Download or read book Laoshi Tai Chi Teachers and Pursuit of Principle written by Jan Kauskas and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is a kind of semifictional memoir. Chapters reflect the author's own experiences gained in the pursuit of tai chi and other martial arts. The text flows as a novel, but with substance based solidly in reality applicable to anyone, tai chi practitioner or not, since the main theme is the pursuit of principle in everyday life. Book Description A tai chi student explores the Dao of Zheng Manqing with the aid of his teacher, Laoshi. Through personal accounts, reflection, and dialogue with Laoshi, we witness the novice s evolution in his search for the spirit of the art and the resulting bond forged with his instructor. Together, student and teacher examine the philosophical and martial aspects of tai chi. They demonstrate what it means to pursue principle, and they see the ease with which it can be lost to that trickster and provocateur, the ego. Engaging, sincere, and at times lighthearted, this fictional memoir narrated from the student s perspective addresses themes familiar to all who study tai chi and the martial arts. Laoshi is a journey into tai chi and a meditation on life and living without fear.
Download or read book Laoshi s Legacy Emergence from Shadow written by Jan Kauskas and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2018-05-12 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A few years ago, I sought to record a few memories and observations gleaned on the way from beginner to senior student. The result was 'Laoshi: Tai Chi, Teachers, and Pursuit of Principle'—a semi-fictional memoir, using the device of dialogue between student and teacher, to examine the agony and elation of sincerely pursuing the art of taiji. The thirty-seven chapters of 'Laoshi' shone light on the various aspects of taiji and martial arts which occupied my thinking as I progressed along the Way. Laoshi, which translates as ‘teacher’ in Mandarin, was the main character of the book and, though not a real person, represented the best aspects of the many martial artists whose skills, dedication, and wisdom inspired me in my attempts to match their example. As a wise and compassionate though sometimes irritable teacher, Laoshi guides his student, the narrator, through many disappointments and false dawns until the student arrives, if not at mastery, then the fertile ground where mastery grows. The present volume, 'Laoshi’s Legacy', takes up where the previous account left off; the student moves beyond his pre-occupation with his own progress to explore the terrain occupied by the teacher. The Way of the teacher, we discover, not only offers insight and reward aplenty, but is every bit as confounding and, often, more treacherous than the path of the student. With the example of my own teachers once again embodied in the character of Laoshi, 'Legacy' describes the challenges encountered in progressing beyond the role of student to survey the art from the viewpoint of teacher. As in the previous volume, Laoshi, the teacher, continues as guide and mentor, advising the novice instructor confronted with the reality of teaching taiji in a modern world. Like its predecessor, 'Legacy' relies heavily on allegory, mirroring the paradoxical nature of life, where truth is often hidden in myth, and deception disguises itself as truth. A touch of poetic licence may stretch the truth a little to accommodate the narrative, but 'Legacy' is a realistic portrayal of dilemmas faced while pursuing the Way of the teacher. READERS' COMMENTS "As the torch of teaching taijiquan is passed to the next generation of teachers, the problems and questions that arise are discussed in Laoshi's Legacy by Jan Kauskas. This book is filled with amusing anecdotes and lessons that Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing taught his students that still resonate today." — MARTIN INN, co-translator of The Essence of T'ai Chi Ch'uan "The nutrient-dense insights in each chapter will make you want to linger and digest, and the unfolding human story will make you want to turn the page for the next exciting episode. Readers may come for the taijiquan lessons and lineage lore, but will stay for the life lessons and wisdom. Literary flair and Scottish wit make it an instructive, inspirational, and irresistible read. Those who read this book without tears, laughter, and lots of a-ha moments are probably not ready for it." DOUGLAS WILE, author of Zheng Manqing's Uncollected Writings "Laoshi's Legacy does not disappoint. Kauskas sagely and engagingly counsels readers in vicarious fashion through the guise of conversations between himself and his teacher (the sagacious Laoshi) in the important nuances of taijiquan philosophy and technique, often addressing with deft candor important real-world issues not found in other popular books. A must-read for all taijiquan teachers and students. — JOHN LOUPOS, author of Tai Chi Connections: Advancing Your Tai Chi Experience “Jan Kauskas . . . writes well and has meditated on the words he presents here. His Laoshi answers all questions and offers stories anecdotes and spiritual knowledge in the Daoist tradition. Readers will benefit from these words . . .” — KENNETH VAN SICKLE, author of Tai Chi Sword and Tai Chi Feather Sword DVD
Download or read book The Best Fight A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner Publisher and Author written by Michael DeMarco and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.
Download or read book Chinese Boxing written by Robert W. Smith and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 1993-01-26 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Distilling the martial art known in the West as kung fu, Robert Smith presents Chinese boxing (ch’uan shu) as an art “that combines the hardness of a wall and the softness of a butterfly’s wings.” His lively, pragmatic account conveys the discipline and insights acquired in ten years of study and travel in Asia. Smith describes his work with t’ai chi master Cheng Man-ch’ing, and connects ch’uan shu with the softer aspects and inner power of that popular practice. Fifty black and white photos illustrate this informative and personal account of the Chinese boxing tradition.
Download or read book Bruce Tegner s Complete Book of Self Defense written by Bruce Tegner and published by Thomas Reed Publications. This book was released on 1975-04-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains and illustrates in step-by-step photographs all the self-defense movements used in the Oriental fighting arts
Download or read book Linguistic Engineering written by Ji Fengyuan and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2003-11-30 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Mao and the Chinese Communist Party won power in 1949, they were determined to create new, revolutionary human beings. Their most precise instrument of ideological transformation was a massive program of linguistic engineering. They taught everyone a new political vocabulary, gave old words new meanings, converted traditional terms to revolutionary purposes, suppressed words that expressed "incorrect" thought, and required the whole population to recite slogans, stock phrases, and scripts that gave "correct" linguistic form to "correct" thought. They assumed that constant repetition would cause the revolutionary formulae to penetrate people's minds, engendering revolutionary beliefs and values. In an introductory chapter, Dr. Ji assesses the potential of linguistic engineering by examining research on the relationship between language and thought. In subsequent chapters, she traces the origins of linguistic engineering in China, describes its development during the early years of communist rule, then explores in detail the unprecedented manipulation of language during the Cultural Revolution of 1966–1976. Along the way, she analyzes the forms of linguistic engineering associated with land reform, class struggle, personal relationships, the Great Leap Forward, Mao-worship, Red Guard activism, revolutionary violence, Public Criticism Meetings, the model revolutionary operas, and foreign language teaching. She also reinterprets Mao’s strategy during the early stages of the Cultural Revolution, showing how he manipulated exegetical principles and contexts of judgment to "frame" his alleged opponents. The work concludes with an assessment of the successes and failures of linguistic engineering and an account of how the Chinese Communist Party relaxed its control of language after Mao's death.
Download or read book Tai Chi written by Paul Lam and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Characterised by powerful Qigong exercises, agile steps and flowing movements.
Download or read book T ai chi s Ancestors written by Douglas Wile and published by Sweet Chi Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introducing three 16th to 18th century martial arts traditions, this guide exmaines more then 2000 years of the development of soft-style martial arts theory.
Download or read book The Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan written by Freya Boedicker and published by Blue Snake Books. This book was released on 2011-07-26 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essence of Tai Chi Chuan lies in the rich philosophy of ancient China. While most Tai Chi practitioners are aware of the value that studying Chinese philosophy can bring to their practice, it is often difficult to pick out those texts that are most relevant to Tai Chi and connected to its development. The Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan presents, for the first time, a concise overview of the Chinese martial and spiritual philosophies that drive this ancient tradition.Authors Freya and Martin Boedicker, who teach Tai Chi throughout Europe and South Africa, present freshly translated excerpts from such popular and widely studied works as the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching, and The Art of War, as well as writings by philosophers and strategists such as Zhuangzi and Wuzi. Each chapter of this concise volume focuses on a single work or philosopher, and includes a short history of each one as well as a description of their relevance to Tai Chi. An extensive glossary of important Chinese terms rounds out the book. The Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan offers readers a direct connection with the concepts that form the foundation of Tai Chi, inspiring a deeper understanding of the art and its applications.
Download or read book Tai Chi written by Tricia Yu and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tai Chi is a beautiful and health - giving ancient exercise that fosters a relaxed, energised body and a peaceful mind. bull; Expert guidance from Tricia Yu, whose teachers include Yang Style tai chi masters Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo and William C.C. Chen. Tricia is director of the T'ai Chi Centre in Madison, Wisconsin, one of the oldest and most respected schools in the United States. bull; A Tai Chi basics programme of non - impact, flowing movements that build strength and endurance, enhance flexibility, improve co - ordination and help reduce stress. bull; Modifies the more difficult moves that often prove a stumbling block. bull; Essential groundwork towards learning the traditional Yang Style.
Download or read book Martial Arts as Embodied Knowledge written by D. S. Farrer and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This landmark work provides a wide-ranging scholarly consideration of the traditional Asian martial arts. Most of the contributors to the volume are practitioners of the martial arts, and all are keenly aware that these traditions now exist in a transnational context. The book's cutting-edge research includes ethnography and approaches from film, literature, performance, and theater studies. Three central aspects emerge from this book: martial arts as embodied fantasy, as a culturally embedded form of self-cultivation, and as a continuous process of identity formation. Contributors explore several popular and highbrow cultural considerations, including the career of Bruce Lee, Chinese wuxia films, and Don DeLillo's novel Running Dog. Ethnographies explored describe how the social body trains in martial arts and how martial arts are constructed in transnational training. Ultimately, this academic study of martial arts offers a focal point for new understandings of cultural and social beliefs and of practice and agency.
Download or read book Secrets of Chinese Karate written by Edmund K Parker and published by Hassell Street Press. This book was released on 2021-09-09 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Download or read book How to Cook Your Life written by Dogen and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2005-11-08 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This modern-day commentary on Dogen’s Instructions for a Zen Cook reveals how everyday activities—like cooking—can be incorporated into our spiritual practice In the thirteenth century, Zen master Dogen—perhaps the most significant of all Japanese philosophers, and the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen sect—wrote a practical manual of Instructions for the Zen Cook. In drawing parallels between preparing meals for the Zen monastery and spiritual training, he reveals far more than simply the rules and manners of the Zen kitchen; he teaches us how to "cook," or refine our lives. In this volume Kosho Uchiyama Roshi undertakes the task of elucidating Dogen's text for the benefit of modern-day readers of Zen. Taken together, his translation and commentary truly constitute a "cookbook for life," one that shows us how to live with an unbiased mind in the midst of our workaday world.
Download or read book How Zen Became Zen written by Morten Schlutter and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2010-04-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Zen Became Zen takes a novel approach to understanding one of the most crucial developments in Zen Buddhism: the dispute over the nature of enlightenment that erupted within the Chinese Chan (Zen) school in the twelfth century. The famous Linji (Rinzai) Chan master Dahui Zonggao (1089–1163) railed against "heretical silent illumination Chan" and strongly advocated kanhua (koan) meditation as an antidote. In this fascinating study, Morten Schlütter shows that Dahui’s target was the Caodong (Soto) Chan tradition that had been revived and reinvented in the early twelfth century, and that silent meditation was an approach to practice and enlightenment that originated within this "new" Chan tradition. Schlütter has written a refreshingly accessible account of the intricacies of the dispute, which is still reverberating through modern Zen in both Asia and the West. Dahui and his opponents’ arguments for their respective positions come across in this book in as earnest and relevant a manner as they must have seemed almost nine hundred years ago. Although much of the book is devoted to illuminating the doctrinal and soteriological issues behind the enlightenment dispute, Schlütter makes the case that the dispute must be understood in the context of government policies toward Buddhism, economic factors, and social changes. He analyzes the remarkable ascent of Chan during the first centuries of the Song dynasty, when it became the dominant form of elite monastic Buddhism, and demonstrates that secular educated elites came to control the critical transmission from master to disciple ("procreation" as Schlütter terms it) in the Chan School.
Download or read book The Old Man Who Lost His Horse written by Coral Chen and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2011-11 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Global History with Chinese Characteristics written by Manuel Perez-Garcia and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-11-02 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book considers a pivotal era in Chinese history from a global perspective. This book’s insight into Chinese and international history offers timely and challenging perspectives on initiatives like “Chinese characteristics”, “The New Silk Road” and “One Belt, One Road” in broad historical context. Global History with Chinese Characteristics analyses the feeble state capacity of Qing China questioning the so-called “High Qing” (shèng qīng 盛清) era’s economic prosperity as the political system was set into a “power paradox” or “supremacy dilemma”. This is a new thesis introduced by the author demonstrating that interventionist states entail weak governance. Macao and Marseille as a new case study aims to compare Mediterranean and South China markets to provide new insights into both modern eras’ rising trade networks, non-official institutions and interventionist impulses of autocratic states such as China’s Qing and Spain’s Bourbon empires.
Download or read book The Corpse Walker written by Liao Yiwu and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2009-05-05 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Corpse Walker introduces us to regular men and women at the bottom of Chinese society, most of whom have been battered by life but have managed to retain their dignity: a professional mourner, a human trafficker, a public toilet manager, a leper, a grave robber, and a Falung Gong practitioner, among others. By asking challenging questions with respect and empathy, Liao Yiwu managed to get his subjects to talk openly and sometimes hilariously about their lives, desires, and vulnerabilities, creating a book that is an instance par excellence of what was once upon a time called “The New Journalism.” The Corpse Walker reveals a fascinating aspect of modern China, describing the lives of normal Chinese citizens in ways that constantly provoke and surprise.
