T'ai Chi: The Supreme Ultimate Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense [Paperback]

Master the Chinese martial art of T'ai Chi with this accessible, illustrated guide.

T'ai-chi (Tai Chi) is an effortless and rhythmical art that stresses slow breathing, balanced and relaxed postures, and absolute calmness of mind. It requires no special equipment or place to practice and takes no more than ten minutes a day.

This book, from renowned Tai Chi master, Cheng Man-Ch'ing, introduces T'ai-chi as a means to a healthier life, as a sport and as a method of self-defense. It is a complete step-by-step manual for the beginner. With conscientious practice, readers will master the sequence of thirty-seven postures that will make up the T'ai-chi solo exercise. Students will learn how to progress from exercise to sport to self-defense with maximum efficiency. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and more than 275 photographs and 122 foot-weighting diagrams guarantee an understanding of the correct form.

A history of T'ai-chi, including thumbnail sketches of famous masters, and the first English translation of the basic T'ai-chi document, known as the T'ai-chi Ch'uan Classics, are also included. Tai chi helps reduce stress and anxiety. And it also helps increase flexibility and balance. If you are looking for a way to reduce stress, consider tai chi. Originally developed for self-defense, tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements. —Mayo ClinicThe lateCheng Man-ch'ingwas an international authority on T'ai Chi and wrote two earlier books on the topic.

Robert W. Smithis also the author ofThe Secrets of Shaolin Temple BoxingandA Complete Guide to Judo. He lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.