There are no secrets : Professor Cheng Man-ching and his tai chi chuan

by Wolfe Lowenthal

Paperback, 1991

Publication

Imprint: Berkeley, California : North Atlantic Books, c1991.Responsibility: Wolfe Lowenthal. OCLC Number: 24322907. Physical: Text : 1 volume : xvi, 142 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Call number

M-Arts / Lowen

Barcode

BK-03296

ISBN

9781556431128

Original publication date

1991

Collections

Your library, Adult Materials, Contemplative Practices

CSS Library Notes

Description: "Wolfe Lowenthal's quiet little memoir will with window-opening wisdom reinforce, I think, my view of how Cheng stood on Tai Chi. It tells how a young writer reacted to this strange Chinese man when he appeared in New York City in the mid-1960s and stayed there for a decade before returning to Taiwan to die in 1975. In a nickel town where neurosis is a cardinal virtue, the Tai Chi center established by Cheng soon became an oasis of learning. In my visits there I was invariably approached by a quiet fellow with a ready smile and loads of questions. His form and sensing hands improved but he never lost his kindly ways. This led me once to tell the three seniors that the one person in the club who best exemplified Tai Chi was this junior. That man who has since become a teacher of the art is the author if this book." -- Robert W. Smith, from the Preface

FY1993 /

Physical description

xvi, 142 p.; 22 cm

Description

"Wolfe Lowenthal's quiet little memoir will with window-opening wisdom reinforce, I think, my view of how Cheng stood on Tai Chi. It tells how a young writer reacted to this strange Chinese man when he appeared in New York City in the mid-1960s and stayed there for a decade before returning to Taiwan to die in 1975. In a nickel town where neurosis is a cardinal virtue, the Tai Chi center established by Cheng soon became an oasis of learning. In my visits there I was invariably approached by a quiet fellow with a ready smile and loads of questions. His form and sensing hands improved but he never lost his kindly ways. This led me once to tell the three seniors that the one person in the club who best exemplified Tai Chi was this junior. That man who has since become a teacher of the art is the author if this book." -Robert W. Smith, from the Preface… (more)

Language

English

Original language

English

Similar in this library

User reviews

LibraryThing member dugenstyle

There Are No Secrets is a series of vignettes about Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing and his tai chi. The book is not for instructional purposes (e.g., 'here's how you perform Ward Off'), but rather focuses on different aspects of tai chi training, the author's personal experiences in training, and the

Professor's philosophy, which is a mixture of Taoism and Confucianism (at one point in the book the Professor comments he is '30% Lao Tzu and 70% Confuscius).

It is written excellently and Wolfe's personally struggles with tai chi and 'softness' are both helpful and illuminating for the aspiring tai chi boxer.

Show Less

2 more

LibraryThing member hrabbit

This is one of the best books on tai chi that you can read. You can read it over and over again and always find something new inside of it.

LibraryThing member kukulaj

I've just been playing Tai Chi for a few years, in the Cheng Man Ch'ing style. This is a great book for somebody like me. Lots of practical advice and tips; just getting oriented properly. It's not comprehensive at all. It assumes you know the form and push hands, or anyway doesn't provide any sort

of basic instruction. It does a great job of steering the reader toward a deeper understanding of what this stuff is all about. I have a lot to learn! This book shed valuable light on the road ahead.

Show Less

Fewer