for you.

While at first glace it seems a little odd, and hokey with the ninja theme, the first half does a great job of explaining, in plain English, why bullies and victims exist. It provides insight into your responsibility and gives you some options. It also has some techniques for physical confrontations, but your best bet there is some real martial arts training (which does not require you to be physically strong to develop power).

I am 34. I have been both a bully and a victim at different times in my life, and this book helped me to understand how I got into those situations and how to avoid them in the future. I can't imagine what it would have done for me, and those around me, if I'd have learned then what I know now.

The offer is sincere. PM me and I'll have amazon send it to you.

most are recommending vids (me too) but this Book: Budo is both good and interesting.

The Tao of Wing Chun is a great book about conceptual things. It's a light read and incredibly informative. The Sifu who wrote it is also usually available via email about inquires, and travels around to teach people if they are interested in running seminars.

https://www.amazon.ca/Tao-Wing-Chun-Principles-Explosive/dp/162914777X

I found a book by Stuart Alve Olson: Intrinsic Energies of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. This book is apparently a translation of a section from the Yang family training journals, titled Discourses on Intrinsic Energies. I'm trying to find the actual document name, but it doesn't seem to have one.

His translation describes a situation where you have neutralized an opponent, but they can still reach you (your center). He says to then turn outward and extend, maintaining contact and turning your opponent away. It isn't very clear terminology (like most translated classics), but what is described is not liu or ji (as we understand them). Apparently Yang Jwing Ming also talks about more energies in Advanced yang style tai chi chuan, Vol. 1. I'll pick this one up and see if he also describes long energy.

Some books:

• Jingwu
  
• Chinese martial arts from antiquity
  
• Sword polisher's record
  
• Research of martial arts
  
• Chinese martial arts manuals
  
• The Shaolin Monastery
  
  
  Fairly sure that Qi Magazine can now be accessed online for free, and the Journal of Baguazhang.

The internal work is common to all forms, Essential Concepts of Tai Chi is a surprisingly good book which doesn't talk about forms or application, but rather focuses on the essentials, which must exist in order to do actual taijiquan :)

They were definitely using their legs offensively from their back in early, early judo, but it wasn't called the "guard". Not that positions were really viewed under the same paradigm as they are now, either. This is one of the great all-time reads to give you an idea.

if you put all the technique type of books aside (which you would find plenty of recommendations on here already by searching old posts)

There's only a couple others i've read that I recommend.

Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo

The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students

My favorites

• Mind over Muscle: Writings from the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano
  
• A History of Judo, Syd Hoare
  
• The Pyjama Game, Mark Law