Since ancient times tai chi chuan has been practiced as a holistic mind/body fitness system, bringing immense benefits for practitoners in health, longevity, relaxation, and concentration. But it was also practiced as an effective and deadly martial art. Because of this, the masters rarely disclosed their secrets, guarding them as closely as they would military secrets. They preserved their profound insights in obscure songs, poems, and classics, revealing only to those they considered trustworthy and ready. That is, until now. Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style contains secrets kept hidden in the Yang family for generations and only revealed to the public in the last two decades.

The majority of the secrets found in this book were written directly by Yang, Ban-Hou, second gereration lineage of the Yang famiy, a master well known for his deep understanding of theory and for the manifestation of martial power (jin). Now you can reap the benefits of this wisdom and practical experience to deepen and refine your own tai chi. Discover ways to reach the essence of your form and take your push hands to higher levels. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming has translated these classics from the original Chinese, and has written commentaries to make them more accessible to contemporary minds.

Immerse yourself in the secrets of the Yang Style, the world's most popular style. You'll find Tai Chi Secrets of the Yang Style an invaluable resource for understanding your art.

Can be used with any style of tai chi chuan.
Sound, practical advice for any martial art.
Includes commentaries, translation, and original Chinese.
Key points for incorporating the teachings into your practice.

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan and qigong for thirty-five years. He is the author of thirty books. Dr. Yang, Inside Kung Fu Magazine's Man of the Year in 1990, lives in Newton, Massachusetts.s

Contents

Foreword by grandmaster Liang, Qiang-Ya
About the author
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
About the Yang family
Chapter 1 The brief summary of taiji, by Yang, Jian-Ho
Chapter 2 Nine key secrets of taijiquan, by Yan, Yu
The secrets of total applications
Thirteen secret words of practicing
Thirteen secret words of applications
Eight secret words of techniques
The secrets of insubstantial and substantial
The secrets of random ring
The secrets of yin and yang
The secrets of eighteen dependencies
The secrets of five word classic
Chapter 3 Forty taijiquan treatises, by Yang, Yu (Ban-Hou)
Eight doors and five steepings
The applications of eight doors and five steppings
Natural methods of descrimination
Attaching, adhering, connecting, and following
Butting, deficiency, losing contact, and resistance
Matching without defaults
Keeping central earth in matching practice
The body's shape, waist, and crown of the head
Taiji circle
Taiji's ceaseless applications of advancing and retreating
Taiji's above and below discriminated as the heaven and the earth
The achievements of eight words in taiji's human circle
The interpretation of taiji's essence and applications
The interpretation of taiji's scholarship and martial arts
The interpretation of taiji's understanding jin
The interpretation of the eight doors and five gates-thirteen postures long fist
The interpretation of the reversal of taiji's yin and yang
The interpretation of taiji in the human life
The interpretation of taiji three achievements of scholarship and martial arts
The interpretation of taiji's lower level martial aspects
The interpretation of taiji''s orthodox practice
The interpretation of taiji's lightness, heaviness, floating, and sinking
The interpretation of taiji's four corners
The interpretation of taiji's balance, waist and the head's upward suspension
The illustration of taiji's four seasons and five qis
Interpretation of the foundation in taiji's blood and qi
The interperetation of taiji's li and qi
The interpretationof taiji's meter, decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter
The interpretation of fasciae, vessels, tendons, and cavities
The word by word interpretation of taiji
The discrimination of taiji's controlling, seizing, grabbing, and sealing with meter, decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter
The interpretation of nourishing and releasing the qi and li in taiji
The interpretation of emptiness, congealment, filing, and rubbing in taiji
The thesis of before and after understanding jin
The thesis of meter, decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter after understanding jin
The explanation of taijiquan's fingers, palms, and poounding hands
The thesis of oral transmission of life and death in cavities
The legacy of Zhan, San-Feng
The oral transmission of Zhang, San-Feng's lecture
The thesis of comprehending the dao from martial arts by Zhang, San-Feng
Chapter 4 Ten immportant keys to taijiquan, dictated by Yang, Chen-Fu, recorded by Chen, Wei-Ming
Chapter 5 Explanation of taijiquan's harmonious stepping in four sides of pushing hands, by Yang, Chen-Fu
References
Translation and glossary of Chinese terms
Index