Tai Chi Finder

Warriors of Stillness (Volume 1) by Jan Diepersloot is quite simply is the best basic training manual I have come across for the serious tai chi student of any style! Jan is a very generous teacher and this book is his sincere attempt to pass on this knowledge to those with the dedication to receive it and make it their own.

This is an account of the training that the author (a keen student of Yang style tai chi and of standing meditation) undertook with Wu ji grandmaster Cai Song Fang whose abilities include high level push hands and empty force.

It is very much a practical book. It is not about tai chi for relaxation, will not teach you any philosophy, applications or forms – in fact Teacher Cai doesn't do tai chi forms. What it will do, through standing practice, solo drills and plenty of partner-work including isometric exercises for building structure and awareness, is give you a deep grounding in the essence of tai chi:

 

• how to stand

• how to move

• how to spiral

• directing the chi (threading the nine pearls)

• how to absorb and neutralise

• how to issue

 

Two particular features of this book I haven't come across elsewhere in tai chi textbooks are the emphasis being placed on the knee rather than the hip (seems to be better for the knee), and also the importance of maintaining the centre line when shifting the weight back and forth rather than letting it the centre move diagonally between the feet.

The format of this paperback is a bit amateurish – mine started to fall apart within 2 weeks but the value of the training speaks for itself. The descriptions of the postures and movements and mental focus are detailed and very specific- overcomplicated at times - but it is better to explain too much rather than too little!  In the new preface to the book the author says that he though about rewriting the book in the light of his current understanding but decided to leave it unchanged. I agree this is probably best. There are many different ways to imagine the connections, muscles, chi, movements etc. My own understanding of how it all links together still changes frequently.

In summary, this is a rare gem of a book, (but not one for the complete beginner) and I look forward to reading the third book of the series when it comes out next year - see www.warriorsofstillness.com

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780964997608/Warriors-of-Stillness-v.1

Further reading:

Master Lam Kam Chuen's The Way of Energy (attractively illustrated book on Zhan Zhuang - standing like a tree)

Peter Ralston's The Art of Effortless Power (detailed illustrated explanations on theory and applications)

Peter Ralston's Zen Body-Being (written in clearly understandable English)