First impressions on picking up this paperback book is that it is a weighty tome as well it might be to explain in detail all 24 postures of the form in detail. I resolve to dip in to the book at random and find myself at brush knee twist step. Knowing James' reputation for thoroughness I am not surprised that this movement is explained over the course of no less than nineteen pages including lots of pictures covering aspects such as posture, co-ordination and also the feel of the move.
A step-by-step guide for all levels. It isn't the sort of book you could read from cover to cover. Instead when you are learning or revising a particular posture refer to this book afterwards to reinforce what you have learnt from your teacher and you will find all the salient points covered. Whether you are a student or teacher you will find plenty there to interest you. Personally when designing a lesson plan to teach a movement from this form I would check in this book to make sure I have covered everything.
The old way of learning was about repetition under the tutelage of a sifu and finding the right questions through hard work. You hungered for knowledge and when one of your questions was answered you would have an 'aha!' moment and that understanding would remain with you forever. With this book the questions and the answers are right there in front of you because that is the modern way. The risk is that learning becomes a chore, like it can be at school.
I love this book for spreading understanding of tai chi. I hate it for taking away some of the magic, but mostly I love it for being a comprehensive and readily understood aid to learning and teaching. After all, there' s always a deeper magic!
Published by Singing Dragon ISBN: 978-1-84819-041-2
