Book review, anyone? The book series has a surprisingly good rep, given the titles, and I do definitely fit the readership criteria. Reviews at Amazon.com were mixed, what do you, here, think? If there are comparisons, by the way, please make them to other books/videos, we all know learning from a teacher is best.
I haven't seen this particular Dummies Guide, but generally they are pretty good for the absolute beginner. Personally though I think you'd be better off with something by Yang Jwing Ming for a more detailed discussion and introduction to Taijiquan. I won't site a specific work but you can definately do better than a dummies guide if you plan to get serious at any stage. Best, Syd
I own this particualr dummies book. Its a nice intro and I find the chi kung stuff useful. In the long run a book more specific to your style may be more useful, but it s a decent book. I also own a couple of Yangs books, very useful and they can be quite specific.
A complete idiots guide to starting tai chi: 1. stand on one leg for a long time 2. keep standing on one leg 3. feel your dantien. If you need help feeling your dantien, ask an old man who is lurking around a park in the morning to find it for you 4. wave your arms around until you feel a tingling sensation 5. try to ignore the flies that are landing on your face - they are a test of your fortitude 6. invent five vaguely asian-sounding 3-syllable words that you can say are a. ancient chinese regional styles, b. the names of early students of the old internal masters, or c. a secret tai chi move. Don't worry - everyone will be so impressed by the names that they'll believe you. 7. talk about the moves you've learned - the standard is 'animal name', 'verb', 'noun', such as 'goat travels over mountain' or 'cat sits on mat'. 8. try to wake up before 11:00am in the weekend. If you do, congratulate yourself on your mastery of the internal arts then stand on one leg in the park while bleary-eyed clubbers try to figure out if you're a figment of their imagination 9. think of 34 definitions of the word 'internal'. State them with a knowing smile to anyone who approaches. Make sure each definition is impossible to understand by anyone but (or including) you. 10. Perfect the supreme control of your emotions. This can be achieved when someone says "you do tai chi? oh, my grandma does the same thing at her health club"
to nzric.....you rock man! i'm still lmao...if that was what you wanted to achieve if not i'm totally intrigued and going to try it out this week.....hahaha! still lmao....sorry
