One of the first books I bought on Tàijíquán (太极拳), it is certainly one of my classics. The book is divided in two sections, the second a more traditional instructional manual of the Yáng Style form in the way that Zhèng Mànqīng (鄭曼青) taught it.
The piece that is really interesting is the first section, the one that gives the title of the book. The thirteen treatises are insightful meditations on the nature, mechanics and impact of Tai Chi Chuan. They are rather clear explanations, away from the jargon of the art, that come from the personal experience of a master. Among the treatises, there are two I am particularly fond of: "Changing the Temperament" and "Strength and Physics".
"Changing the Temperament" is a very personal opinion on impacts of the practice on the practicioner psychology. What strikes me in the text is the modesty of the conclusion, or its non conclusion. He asserts that, despite his own experience, the real impacts on temperament remain to be demonstrated. Zhèng Mànqīng (鄭曼青) takes a refreshing position if compared to more usual and sometimes dogmatic views on the impacts of Tàijíquán (太极拳).
"Strength and Physics" is a clear explanation of the mechanics at play in the practice, an explanation that at the same time is accessible as it avoids the jargon and down-to-earth as it avoids some of the far-fetched pseudo-scientific comparisons of Tàijíquán (太极拳) and physics that one can find in western books.
The piece that is really interesting is the first section, the one that gives the title of the book. The thirteen treatises are insightful meditations on the nature, mechanics and impact of Tai Chi Chuan. They are rather clear explanations, away from the jargon of the art, that come from the personal experience of a master. Among the treatises, there are two I am particularly fond of: "Changing the Temperament" and "Strength and Physics".
"Changing the Temperament" is a very personal opinion on impacts of the practice on the practicioner psychology. What strikes me in the text is the modesty of the conclusion, or its non conclusion. He asserts that, despite his own experience, the real impacts on temperament remain to be demonstrated. Zhèng Mànqīng (鄭曼青) takes a refreshing position if compared to more usual and sometimes dogmatic views on the impacts of Tàijíquán (太极拳).
"Strength and Physics" is a clear explanation of the mechanics at play in the practice, an explanation that at the same time is accessible as it avoids the jargon and down-to-earth as it avoids some of the far-fetched pseudo-scientific comparisons of Tàijíquán (太极拳) and physics that one can find in western books.
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