Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good book, lack few important points
Comment: This book is great. The only thing that the author miss is the flowing of all the movements at a slow, even and inpausible pace. The author concentrates on 'song', relaxation awareness, this is vital but he miss pointing out that tai chi is actually an art of constant change and not taught by the numbers. Furthermore Grand Master Cheng Man Ching's 37 step form takes about 9 and 12 minutes preferbably. All these reference is taken from Nigel Sutton's, Tai Chi Chuan: Roots and Branches.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Complete Book of Tai Chi
Comment: By far the best book I have found that explains Tai Chi in terms a beginner can understand. Stewart describes each move by breaking down body movements. I am an instructor of the Yang style and recommend it to all of my students, use it daily myself. Thank You Stewart
Molly Carrington
Lowcountry tai chi .com
Bluffton SC
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bad technique but informative
Comment: The photos in the book are very clear but that's a bad thing... The book presents bad technique and form. As a tae kwon do, wing chun, and with a months experience in tai chi, even I know that it has bad form. But, the book gives you a lot of information and teaches a lot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beauty is only skin deep...
Comment: ...but ugly goes straight to the bone, and this book is a literal example of both sides of that old aphorism. While the raw quantity and quality of photos are very good, the main substance of the book - teaching the Cheng form - is done poorly by the book model. The model displays poor posture in almost every photo, with a strongly curved back (Tai Chi demands a straight back) and lack of precision in positioning of hands and feet. As a martial artist with moderate experience interested in learning Tai Chi, the sloppiness in form was very disappointing. Contrast this book with the expert, precise posture and position of, say, Master Liang's book.As it demands great self-control and awareness, Tai Chi is virtually impossible to learn well without a teacher, and this book will not help you in any case. It's too bad, because it otherwise uses good practices (multiple perspectives on a posture, notes on each main sequence, foot diagrams, transition drawings). You'll need to find a solid teacher, and get a better book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beauty is only skin deep...
Comment: ...but ugly goes straight to the bone, and this book is a literal example of both sides of that old aphorism. While the raw quantity and quality of photos are very good, the main substance of the book - teaching the Cheng form - is done poorly by the book model. The model displays poor posture in almost every photo, with a curved back (Tai Chi demands a straight back) and lack of precision in positioning of hands and feet. As a martial artist with moderate experience interested in learning Tai Chi, the sloppiness in form was very disappointing. Contrast this book with the expert and distinct posture and position of, say, Master Liang's book, and the technical errors are even more glaring.As it demands great self-control and awareness, Tai Chi is virtually impossible to learn well without a teacher, and this book will not help you in any case. To really learn good technique, find a solid teacher, and get a better book.
