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Tai Chi: Moving at the Speed of Truth
Frustrated by eleven years of robotic Tai Chi practice, William Broughton Burt quit—only to discover his body already knew the way. This unconventional guide presents forty-nine principles that transform Tai Chi from rigid exercise into flowing meditation. With irreverent humor and hard-won wisdom, Burt bridges Eastern tradition and Western understanding, showing how conscious movement becomes a technology for healing, stress relief, and spiritual evolution. Forget memorizing sequences—discover the Tai Chi your body has been waiting to express.
Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2018
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About the author
William Broughton Burt
2 booksAuthor William Broughton Burt grew up in a colorful river town on the east bank of the Mississippi. During his teen years, Burt discovered edgy writers such as Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, and Richard Farina. Upon receiving his masters from the University of Memphis, Burt was enlisted to teach English for a year in Shenzhen, China.
During Burt’s time in China, the SARS epidemic and subsequent panic broke out. Most foreigners chose to leave, but Burt remained, and his experiences became the basis of his first novel, The Year of the Hydra. Now in his sixties, William Broughton Burt devotes his attention to essays on various subjects. Themes center around personal development viewed from his own unique, often salty, perspective.
He swears he’ll never write another novel.
During Burt’s time in China, the SARS epidemic and subsequent panic broke out. Most foreigners chose to leave, but Burt remained, and his experiences became the basis of his first novel, The Year of the Hydra. Now in his sixties, William Broughton Burt devotes his attention to essays on various subjects. Themes center around personal development viewed from his own unique, often salty, perspective.
He swears he’ll never write another novel.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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March 23, 2019 Begins with foundational materials not too different than the principles found in the Classics. As yI read on on my Tai Chi aspirations grew and rooted. Worth a few reads
March 5, 2022
A book of 2 parts
Mr Burt writes both a very practical book on the nuances of the physicality of the practice but throughout touches on more esoteric interpretation.
The latter chapters he veers off into the more esoteric philosophical ideas that are not a regurgitation of other Daoist thought but a take on the origins and purpose of consciousness. He makes a pretty good case that his cosmological view and it's relationship to a very natural embodied practice like Tai Chi is actually all our personal responsibility in fixing up the planet.
So I enjoyed it, dragging a bit in the last 25% but his mix of dry and whacky humour makes it quite readable.
I too believe that Tai Chi is a perfect practice to connect yourself more deeply with the moment and get more of "me" out of the picture. The world needs more of that.
I write this as one man in Russia converts a personal fantasy into an international terror campaign.
Is there any other evidence needed of the critical imperative to clean up our act?
Most importantly the author is a seeker and the words will resonate with others who have a sincere curiosity (he dedicates pages on this key human characteristics) in their own personal search.
Mr Burt writes both a very practical book on the nuances of the physicality of the practice but throughout touches on more esoteric interpretation.
The latter chapters he veers off into the more esoteric philosophical ideas that are not a regurgitation of other Daoist thought but a take on the origins and purpose of consciousness. He makes a pretty good case that his cosmological view and it's relationship to a very natural embodied practice like Tai Chi is actually all our personal responsibility in fixing up the planet.
So I enjoyed it, dragging a bit in the last 25% but his mix of dry and whacky humour makes it quite readable.
I too believe that Tai Chi is a perfect practice to connect yourself more deeply with the moment and get more of "me" out of the picture. The world needs more of that.
I write this as one man in Russia converts a personal fantasy into an international terror campaign.
Is there any other evidence needed of the critical imperative to clean up our act?
Most importantly the author is a seeker and the words will resonate with others who have a sincere curiosity (he dedicates pages on this key human characteristics) in their own personal search.
September 5, 2018
A bit like "the curate's egg".
For those old enough to remember the classic cartoon from the late lamented Punch Magazine! : mortified upmarket lady entertaining the clergyman to tea: "Oh dear your reverence you seem to have got a bad egg."
Clergyman replies: "No madam. Parts of it are excellent."
Most of W.B. Burt's book are in fact excellent but it us slightly marred by a descent into sections of woo-woo mysticism right near the end.
Don't let this put you off. The vast majority of the book is really good. It makes a large number of very valid and interesting points which apply to all styles of Tai Chi and will be of interest and benefit to teachers and students alike. It deals mainly with the underlying principles of Tai Chi and avoids the often conjectural history of many of the books on the subject. It is really something different from run of the mill Tai Chi books. A refreshing and informative change. Pity about some of the later sections but this is a minor quibble. If you practice or teach any style of Tai Chi give it a go.
For those old enough to remember the classic cartoon from the late lamented Punch Magazine! : mortified upmarket lady entertaining the clergyman to tea: "Oh dear your reverence you seem to have got a bad egg."
Clergyman replies: "No madam. Parts of it are excellent."
Most of W.B. Burt's book are in fact excellent but it us slightly marred by a descent into sections of woo-woo mysticism right near the end.
Don't let this put you off. The vast majority of the book is really good. It makes a large number of very valid and interesting points which apply to all styles of Tai Chi and will be of interest and benefit to teachers and students alike. It deals mainly with the underlying principles of Tai Chi and avoids the often conjectural history of many of the books on the subject. It is really something different from run of the mill Tai Chi books. A refreshing and informative change. Pity about some of the later sections but this is a minor quibble. If you practice or teach any style of Tai Chi give it a go.
June 19, 2019
READ THIS BOOK!
This is not your usual Tai Chi book, the author reverse engineered a lot of the principles of the art getting a very interesting up take. No Chinese mystery here, just a sincere fellow truth seeker that states that this practice is accessible to any one who is honest.
Some of his ideas: Use only 80% off your energy when you exercise, this is contrary to the 110% ethos but makes sense for Tai Chi and for life in general, except in "emergency" cases. Turning the waist is more of a twist of the spine, after all you can't really turn the waist by itself. Trust your own practice, this has a corollary: don't be a slave of any "master" living or dead. Tai Chi is yours do with it as you will, yes learn a form but you can experiment and improve, Tai Chi belongs to the world now. Etc, etc.
Really buy this book it will give you at least one bright insight and hopefully more than one.
Yes, it has a bit of new age feeling about it but you will find ways to improve your form, and hopefully your life.
Peter
This is not your usual Tai Chi book, the author reverse engineered a lot of the principles of the art getting a very interesting up take. No Chinese mystery here, just a sincere fellow truth seeker that states that this practice is accessible to any one who is honest.
Some of his ideas: Use only 80% off your energy when you exercise, this is contrary to the 110% ethos but makes sense for Tai Chi and for life in general, except in "emergency" cases. Turning the waist is more of a twist of the spine, after all you can't really turn the waist by itself. Trust your own practice, this has a corollary: don't be a slave of any "master" living or dead. Tai Chi is yours do with it as you will, yes learn a form but you can experiment and improve, Tai Chi belongs to the world now. Etc, etc.
Really buy this book it will give you at least one bright insight and hopefully more than one.
Yes, it has a bit of new age feeling about it but you will find ways to improve your form, and hopefully your life.
Peter
June 2, 2019
Slow
Truth is apparently the slowest you can go. It is surprisingly relaxing. No one expected that, but maybe it doesn't matter.
Truth is apparently the slowest you can go. It is surprisingly relaxing. No one expected that, but maybe it doesn't matter.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews