Product Description

According to Master Liao, the great power of T'ai Chi cannot be realized without knowing its inner meaning. T'ai Chi Classics presents the inner meaning and techniques of T'ai Chi movements through translations of three core classics of T'ai Chi, often considered the "T'ai Chi Bible." The texts are introduced by three chapters explaining how to increase inner energy (ch'i), transform it into inner power (jing), and project this inner power outward to repel an opponent without physical contact. Master Liao also provides a description of the entire sequence of T'ai Chi movements, illustrated by his own line drawings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146704 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-06
• Released on: 2001-02-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781570627491
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

From the Inside Flap
Presents the inner meaning and techniques of T'ai Chi movements through translations of three essential texts which together are often considered the "T'ai Chi Bible." Includes practical instructions and illustrations for the entire sequence of movements

About the Author
Master Waysun Liao studied t'ai chi with a wandering Taoist and in a Taoist temple in his native Taiwan from the age of twelve. He is the founder and master of the Taichi Tao Center in Oak Park, Illinois, where he has taught t'ai chi for nearly forty years. 

Customer Reviews

Buy Recommendation
I like Tai Chi Classics. What appealed to me immediately is the straight forward manner in which Master Liao explains chi, jing, li, and how concept relates to each other. I would not say the book was written to teach a student to mechanics of Tai Chi, but instead to be an overview of the essences of chi and jing in the Tai Chi movements. Therefore, one should already have a working knowledge of the Tai Chi Movements. The book perfects the application of the Jing in the Tai Chi movements. One of the most interest statements delivered in the book, states that a practitioner may feel chi but not jing. Meaning the practitioner of Tai Chi may go through the movements of Tai Chi without ever really understanding the full impact of the art. I feel the book focuses on how the practitioner can build Jing, and the author seems to translate this approach in to the Tai Chi Form in the latter portion of the book. Does one read the book to discover amazing stories of physical feats or rather does one read the book to improve understand of what internal energy really mean.

Thanks for the translation, but...
I found this book valuable, but not outstanding. Waysun Liao is not personally known to me, but according to the sources in this book, he is an avid believer in Cheng Man Ching's perspective on Tai Chi. I am in no position to critique one perspective or another, but my take on this book was that it was tinted significantly by Master Cheng's perspective. That being said, I have not avidly studied Master Cheng (although I intend to read some of his/students' work), but there was a consistent underlying bias towards one way of looking that I wasn't convinced was originally intended by the "classics"authors. I'll try to explain what I mean in the paragraphs below.

The first section is an abridged history of Tai Chi. The next two chapters are on ch'i and jing, respecively. These two chapters are nice. They are Master Liao's (the author)insights into the concepts of ch'i and jing. He provides some nice descriptions and definitions of what he feels these terms mean, as well as medititative approaches to trying to develop ch'i and jing. As with the majority of books I've read, these definitions are things like "life energy", "internal energy" and "intrinsic energy"-- and the outcome after practicing his meditative technique is that you should soon "feel your ch'i".

Liao attempts to be more precise and detailed then that, but ultimately, as with many things, the reader is still reduced to "life energy" as the basis of all things. His descriptions include many analogical/symbolic diagrams that are sometimes helpful, but for me, mostly added nothing-- in fact, when he attempts to use real-life analogies, it's clear that his understanding of Newtonian physics is inadequate to truly use these types of examples to try and explain what he means. Ultimately, ch'i as the "energy of the universe" and "immune to the laws of time and space" is inadequate to the subject.

OTOH, his treatise on jing is interesting and informative, although still relies to heavily on his abstract definition of ch'i. Utilizing a hammer and nail analogy left me shaking my head in dismay. Liao does not always correlate his text with his hand-written diagrams. I did like his explanation of shoong, or relaxation.

His perspective pervades his Tai Chi Classics translation. The nice thing is that he translates the Classics for us non-fluent (in Chinese) readers. He then adds his own commentary, and it is heavily flavored with comments on ch'i etc. as he defines it--often where I felt the original translation wasn't referring to ch'i at all, but to other things. Sometimes his commentary is just saying it again in a slightly different way, IMO sometimes distorting the "original" meaning.

As with all things of this nature, there will be many perspectives. And it only takes one to really make a difference in specific individuals. I feel that Master Liao has given his best effort, with good intent, and that this is how HE truly understands these esoteric concepts. For that, this is a valuable book, and I think it provides a number of insights. I felt like I understood better what ch'i and jing and all that is when Masters use the terms, although I'm still not certain, just based on this book, what it actually is.

All in all, this book has and will improve my Tai Chi, and I think it brought me a step closer. But I wish there could be someone (check out Peter Ralston's early works) that could approach things on a more grand, open perspective, and gradually wheedle it down to the specifics, explaing how/why process-wise, it evolved. I didn't feel I got the BASIS for Master Liao's perspective that I think I needed to truly appreciate his effort.

Thanks for listening.

Good text. Worth a read.
Waysun Liao's knowledge seems to be genuine. He has some valuable insights and ideas.

The chapters on the background and history of taiji are somewhat misleading. The author vastly oversimplifies the history of Chinese philosophy and collectively calls Taoist, Confucian, Moist, and Buddhist philosophies "Tai Chi ideals." The section on taiji's martial history takes much the same approach. The author never mentions Chen village and offers only a vague interpretation of taijiquan's history.

The most valuable portions of this book are the chapters on qi cultivation and the classics. The final sections offer translations and interpretations of three taiji classics, but to my disappointment the author offered no historical background or context for these classics -- not even a few sentences indicating who the authors were or what their role in taiji history was.