Tai Chi Connections
From a Teacher...
Sifu Loupos
As a teacher and a lifetime student, I found your Tai Chi Connections DVD/book to possibly be the most detailed and easily understood presentation of the Yang form. Do you have plans for a Tai Chi Connecitons II/III where you give the same thorough instruction on the remainder of the long form?
Very respectfully
Russ McWhorter
(May 2010)
When you're looking for "deeper advice"...
Reviewer: D. J. Jensen (Houston, TX USA), August 23, 2006
I decided to purchase this book after 6 years of training in Tai Chi. I have found many low and mid-level discussions of Tai Chi practice, and some "high level abstract discussions" of proper Tai Chi practice (such as essays in Tai Chi magazine), but have rarely found a publication which discusses, in detail, the nuances of putting together all of the pieces of an obscure and unusual art.
This book delivers, and is a treasure for anyone at an intermediate to advanced level of practice. It contains details, suitable for all styles (although the illustrations appear to be primarily Yang style) on how to overcome many of the "sticking points" of Tai Chi practice :
- rooting
- flowing
- proper use of legs
- proper body alignment for power generation
- mental attitudes
The illustrations provided detail clearly the differences between "correct" and "incorrect" practice. Two-person drills for rooting and alignment are detailed as well.
If you feel stuck, confused, or frustrated with your practice, skim through this book. If you're looking to take your art to the next level, seriously peruse this book. Compare what you're doing to what the author details. The universal concepts, coupled with clear explanations and illustrations, make this required reading for most any long-term Tai Chi practicioner.
Advancing your Tai Chi Experience
Reviewer: magellan (Santa Clara, CA)
A terrific book by Sifu Loupos, covering many important topics and in great detail. The book should be most useful for the intermediate to advanced student. If you're a beginner, I would recommend reading his two other books first. But the first few chapters would also be useful for the beginning student.
The book is mostly text with some photos illustrating the important points, so this is definitely a more substantial and scholarly discussion than your typical tai chi book which is often mostly pictures to illustrate the form. But the more subtle aspects of tai chi can't be shown just through photos and require more serious discussion. This is what that book does quite well and if you're hungry for more detailed and advanced information on how to perform the form and other important aspects of tai chi, you'll probably enjoy this book.
This is the best book I've seen so far in discussing the body mechanics, including balance, how to create and transfer power, the role of momentum, how to step, how to create power, and many other topics. One important point is that many people get stuck on the structure of the final or end move, which is incorrect. As Loupos points out, the transitions are just as important, and in fact, there are really no true "transitions" in tai chi in the sense that a specific element can be identified. All that's important is whether your structure and performance of the entire sequence of movements in a "technique" are correct.
He also points out that there is no one right way to perform each tai chi movement. For example, single whip is performed several different ways depending on the style. What's important isn't the actual details of the technique so much as whether the underlying body mechanics are correct. He illustrates this in detail with his discussion of the cloud hands move, which can be done with three different types of footwork, and how it's performed correctly in each case.
There is also a lot of good general information on tai chi and specific suggestions and lectures on a number of other topics in the last third or so of the book. Very clear photos show proper positioning and alignment and common mistakes. Also, he peppers the text with useful and interesting training exercises to further develop your skills. He points out that the tai chi form itself isn't enough to learn to project power and to fight, so he has advice on that too.
For example, he has a two-person exercise to see if you're smoothly transferring power and not doing anything that would enable your opponent to "split" your power at any point and off-balance you. He includes other exercises to aid you in your development too. Overall an excellent book and a truly high-level discussion of tai chi.