The Tai Chi Space: How to Move in Tai Chi and Qi Gong

by Paul Cavel

Learn the 42 Essential Principles of Tai Chi & Qi GongThis book is designed to teach the fundamentals that drive and underpin internal arts training at all levels and stages of development, not a form. Each of the 42 principles, portrayed as images and accompanied by brief explanations, are aimed at conveying how internal arts techniques function in ways that help you embed them and feel them come alive in your flesh - regardless of the specific systems, styles or forms you train.

144 pages, Unknown Binding

First published October 1, 2017

Reviews

[Sheri Fresonke Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful explanations about Tai Chi with a diagram for the short sequence.

[David Peirce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul has been a Qi Gong and Tai Chi student of Master Bruce Frantzis for, I believe, 3 decades and a teacher for at least 2. I have taken online courses from both of them. I enjoy Paul's teaching because he has thoughtfully and meticulously broken every movement of the forms he teaches down into its ideal submovements and has developed effectives ways to teach people every minute detail -- and there are lots in internal or martial arts! Paul truly is a masterful teacher, and I find myself going back to even introductory video lessons and learning new things.

What does that have to do with this book? This book captures 42 principles that Paul teaches as they relate to movement in Qi Gong and Tai Chi related to our mind, how we stand, how we move. This is a book of philosophy as much as it is of proper form, and as your practice grows those two things merge.

Anyone practicing Tai Chi or Qi Gong will benefit from this book. Paul provides precise and detailed explanations that are suitable for a beginner but also deep enough for an experienced practitioner.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate. It is, however, one which I will come back to repeatedly, at least to browse and let the ideas percolate. I have been doing Tai-Chi for a couple of years, and often wonder to what end (other than relaxation), to what end?

The book is small overall, and the chapters themselves are short. The text is very direct, and generally simple to understand. Having said this, I believe that there is a subtlety in Tai-Chi that Cavel is consistently directing his readers to, and it is this that we seek.

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book to introduce the philosophy of movement in Tai Chi and Qu Gong. The images and text allow for a deeper understanding of the purpose of and poetry in the movements.

[Dave Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear

The clearest book on how to move in tai chi and how to maximise the benefits from tai chi practice that I have encountered