A good starting point?

[joeblast]

Hello all...
I've been exposed to a lot of tai chi concepts just by being here - after reading a bit and watching a couple you tube vids, I think I like it and would like to get a start on it. What book(s) would yall recommend? I figured I'd ask instead of blindly picking one out like I did with Secret of Youth when I first started studying qigong! I'm basically looking for 2-3 books and perhaps a DVD to start with.
I've got lots of lovely old injuries, this looks like a good way to keep them in check. Thus far my martial arts experience outside of qigong has been limited to a handful of wing chun forms (which I still practice and enjoy.) I'm mostly looking for health benefits - my joints snapped and popped like a bowl of rice crispies before I started doing qigong and its helped me a bunch. Tai Chi almost seems like an extension of the qigong stuff I've been doing.
Any suggestions would be great!
thanks!
Dan

[Tarandus]

Dr Yang, Jwing Ming practises the Yang Pan Hou form and his materials are authoritative and reliable, and you can view them by navigating from the home page on this site. For the Yang Cheng Fu form, Yang Cheng Fu's youngest son, Yang Zhen Duo is still alive, and has taught all his Tai Chi to his grandson Yang Jun. They have published numerous materials, including DVDs on the Yang Cheng Fu form, available from the following website (and probably from such suppliers as Amazon as well):

http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/products/

I would suggest either of the above as being the most authoritative self-instruction materials you are likely to encounter.

Kind regards, T.

[joeblast]

Thanks Tarandus...I asked because I could only narrow my selections down so far! Looking for 2 or 3 to start with but came up with 6 contenders...trying to decide between these books by Dr Yang:

Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 POstures w/ Martial Applications
Taijiquan Classical Yang Style
The Root of Taijiquan
Essence of Taiji Qigong
Inside Tai Chi: Hints, Tips...
Sunrise Tai Chi

[SunTzu]

Thanks Tarandus...I asked because I could only narrow my selections down so far! Looking for 2 or 3 to start with but came up with 6 contenders...trying to decide between these books by Dr Yang:

Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 POstures w/ Martial Applications
Taijiquan Classical Yang Style
The Root of Taijiquan
Essence of Taiji Qigong
Inside Tai Chi: Hints, Tips...
Sunrise Tai Chi

I would start with the blue titles, preferably Essence of Taiji Qigong first, and also buy the DVD's too.



After that, go for :

- Taijiquan: Martial Applications
- Taijiquan: Theory and Martial Power
- Taiji Qinna



And if you have the money, I also would buy these two.

- Embryonic Breathing
- Small Circulation



cheers !

[joeblast]

Awesome, thanks man!
Already have EB & SC books, those rule!

[SunTzu]

No thanks Joe !
I'm just glad that it helps

ps. except for Classical Yang Style, the books are all non-related to a particular style, but they're based on Yang style though.

[joeblast]

Cool - I know nothing of these styles right now, but I'm always learning something about anything!

[angryboy]

Hi, in the book of Mantak Chia i was reading there is such level of tai chi where you male tai chi like skeleton (breathing throught the bones and feeling youself like skeleton) , i foun also several sites with pictures and cartoons with tai chi "dancing skeleton"... What is for level of exercises? High? Or after what comes such level? I saw also picture (photo with picture) on one site, in the belly there was small man making tai chi chuan also. I don't saved these links, but what are these for levels? I haven't read the books of Dr.Yang about tai chi chuan (have known about them too late, only dvd), exercise with him perhaps much better ?

[lilman]

What Mantak Chia is talking about is Bone breathing and/or bone compression breathing. You should NOT try this until you have completed grand circulation and are comfortable with skin breathing and 4 gates breathing.
Basically in the first method, bone breathing, first imagine you are nothing but bones. you should forget about your skin, muscles and internal organs. you breath in and imagine qi entering your fingertips and toes, imagine chi entering your bone marrow one body part at a time until it feels full (ie hands, wrists, forearms, upperarms, feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, spine, shoulders, chest/ribcage, skull). When Qi enters and feels full in the area your training, on inhale, draw in new qi. On exhale, spiral existing qi in your body around the bones and imagine it compressing deep into your bone marrow one body part at a time. After a while, it should yield a feeling as if your bones are iron wrapped in cotton. Then once you can do the whole body, try doing it simultaiously. Then you can lead your qi strongly anywhere in your body, and use bone breating to practice your Taichi using this method. it will feel like your a floating skeleton. Then when you advance and pack enough qi in your bone marrow, it will yield a vibrating sensation which will get stronger the more you practice.
The second way is compressing breathing. imagine you are just a skeleton, and imagine your chi compressing into your bone marrow one section at a time (see above). Once you can feel your qi compress to your bone marrow everywhere, practice the whole body simultaniously. Then when comfortable doing that, compress deeper, and eventually the qi will begin to vibrate. compress deeper and deeper until the vibrations are substantial. They may also manifest externally. Then you just try to control the vibrations, making them faster and stronger, and slower and weeker till you can "regulate without regulating".
The compressed vibrating qi is considered the chi used in jin by some tai chi masters. Some dont teach anything like that. two references is Mantak Chias Bone Marrow Nei Kung, and The Tai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao.

[sysop]

Thanks Tarandus...I asked because I could only narrow my selections down so far! Looking for 2 or 3 to start with but came up with 6 contenders...trying to decide between these books by Dr Yang:

Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 POstures w/ Martial Applications
Taijiquan Classical Yang Style
The Root of Taijiquan
Essence of Taiji Qigong
Inside Tai Chi: Hints, Tips...
Sunrise Tai Chi

joeblast...I have used the "Simplified Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 Postures w/ Martial Applications". It's not Master Yang teaching, it's Grandmaster Liang, Shou-Yu. It's very thorough in it's step-by-step instruction of the 24 posture short form based on Yang style (sometimes referred to as the Beijing Taijiquan 24 Form). If you are looking for a good introduction of Tai Chi before possibly digging into a traditional or long form, this DVD would work for that. I practice the 24 form daily and it has been a tremendous help in providing a foundation for my long form studies.

http://www.ymaa.com/publishing/internal/taijiquan/tai_chi_chuan_24_48_DVD