Suggested Reading List
  • T'ai Chi Ch'uan
  • Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan
    by Cheng Man Ch'Ing (Author), Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo (Translator), Martin Inn (Translator) (Blue Snake Books - Jan 21, 1993)



    Product Description
    In this erudite yet practical book Professor Cheng shares the secrets of his lineage and takes us to the heart of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, presenting it as a martial art a medicine, and a means of exercise and self-development. With examples from anatomy and physics, he demonstrates precisely how the postures and moves work, internally as energetic principles, and externally on opponents. Professor Cheng always emphasizes that disease (like an attack from an opponent) is an opportunity for training. The practitioner of T'ai Chi Ch'uan may serve as his (or her) own doctor and, likewise, as the physician (or trainer) of an attacker.

    This special text includes:
    -Thirteen essays on his insights into T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
    -Oral secrets from his teacher, Yang Cheng'fu.
    -Questions and answers giving his commentary to the classics.
    -Descriptions and mechanics of push-hands, San Shou, and Ta Lu.
    -Prefaces by both Madame Cheng and Bejamin Pang-Jeng Lo.

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  • Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Advanced T'ai-Chi Form Instructions
    by Manqing Zheng (Author), Douglas Wile (Translator) (Sweet Ch I Press; 1st edition - Jun 1, 1985)



    Product Description
    This book contains selected writings by Cheng Man-Ch'ing on T'ai Chi, as well as meditation, the I Ching, medicine, and the Arts. This is a supplement to other books concerning the form and auxiliary issues.

    Language Notes
    Text: English (translation)
    Original Language: Chinese

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  • Gateway to the Miraculous: Further Explorations in the Tao of Cheng Man Ch'ing
    by Wolfe Lowenthal (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books - Jun 15, 1994)



    Product Description
    This book is a sequel to Wolfe Lowenthal’s first book: There Are No Secrets. Like the previous book, it is about his teacher, the great Cheng Man-ch’ing, the art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and his experience as a student and teacher.



    About the Author
    Wolfe Lowenthal was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1939 and attended Carnegie Mellon. He has worked as an anti-war activist, a typesetter, and a screen writer. In 1967 he studying T'ai Chi Ch’uan with Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing, eventually becoming an assistant. After Professor Cheng’s death in 1975, Lowenthal began teaching T'ai Chi. He lives with his wife and young son in New York, where he studies and teaches at his school, The Long River T'ai Chi Circle. He is the author of a previous book about Professor Cheng, There Are No Secrets, published in 1991.

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  • T'ai Chi Classics (Shambhala Classics)
    by Waysun Liao (Author) (Shambhala - Feb 6, 2001)



    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.


    Language Notes
    Text: English (translation)
    Original Language: Chinese

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  • T'ai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions
    by Douglas Wile (Sweet Ch I Press; 8th edition - Mar 1, 2010)



    Product Description
    Though "secret transmissions" is somewhat of a misnomer, what the author presents is a collection of early published T'ai Chi material--mostly by Yang Cheng'Fu, though there is one work
    indirectly attributed to Yang Ban Hou. These early works are not a step-by-step manual, but guides to the practicing student to help gain insight into what they're practicing. Though much of the material is by (and thus, oriented towards) a Yang-stylist, the fundamental principles of T'ai Chi remain the same in all styles, so there is enough material that all T'ai Chi practitioners can benefit by. The author's foreword, gives the colorful (and sometimes conflicting) historical background and accounts of the Yang family, which is in of itself a fascinating read. This book is definitely recommended for any serious T'ai Chi student.

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  • T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ta Wen (Questions and Answers on T'ai Chi Ch'uan)
    by Chen Wei-Ming (Author), Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo (Translator), Robert W. Smith (Translator) (North Atlantic Books - January 26, 1993)



    Product Description
    "This book, T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ta Wen, was written sixty years ago by Professor Ch'en Wei-ming, who was a famous exponent of the Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan and a student of the great master, Yang Cheng-fu. In 1927 he established the Chih Jou School in Shanghai where he taught many students. At that time he saw how popular T'ai Chi Ch'uan was becoming and he was concerned that if it became a fad it would lose its original spirit. In the process of its being spread, its principles would be forgotten or mixed with other forms, thus leading to the loss of an important part of its essence. Therefore, this book is based only on what Professor Ch'en heard in his teacher's classes. The questions are his own personal questions."
    -Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo, from the Introduction


    Language Notes
    Text: English, Chinese (translation)

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  • T'ai Chi: The "Supreme Ultimate" Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense
    by Cheng Man-Ch'ing (Author), Robert W. Smith (Author) (Tuttle Publishing; 2 edition - Dec 15, 2004)



    Product Description
    The Chinese secret for youthfulness, health and long life lies at least partly in T'ai Chi, the ballet-like calisthenics they've practiced for centuries. This rhythmical art stresses slow breathing, balanced and relaxed postures and absolute calmness of mind. The practice itself need take no more than ten minutes a day. This book is a complete step-by-step manual for the beginner. It contains photos of Professor Cheng performing the form, a brief history of T'ai Chi and its origins, and a nice chapter on martial arts applications.


    About the Author
    The late Cheng Man-ch'ing was an international authority on T'ai Chi and wrote extensively on the topic.

    Robert W. Smith was Cheng Man-ch'ing's first American student and is also the author of     The Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing and A Complete Guide to Judo. He lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

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  • The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan: A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Practice
    by Wong Kiew Kit (Tuttle Publishing - Nov 15, 2002)



    Product Description
    The ancient martial art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is one of the most effective stress-busters available. In China, it is also used extensively for the prevention and treatment of illnesses, and its beneficial effects for health and fitness are now widely recognized in the West. The Complete Book of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is a comprehensive and fascinating guide to the practical application and potential benefits of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Packed with step-by-step illustrations for practice at home, it covers everything you would want to know about this ancient art. It is both an ideal introductory guide, and an invaluable reminder for those who have already taken classes.


    About the Author
    Wong Kiew Kit has practiced and taught Shaolin kung fu, chi kung, and meditation for more than 30 years and has over 2,000 students. He is the fourth generation successor of Monk Jiang Nan of the Shaolin Monastery and Grandmaster of Shaolin Wahnam Kung Fu and Chi Kung Institute. He is the author of many books on Eastern wisdom.

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  • There Are No Secrets - Professor Cheng Man-ching and His T'ai Chi Ch'uan
    by Wolfe Lowenthal (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books - Jan 27, 1991)



    Product Description
    "Wolfe Lowenthal's quiet little memoir will with window-opening wisdom reinforce, I think, my view of how Cheng stood on T'ai Chi. It tells how a young writer reacted to this strange Chinese man when he appeared in New York City in the mid-1960s and stayed there for a decade before returning to Taiwan to die in 1975. In a nickel town where neurosis is a cardinal virtue, the T'ai Chi center established by Cheng soon became an oasis of learning. In my visits there I was invariably approached by a quiet fellow with a ready smile and loads of questions. His form and sensing hands improved but he never lost his kindly ways. This led me once to tell the three seniors that the one person in the club who best exemplified T'ai Chi was this junior. That man who has since become a teacher of the art is the author if this book."
    -Robert W. Smith, from the Preface



    About the Author
    Wolfe Lowenthal was born in 1939 in Pittsburgh, and began his study of t'ai chi ch'uan in 1967 with Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing, in New York. Over the years, he has worked as a typesetter, screenwriter, and peace activist. He currently lives, studies and teaches at his school, the Long River T'ai Chi Circle in New York City.

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  • Chi Kung (Qigong)
  • The Art of Chi Kung: Making the Most of Your Vital Energy
    by Wong Kiew Kit (Author) (Cosmos Press - Oct 31, 2004)



    Product Description
    Chi Kung, as well as being an effective means of stress management and healing, is a useful technique for developing the general fitness of the mind and body. This book explores the principles and philosophy of Chi Kung, explaining the potential benefits and then taking the reader through a series of main Chi Kung exercises, all fully illustrated, which can be practiced at home. The exercises are extremely effective and quite simple to practice. This excellent volume gives you an introduction to Chi Kung and the impact it can have on your life.


    About the Author
    Wong Kiew Kit, popularly known as Sifu Wong, is the fourth generation successor of Venerable Jiang Nan from the famous Shaolin Monastery in China and Grandmaster of Shaolin Wahnam Institute of Kungfu and Chi Kung. He received the "Qiqong (Chi Kung) Master of the Year" Award during the Second World Congress on Qiqong held in San Francisco in 1997.

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  • The Secret of the Golden Flower
    by Thomas Cleary (Author) (HarperOne - Mar 12, 1993)



    Product Description
    This is an excellent translation of a foundational text of the classic Taoist guide to meditation that Carl Jung made famous. 'Thomas Cleary's translation is like an island of peace in the troubled sea of today's world. However, this is not a book that can be easily understood unless one has a general familiarity with Taoism and Buddhism.

    Language Notes
    Text: English (translation)
    Original Language: Chinese     --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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