GrahamB wrote: I think over time people will come to realise that the type of material presented in this book is on point and will become the standard. It's something of a middle way between the two extremes of Tai Chi that we find out there, and certainly preferable to the mystical 'energy' thinking that has characterized the initial spread of the arts...
This is one of the most practical books on Tai Chi on the market right now and you need to get it. It annoys me that there aren’t more Tai Chi books like Ken’s around that actually deal with the mechanics of movement that you need to develop for Tai Chi, and I hope that Internal Body Mechanics is the first of a turning tide, because the world needs more Tai Chi books like this one.
charles wrote:I have an entire bookcase full of books on Taijiquan, all but a very few of which aren't worth the paper on which they are written. That is less a reflection of the authors and more a testament that it is nearly impossible to adequately, unambiguously do what they have attempted to do.
xian89 wrote:Out of curiosity, which taijiquan (or related arts) book(s) do you find worthwhile, "do what they have attempted to do"?
Bao wrote:Interesting... Nice review.
I am puzzled about the name "Internal Body Mechanics for Tai Chi, Bagua and Xingyi" when it's obviously focused on Chen Xiaowang's standard. There are so many different philosophies on body methods in these arts, and you can even find quite different approaches in Tai Chi styles....
But I don't recognise either Mike's method or Chen Xiaowang's as "THE Standard" of IMA body mechanics. I am not interested in a book about these methods however detailed they are so I'll pass this time. ...Maybe next book. Maybe.
But I do welcome and appreciate such a work and I am sure it's a great book to recommend to beginners and to many intermediate practitioners as well. I like Ken's podcast and his overall approach.
Bugang wrote:B.t.w. I'd say "Body Mechanics" (even if referring to internal muscles) and the "internal" in "Internal Martial Art" (refering to Yi or/and Jing) are two entirely different things and should not be mixed up.
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