Master Cheng's Thirteen Chapters on T'Ai-Chi Ch'uan

by Cheng Man-ch'ing

The revised edition of the classic "Thirteenth Chapters" with notes and index was prepared for teachers, scholars, and serious students seeking both T'ai-chi treasures and a broader understanding of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0912059001
• ISBN13: 9780912059006
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: Sweet Ch'i Press
• Length: 101 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great read

In this book, Professor Cheng presents a compendium of his experiences and views of Taiji Quan, along with some in-door Yang family teachings, plus commentary elaborating on the Thirteen Postures, their symbolism and correlation to the five elements, and the Taiji Classics. Qi Gong techniques and visualizations are listed, to help the practitioner progress in cultivation. The progress of Qi cultivation is described, along with advice on what to focus on, and how to apply body movement successfully. Not a book for the beginner, as you have to be quite a bit familiar with the Neidan aspects of Taiji Quan to reap the full benefits. Overall, a wonderful text. I find myself going back and re-reading from time to time.

Master Cheng's Thirteen Chapters on T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Great book on the subject by a master. It is what I expected. The service related to my purchase, shipping, etc. was very good as well.

This is the Best translation - authorized or not!

No offense meant to Madame Cheng, but this translation so far outstrips the Lo and co. version that the only reason to buy the other one is that the pictures are superb, the hardback is very well made and there are minor sections not to be in either of Wiles' 2 Cheng Books.Wile however it must be noted, only presents 'the core 13 chapters themselves. No pictures, Q and A, forwards, etc. Tese are mostly available in his 'Cheng Man Ching's Advanced Tai-Chi Form Instructions'. The Footnotes added to the second edition make it probably the best documented book on Tai-Chi in English.Unfortunately neither edition is complete as they both lack the classics, LO and Co. published them seperately as Essence of tai-Chi Chuan and Wile included them in his 'Tai-Chi Touchstones'.Wile's initial translation it may be noted was the steam that moved 'the official translation' out of the station as far as I can tell, so if he had not gone ahead and provided this seminal Tai-Chi textbook to us, would Lo finally have done it anyway?Back to translation. Wile clearly has a better grasp of Taoist Alchemical and Medical terms, or at least abeeter sense of presenting them in English [which is odd considering that Martin Inn, a co-translator, is an Acupuncturist! But there it is, what is clouded and obscure in the hardback/North Atlantic version often shines with clarity and grace in Wile's.So if you do not do Cheng's style and pictures of him prqacticing are a minor point woth you, compared to his exposition of Yang Tai-Chi Theory and Philosophy, this version is probably not just the one you want, but the only one you will need.