Assays for free Tai Ji book

[SPJ]

The publisher informed me that I will receive 30 books as part of the publishing agreement.

Here is the deal.

Whoever posts good essays on the following three topics, I will mail you a copy of my new book in color.

Only have to pick a topic to enter;

1. What is the most important principle and technique in your school of MA and why? Convince everybody.

2. What is the incident or words from your MA teacher that inspired you most and why?

3. What is your favorite MA book and why?

Here is the link;

Tai Ji Book (http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~29892.aspx)

The person on the cover is MOI.

:D

[yenhoi]

Relax

Relax

Chen Men Chings 13 chapters

:eek:

[norther practitioner]

Power generation starts at the feet, you can see this even in western boxing. The difference is in, where in taiji, you'd practice keeping your feet stationary during the stike, in boxing you'd pivot about the ball of the foot. The thing that really is noticably similar, is the emphasis on waist movement. Waist movement is important, in all stiking, no matter where it came from.

It is like the initial power, generates at the feet, and moves through the body, and is passed through key areas. These key areas being each of the joints, moving as one unit that sort of amplify the power of the strike. When you get each of these things working correctly, then you can strike with real power. The biggest amplifier is the waist. This is the core muscles twisting a large mass, to translate the energy to a smaller surface being your fist or palm. While it is important to start from the feet, the first push is through the entire leg. Using your back leg like a hydraulic piston. then amplifying that in your waist, shooting it through your shoulder and elbow, and boom.

Twist the waist, it'll help you throw too...

but thats verse 2 lol...

[jon]

1. What is the most important principle and technique in your school of MA and why? Convince everybody.
* Principal - sung.
I would say relax but i honestly dont think its a very accurate translation and i dont even speak Chinese. The body must be loose and must be subtly stretched. Simply 'relax' makes it sound like you fall into a lump on the floor.
Technique - breathing.
Without it nothing can be accomplished, its so simple yet its perfectly plausible to spend a lifetime trying to study it and still come nowhere having a full understanding.
One who can really breath already is a large step infront of most others.
You wouldnt send a race car out onto the track without top quality fuel and oil.

I have no need to convince 'everybody' infact im not even sure i want to 'convince' myself. Understanding is not something which should be enforced if you catch my drift.


2. What is the incident or words from your MA teacher that inspired you most and why?
Incident - First time i met him.
I had been looking around for an Internal teacher in Sydney and had spent the day visting schools and asking around. Finaly i dropped into a little Chinese herb shop and just asked at the counter. They directed me upstairs to the top floor where a massage place and TCM clinc lurked. I made my way up the twisting stair case and enquired in the clinc but was told i had just missed the master, so i got a card and began back down the long flight of stairs feeling disapointed. About half way down the flight of stairs i passed by a little old Chinese gentleman dressed in traditional clothing litteraly running up the stairs. He smiled as he went by and kept on going as did I. When i reached the bottom of the stairs i suddenly thought to myself that must be him.
I turned around and started back up the stairs, about half way i met the same man again this time coming back down the other direction. This time we both knew what was going on and we made our introductions. He was still compleately collected and calm dispite having just run up the stairs and having come from half way accross Sydney. I on the other hand was buggered and was having a hard time already dispite being fairly fit and already a kung fu student of a few years.
So in short i was impressed and still am by his never ending energy and ability to put people half his age to shame when it comes to fitness and general stamina.

"What is your favorite MA book and why?"
* I like Yang Ban Hao's Taijiquan writings.
They make me think :D

[SPJ]

Excellent posts.

As soon as the book is available, I will PM everyone for shipping address.

[count]

LOL Sorry, they may be good posts, but they didn't convince me. I thought the standard is.

Convince everybody.

:D

[oasis]

i can't absolutely choose one book, but i'd probably say this (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556433182/qid=1108245298/sr=8-5/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i5_xgl14/104-7959743-7447164?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) (Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan) is my favorite taiji book. The reasons are because it depicts really well one of the most fascinating things about chinese martial arts, especially the internal arts. That is, no matter how much you feel you've 'mastered' a form, there are always ways to go back to the individual movements and appreciate new nuances. This book takes you through the yang 108/85 form step-by-step, making you realize that in taiji, after you understand the general postures of a movement, then you need to make sure you have proper eye focus with the movement. however, when you're focusing on the eyes and the movements, you mustn't forget to relax, keep the spine erect, etc.!

on top of all that, the book reminds one to coordinate the hands with the feet, and especially how to coordinate the weight shifts probably, which is very fundamental to taiji. Incidentally, the book was written by my shifu's teacher, Fu Zhong Wen :cool: . As the book's translator says, it is not for one that simply wants to learn the form but for those who already know the form and would like to find new insights as to how to advance in that form even more. I think it serves that purpose well.

[SPJ]

In my new book, there are totally apps and principles of techniques.

Tai Ji 13 Shi are explained with moves, apps and Tai Ji classics. Each has its own chapter. They are in the second part of the book.

The first part of the book includes all the essentials. How Jin works, how to contact, how to follow, how to neutralize Jin with all of your body parts and joints, how to soften or Ruo Hua all kinds of Qin Na.

The form from Chen Chang Xing Lao Jia is discussed at the last part. Only the first 16 postures are used as further examples of previous chapters.

There are no push hand drills. But I did cover all the principles. There are many form books already. So I do not want to repeat.

There are many good stuffs I collected over the years. Most of them are not readily available in any other books Chinese or English wise.

It is Chen Tai Ji.

[SPJ]

I think if people think about the 3 topics, that is good enough for me.

I have to keep my eye and mouth shut about the contents.

Happy New Year!


:D

[SPJ]

Oasis;

Outstanding post.

Cheers.

:)

[omarthefish]

lol@Count.

But this old canard:


Originally posted by jon
[B]* Principal - sung.
I would say relax but i honestly dont think its a very accurate translation and i dont even speak Chinese. The body must be loose and must be subtly stretched. Simply 'relax' makes it sound like you fall into a lump on the floor.

bah.

I can see it now...somwher out on 14th hole a golf instructor is saying, "that's it....take it easy...just relax..." *shlump* And some doctor on his day off falls in a heap on the green.

Michael Jordan lines up fir his free throw and remembers those magic words...."relax"..and his body goes limp like spaggetti....

My Muay Thai coach screams at us as we wail away on the thai pads, "Your too tense! You need to relax...." ...and we all learn to kick like heroin addicts.

On the dance floor, the hottie I'm with is embarrased because she's never lindy hopped before so she's not following well. I tell her she just needs to relax and she looses her frame compeltely destroying our connection because "relax" means to go into a coma....

:rolleyes:

[count]

Oh ****, here comes 14 pages on what song really is. And while were at it, how the feet generate power :confused:

[omarthefish]

That's the PUNISHMENT for excessive (ab)use of a Chinese term and a misdemeanor offense for mystification of a common concept.

[Vash]

I've read two english translations, and a few foreign tranlsations roughly translated (mostly focused on the illustrations, though) of what is considered to be the perennial text of the Ryukyu Unarmed Martial Arts.

True, it describes in detail two southern Chuan Fa systems, a white crane system and lohan chuan, and also references the Drunken skill as an exceptional method, but it also goes about giving one a more complete view of this method.

The Okinawan arts are, really, "primitive" when compared to their Chinese cousins. However, what they lack in refinement they make up for in efficacy.

An interesting note - one of the more highly regarded "power generation" methods, sometimes denoted as "chin ku chi," is very similar to what is often described as the Internal power generation. Food for thought.

looking forward to the book, SPJ. I'm sure it's excellent.

[jon]

omarthefish

* I was only trying to point out there is a difference in the translation, no need to be such a drama queen about it :p

Still when someone says 'relax' to me im tempted to sit on the couch with a beer, maybe thats just the Australian in me though.

[SPJ]

Vash;

Thanks a lot for the reply.

:D

[Becca]

What is the incident or words from your MA teacher that inspired you most and why?


I had trouble picking just one incident or comment that inspired me. My teacher is one of those people who can inspire a student just by being in the same room with them. So I decided to explain what it is about my sifu that inspires me this way.

The most striking thing about Sifu is his willingness to live his words. When he suggests a course of action to overcome some issue with my training, I know he has tried it himself. He talks about what he would like to see me do, why he wants me to try it, and what kind of results he expects me to realize. He also tells me about his own experience with this technique. If there is something he doesn’t want me to try, he will explain why. If he doesn’t feel I am ready to know a certain technique, he tells me why. I have studied under teachers who expected complete obedience without question. The frustration this attitude creates is over the top and drives good students away faster than anything.

The other part about Sifu that inspires me would be his dedication. He won’t except “I hurt today, can I just sit out the tough parts?” If my arm hurts, he tells me to drill the other arm instead. If my ankle is twisted while sparring, he’ll check it over, rub in some liniment, then expect me to get back out there. But I know this is just a drop in the bucket of what he expects from himself. I know he genuinely cares about his students’ welfare. But to become the kind of martial artists he is trying to mold us into requires that we work through the pain and soreness. One cannot attain a black belt in our style without pushing yourself to the point of complete physical failure. And while he regrets a student quitting, it isn’t the loss of income that makes him sad; it’s the knowledge that the student didn’t give up on the training, they gave up on themselves.

[SPJ]

Hi;

Please PM me your shipping address.

I will receive the books sometimes this week.

They are available at www.authorhouse.com.

Very soon they will be available at www.amazon.com.

Thanks for replying at this thread.

:)

[Becca]

Cool! I am definantly looking foreward to reading your book. I reread my earlier essy and discided it was kind of cheasy so I'm posting another. This one is better written, I think.

"Learn to Train"

This is the most imprtant part of training at my school. While it may sound redundant, if you look a bit deeper, you will find that it isn't. If you ask several people on the streat, "what does the word training meen," you may get some very conflicting answers. Some will say that training is learning some new skill. Others may say that it is practicing what you already know. Then ask them who they train. You will now likely get a detailed list of what they do in thier training regime.

But if you ask them why, they will likely not be able to answer, at least not with any real spacifics. Maybe that is how thier high school track coach had them do it. Maybe that is how thier sifu said it needed to be done. But most would not be able to explain why they needed to do these things to get the results they are training to achieve.

Some things in life are known from birth, like how to breath and so on. Other things you learn from the simple act of living, like how to walk, talk, and care for your needs. Yet other things are learned from others. One of the most important of these things is how to learn. Have you ever noticed that a person who is otherwise very bright may have trouble understanding something you find simple? Chances are, the concept is not beyond thier understanding. They just don't "get it," or rather, they don't understand the meathod being used to express the concept. This is not a failing of the teacher or the student.

The simple fact is, people are very different. Their learning mechanisms are similarly different. A kinisthetic learner will have trouble learning conspts from an autio/visual teacher, ect. The student must first figure out how they learn best, then figure out how to translate the various teching style into this format.

In the training hall, this consept continues. Someone who has great results with forms may have issues with drills of open sparring. But there are some concepts that just cannot be learned with forms alone. The forms student must first realize that they are a forms student, then figure out how to glean the nesisary lessons from sparring. This is the priciple of "learn to train." Your instructor can only show you and work with you. If you do not take the time and exert the effort to learn how you need to train, you will not be able to learn what he/she is teaching.

[Toby]

SPJ, your book looks good - as do your others. If it's half as entertaining as your posts, I'm sure it's excellent.


What is the most important principle and technique in your school of MA and why?Principle: centre. Move with the centre, everytime. We want the centre to initiate movement and everything to arrive simultaneously. As long as this happens, you will always have optimal structure. If you step first and the centre follows and your movement is intercepted before the centre catches up, you're off balance and will be destroyed. If you lead with your upper body and the centre follows, you will be thrown or tied up. If your centre moves together and you're intercepted, you will have the best chance to resist or attack. The centre is also the key to power. The same principle is important in both WC and XY in our school.

Technique: footwork. Without footwork, other skills are useless. The better students can evade any attack with their hands by their sides - their footwork takes them to a safe position. They can choose their targets on their opponents - their footwork enables them to find an open flank or get behind their opponent. Watching people spar, it is clear that superior footwork gives a more significant advantage over any other technique.

[SPJ]

Thanks for the reply.

Since it is a color book, the publisher is still fine tuning the book. There are also news or press release and other things still under preparation before the rollout.

The book is not officially for sale yet.

But any how, as soon as I receive the books I will mail a copy to whoever interested and responded in this thread with limited number of copies.

:D

[oasis]

hey spj, just wondering, is it practical to spend money advertising in the magazines before your book's ready to be shipped?

[SPJ]

I decided to keep the old ad.

There are over 450 Tai Chi books in amazon.com. As many had said in the forum, it is an overcrowded market for books and video on CMA.

I cut back on USA today and other ads. I still keep ad on IKF and KFTC mags.

You are right. The ads are too expensive.

I am looking into DVD publishing. It seems to be less expensive than the book publishing. However, I need a digital cam and a computer with movie editing software.

The main thing is that I really do not have time. I have my hands full with work and family matters.

By the way, the books I received last Saturday. I already mailed the books out yesterday. It will arrive in 3-5 business days.

I also sent a copy to amazon.com for search inside the book program. It will take 3 to 5 weeks to be available. Then everyone that is interested may read free pages on amazon.com.

It is a very technical book.

:)