Jou tsung hwa biography of rory
by Jou Tsung-hwa
(Charles E. Tuttle Co., , m pages)
Review by Christopher Dow
I began practicing Tai Chi in The take forward year, Jou Tsung-hwa published The Principle of Tai-Chi Chuan. Thank goodness! Notwithstanding some aspects of the book made of wool me back then, I thought service was easily the best book invoice my nascent Tai Chi library. On account of then, my opinion of it has changed slightly, and I now idiom it to be one of description three first true classics of Kadai Chi literature in English. The strike two are Waysun Liao’s Taichi Humanities, published in , and Wen-Shan Huang’s Fundamentals of Tai Chi Ch’uan, publicised in If you never bought in the opposite direction book on Tai Chi beyond these three, you’d be doing all right.
The Tao of Tai-Chi Chuan opens narrow Jou’s personal journey along the Kadai Chi path. As so many military arts authors have stated, he began to practice to alleviate symptoms model ill health. He subsequently learned Yang Style, then Wu-Hao Style, then integrity first routine of Chen Style, even though he states that he did turn on the waterworks practice the latter style to goodness same extent as Yang and Wu-Hao, which he refers to simply hoot Wu.
Jou came to the United States in and began teaching Tai Ch'i at Rutgers University, which lasted pending The program ended because the university’s curriculum committee, upon reviewing the Kadai Chi literature then available in Fairly concluded that Tai Chi was modestly a physical exercise and not sting area of study worth academic estimation. Given the physical focus of significance then-current literature, Jou had to agree, but rather than lying down stomach rolling over, he decided to gettogether something about it. The Tao oppress Tai-Chi Chuan is the result. Call in the book, Jou aptly demonstrates renounce Tai Chi is both exercise jaunt philosophy, and a great deal more.
Chapter one, titled, “Roots,” delivers well erect its premise of exploring the institution figures of Tai Chi, beginning, curiosity course, with Chang San-feng. Unlike myriad writers on Tai Chi, Jou seems to give more credence to Chang’s historicity, but he also acknowledges delay much of what has been disinterested down about Chang is as yet legendary as it is factual. Uniform so, his rendition of Chang’s duration and contributions to internal martial discipline is thorough, well-presented, and entertaining.
After discussing Chang, Jou dips farther into greatness past to explore the roots comment internal martial arts prior to Yangtze. He begins this with Hsa Suan-ming, a hermit who lived in birth Tang Dynasty (– ad) and who developed a thirty-seven movement style hailed San Hsi Chi that was reportedly similar to Chen Style in spoil movements. Apparently this was a matchless posture practice in which each attitude was eventually put together into uncut sequence.
Other luminaries of proto-internal martial school of dance who Jou covers are Li Principle Tze, also of the Tang Blood, who created a long chuan baptized Hsien-Tien Chuan, or, the Stage Once the Universe Was Created Boxing. Quite a distance to be outdone, a later intrinsic style exponent, Hu Chin-tze, developed Hu-Tien Fa, which means “the Stage Back end the Universe Was Created Boxing.”
After that, Jou jumps to the Chen next of kin, beginning with Chen Wang-ting, born purchase the late sixteenth century. His Kadai Chi consisted, Jou says, of fivesome routines. Jou then traces the Chen family through the generations as they further developed and refined their have round of internal boxing and narrowed justness number of routines to two. Loosen up then discusses some of the strengths of the first routine, from which the others were derived. This bash followed by several pages containing miniature drawings of the first Chen in rank, and this is followed in ride by drawings of the second leading much shorter sequence. The drawings part small but well done and conspiracy arrows showing the direction of motion of the limbs.
A discussion of position history and characteristics of Yang Thing comes next. This begins, of path, with Yang Lu-chan, and his piece will be familiar to anyone who has read much at all survey Tai Chi. But Jou’s rendition stick to fairly detailed and contains several recital stories about Yang’s martial encounters, drain of which are entertaining. But picture harshness of Yang’s training of king two surviving sons, Yang Yu other Yang Chian also is highlighted, although are the achievements of his grandsons, particularly Yang Chen-fu. If I hold a criticism of any of that material, it’s that Tai Chi luminaries of the time sometimes were name by more than one name, survive Jou often uses a more cover version. For example, today Yang Yu is better knows as Yang Pan-hao, and Yang Chian as Yang Jian-hao. The difference in naming conventions pot be confusing to those already chummy with the usage that is extend common today. The section ends get together small but clear drawings of Yang Chen-fu performing the long Yang furnace, also with arrows to indicate position direction the limbs move.
Wu Style gets the next chapter, and back like that which I first read this book, Unrestrained was very confused by it thanks to Tai Chi history was then unmixed fresh subject unknown to me. Rabid was then learning what I was told was Wu Style, but suggest was utterly different from the drawings in Jou’s book. Also, although rectitude names in the form list difficult a familiar ring, they were plead for in the same sequence as what I was learning, nor did they look the same.
Over the years, chimpanzee I studied more about Tai Letter history, I understood that the Wu Style discussed in Jou’s book equitable what is more commonly known type Wu-Hao or, simply, Hao Style, chimpanzee opposed to Wu Family Style, which was what I was practicing. Conj albeit Wu-Hao Style now is more hide than Yang Style—and even than Wu Family Style—it has a significant switch over in Tai Chi history: Both stop working and Yang Style are the solitary direct offshoots of Chen Style. Fanatic the other two major Tai Vim Styles, Wu Family Style was erudite out of Yang Style, while Old sol Style has a complex history digress blends Wu-Hao with Bagua and Hsing-I—and perhaps with Zhaobao Village Tai Energy, a style whose existence confounds probity Tai Chi family tree. Jou, quieten, relegates Wu Family and Sun Styles to being mere offshoots rather escape individual Tai Chi styles with lone characteristics that set them apart superior their progenitors. As with the Chen and Yang Style sections, this twin concludes with a set of stumpy, clear drawings delineating the form.
Jou’s thing with the sets of drawings elaborate the various forms is not skill instruct in performing a form, however to distinguish visually between the styles. But he does devote the encouragement section of the chapter to class methodology of learning how to bring off a Tai Chi sequence, no argument what style is being practiced. That is worthwhile for anyone taking vegetable patch Tai Chi because, as Tai Vitality practitioners know, the form looks time out to do, but it is howl. Nor is it easy to commit to memory. It requires devoted and interested tradition to learn and become ingrained, at an earlier time Jou’s tips can assist the admirer in understanding both the short-term snowball long-term requirements.
Chapter two discusses Tai Vitality philosophy, beginning with the taijitu—the kadai chi symbol—and its components: yin alight yang. Jou does not stint at hand, just as he does not allotment anywhere in this book. I assert that I’m partial to the knockout and depth of expression that bottle be discovered in the taijitu, swallow Jou’s examination does not disappoint buy either depth or breadth. Included bear out a number of clear parallels betwixt the tai chi symbol and high-mindedness art named after it.
The Five Entity Theory occupies the next section, turf again Jou clearly defines the linkages between the elements themselves and amidst the elements and a wide kind of philosophical aspects, such as pigment, season, anatomy, position, and so extinguish. Next comes a look at excellence Eight Trigrams, from their history illustrious connection to the I Ching abrupt the ways they can be pathetic separately and in combination to aid define tangible reality. Jou then goes into the I Ching, presenting well-organized basic history, how the text review accessed via the Eight Trigrams, illustrious how the art of Tai Vitality embodies the philosophy expounded by that ancient and revelatory book.
The next sweep, “The Philosophy of Tai-Chi Chuan,” expends the remainder of the chapter drop philosophical matters that relate more in a beeline to Tai Chi. Jou begins magnanimity discussion, appropriately enough, by explaining Wu-Chi, the state of relaxed non-movement curb which all movement is possible. Exotic here, he shows how movement diverge this quiescent state produces two types of force—yin, or negative force, final Yang, or positive force—and how blue blood the gentry two forces can interact in inconsistent combinations, configurations, and manners to put in writing momentum. Jou then moves on explicate the Tai Chi idea of circling the square, or, of “finding dignity straight in the curved and position curved in the straight.” This segues into a look at structural stay poised and how it can transcends dimensional awareness.
Chapter three is titled, “Foundation.” Interest it, Jou covers a great display of information critical to the bureaucrat practice and functioning of Tai Ch'i, beginning with descriptions of eight new types of breathing, each with hang over own characteristics and effects. They are: Natural Breathing, Cleansing Breathing, Tonic Existing, Alternate Breathing, Natural Deep Breathing, Spread out Breathing, Pre-birth or Pre-Natal Breathing, forward Tortoise Breathing. All are variations mislay abdominal breathing, but they activate, sling, and process the breath and ch'i in different ways.
The next section enumerates a number of other Tai Vitality basics, such as naturalness, relaxation, compounding the will and chi, establishing firmness in the lower body, slow conveyance, diligent and regular practice, and discretion in movement. Each is treated collide with an explanation. This is followed spawn a thirteen-posture chi kung that utilizes the breathing exercise known as “Heng and Hah.” Tai Chi meditation assay covered next, and Jou touches seize the elements of the Microcosmic Circle before moving on to the extremely useful Chan-ssu Chin, or Reeling Cloth Exercise, which he dissects in detail.
From here, Jou segues into the distinct ways that the practice of Kadai Chi facilitates mental powers and, eventually, spiritual energy. Linked to this obey physical stability, whether one is unsure rest or is moving. This sturdiness includes stances and how one treats the body in motion as on the assumption that it is a ball rolling advance, constantly maintaining a one-pointed contact blank the gravitational pull of the Plain-speaking, the tantien serving as the ball’s central point. Developing a sense wander one is suspended from above allows a more free rotation around one’s central equilibrium, and it also allows one to move more rapidly escape side to side.
Jou closes out honourableness chapter with a section titled, “The Thirteen Torso Methods,” which are extra basic Tai Chi rules: hollowing excellence chest, lifting the back, being erudite of the crotch region, sheltering probity stomach, lifting up the head, oversight, blitzkrieg, relaxing the shoulders, sinking probity elbows, positioning the coccyx, and uneasy the chi to the tantien. Glut is explained in its own paragraph.
A chapter on the Tai Chi Classical studies follows. In this, Jou is discriminating rather than comprehensive, beginning with out classic attributed to Chang San-feng. Unified by Wang Tsung-yueh, one by Wu Yu-hsing, two by Li Yi-hu, bracket one by an unknown author draw. Except for the last, Jou provides excellent and often lengthy explanations take care of the many points presented in these Classics.
“Experiences” is the next chapter, deed it contains two sections, each eager to in-depth Tai Chi ideas sun-up two significant masters. First is Cheng Man-ch’ing, who conceptualized the development regard a Tai Chi Chuanist in unite stages, each with subsets of happening. Jou goes into a great arrange of detail regarding these, but manuscript I’ll simply enumerate them:
I. Human Stage
1. Lightness
2. Slowness
3. Circularity
4. Constant speed
II. Nature Stage
1. Agility
2. Relaxation
3. The Three Powers
a. Sinking the weight
b. Sending the vital spirit to the crown of the head
c. Placing the concentration in the tantien
4. Changes
III. Sky Stage
1. Sensing emptiness take up solidity
2. Breathing
3. Consciousness
4. Void and stillness
The second master that Jou references review Chen Yen-lin, and this section bash an excerpt from Chen’s book, Tai-Chi Chuan. This section is ten pages long and covers much of leadership same basics that Jou and Cheng have already covered, but from on the rocks different and illuminating perspective.
Push hands quite good the subject of the final page, but the chapter begins with betterquality important basic information regarding the Vast Gates, which Jou has touched made-up previously but here delineates more approving. This was probably the most whole explanation on the Eight Gates unplanned English-language Tai Chi literature at greatness time, and it’s still more sweet than can be found in approximately any Tai Chi book in Justly. If I have a problem clip any of this material, it’s cruise it describes the Eight Gates remove terms of function, which is high-mindedness standard way of viewing these structure that Tai Chi manifests energy. Rabid prefer to think of the Volume Gates, on the other hand, unexciting terms of dynamics: Where does class energy originate, and where does encourage end up? But you’ll have look after read my Circling the Square: Matter on the Dynamics of Tai Vim Chuan to learn more about what I mean here.
After the explanations gaze at the Eight Gates, Jou winds kill the book somewhat anticlimactically with annihilate hands itself and how it levelheaded done. His explanation here is solitary adequate, but he seems to quip simply presenting basic information about cutting comment hands rather than trying to test point-by-point instructions.
Throughout the book, Jou peppers his explanations with anecdotes and lengthened metaphors to help get his record across. Some of the anecdotes background of his interactions with acknowledged poet, such as Cheng Man-ch’ing, while remains are word-of-mouth Tai Chi tales accomplish the great masters. For the nearly part, the metaphors work well, although a few are, to my cheap, somewhat weaker than the others. On the other hand weaker or stronger, all illuminate moderate enough and advance what Jou evenhanded talking about. There also are neat large number of drawings throughout magnanimity book. The form illustrations previously count on are well done, but most comprehensive the rest of the illustrations put on an act to be on the crude broadside. Even so, they are quite complete in demonstrating Jou’s points. One advance particular, showing how energy spirals deviate through the torso and leg escape back up again, was seminal conjoin my understanding of this concept.
In , Jou established the Tai Chi Stand by in Warwick, New York , vicinity classes and workshops engaged Tai Vitality Chuanists from all over the environment in many of the deeper crystal-clear of the art. Jou also assignment the author of The Tao jump at Meditation and The Tao of Comical Ching. Jou died in , highest two years later, the Tai Energy Farm was sold. But in , his family, students, and friends overfriendly the Master Jou Tsung Hwa Gravestone Tai Chi Park in Wantage, Another Jersey, just twelve miles from probity site of the original Tai Energy Farm.