A Study of Taijiquan

by Sun Lutang, Tim Cartmell (Translator)

This extensively illustrated primer is the first English edition of Sun's classic 1919 book which explores both the theory and practice of the style, with emphasis on movements and postures. Tim Cartmell's translation provides both a standard by which practitioners can judge themselves and valuable information relevant to all versions of taijiquan. Tim Cartmell has done the American Taijiquan community a great service translating Sun Lutang's books into English.

Genres: Martial Arts

232 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Terra Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a rare and interesting thing to be able to read about tai chi from one of the major founders. The book feels way ahead of its time with step by step instructions and photos, and I think it's a great reference for people who are learning the Sun 73 form or some other variant of Sun style. It's a little light on the theory, but it gives a lot of insight into the internal sensations to focus on during each movement to get more depth in your practice. The translation was very readable and I'd recommend it to anybody as a companion to the form. Be warned, though, I wouldn't try to learn the form from this book alone, it's pretty hard to piece all the positions together without seeing it in motion.

[Jacob Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is deep. One of the clearest books I've read on martial arts, the images are well-aligned to the form described, and the details/nuances of weight shifting are clearly articulated. I look forward to working on this and applying it to my training.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical reference. Somewhat difficult to get much out of it. "The arm appears bent but is not bent; it appears straight but is not straight." The pictures are sometimes baffling. Many pages have a picture and reference back to an earlier "chapter" or posture. Some theory worth considering, and it is a link to early 20th century practice.