- ホーム
- > 洋書
- > 英文書
- > Health / Fitness
Full Description
The Tai Chi Concepts and Experiments book clarifies and makes accessible critical aspects of the art that only a small number of high-level practitioners currently understand and manifest.
Numerous step-by-step experiments are provided for readers to experience and perfect these critical tai chi aspects.
Contents include:
The meaning and importance of releasing tension in movement for stability, health, and spirituality.
The differences between contractive and expansive strength including a promising mechanism for the nature of expansive strength.
Numerous experiments for readers to recognize and experience expansive strength and to confirm that they have achieved it.
Elucidation of famous master's sayings on mind, strength, and chi.
Health and martial advantages of expansion over contraction in tai chi.
Protocols using expansion including those for helping an excess curvature of the upper and lower spine and for relieving plantar fasciitis.
Quotes from the classics and how they confirm the interpretations of the principles of tai chi.
How to achieve optimal balance through an understanding of physical, anatomical, physiological, and mental factors.
A detailed analysis of "rooting and redirecting" including physical and internal aspects.
Understanding natural movement from physical, philosophical, health, and martial points of view.
This interdisciplinary book utilizes, elementary physics, physiology, anatomy, psychology, and spirituality. It contains detailed analyses and explanations for achieving internal, expansive strength, known as nei jin, and for attaining optimal timing and natural movement.
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Author's Background
Author's Note
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: Relax
Cheng Man-ch'ing
Yang Cheng-fu
The Meaning of Relax
Attaining Sung
The Importance of Releasing Tension in Doing T'ai Chi Movement
Push-Hands
A Seeming Contradiction
Shedding Some Light on the No-Strength Paradox
CHAPTER 2: Expansive Strength
Background
The Current View of Muscular Action
Differences Between Contractive and Expansive Strength
Some Experiential Evidence for Expansive Strength (Experiments You Can Do)
A Promising Mechanism for Expansive Strength
CHAPTER 3: Swimming on Land
Professor Cheng's Advice
My Initial Skepticism
My Eventual Realization
The Mental Aspect
"Zombie-Style T'ai Chi"
Swimming on Land is Only a Tool for Recognizing Chin
CHAPTER 4: Elucidation of Famous Masters' Sayings on Strength
Li, Chin, and Nei Chin
Ch'i, Breath, and Internal and External Strength
An Analysis of Cheng Man-ch'ing's Distinction Between Two Different Types of Strength
An Attempt to Further Elucidate What Professor Cheng Wrote
An Analysis of Yang Cheng-fu'sCommentary on Strength
Breath and the Tan T'ien
Health Aspects
Martial Aspects
Mind, Breath, Ch'i, and Strength
Summary
CHAPTER 5: Advantages of Expansion Over Contraction in T'ai Chi
Briskness of Regulation of Strength Compared for Both Types of Strength
Alertness
Endurance and Health Benefits
Leverage and Fine-Motor Control
Developing Bodily Unification
Educating Bioelectrical Pathways
Deception in Self-Defense
CHAPTER 6: Health Protocols Using Expansion
Expansion for Reeducating Upper-Back Alignment
Expansion for Reeducating the Lower Back
Improving the Cervical Spine Using Slow, Relaxed Movement
Expansion for Relieving Plantar Fasciitis
CHAPTER 7: Balance
Gravity
Leg Strength and Mobility
Finding the Centers of the Feet
Knee, Ankle, Arch Alignment
Center of Mass
Balance Experiments
Vision
Other Factors
CHAPTER 8: An Analysis of "Rooting and Redirecting"
Conditions for Optimal Stability
Internal Aspects
CHAPTER 9: Natural Movement
Understanding Natural Movement
Elements of Natural Movement
Independence of Movement
Reasons for Studying Natural Movement
Examples of Unnatural Movement
Tools for Studying Natural Movement
Some Basic Physics Concepts
Animate and Inanimate Natural Movement
CHAPTER 10: Stepping Like a Cat
T'ai-Chi Stepping
Yinand Yang
Weight Transfer
Difficulties in Stepping Like a Cat
Order of Stepping: Heel First, Toe First, or Whole Foot?
Practicing Stepping to the Side Using a Movement From the T'ai-Chi Form
Stepping Naturally
The Swing of the Rear Leg During Stepping Forward
The Swing of the Forward Leg During Stepping Forward
Stepping at the Right Moment
Experiments for Attaining Proper Stepping
Swing of the Arms During Walking
CHAPTER 11: Periodic Movement and Timing
Periodic Motion
Periodic Motion Terms
Driven Periodic Motion
Linear, Driven, Horizontal Periodic Motion ("Withdraw and Push")
Analysis of the Motion in "Withdraw and Push"
Importance of Timing of "Withdraw and Push"
Circular Motion of Right Arm in "Single Whip"
Centrifugal Effect
Centrifugal Effect with Gravity
Conical Pendulum
"Swinging" About a Vertical Axis, Arms Swinging Side-to-Side
Benefits of "Swinging"
Fa Chin
T'i Fang
CHAPTER 12: Additional Physical Concepts
Constraints
Rolling Without Slipping
CHAPTER 13: A Clarification of "Secret" Teachings Revealed by Cheng Man-ch'ing
Basic Concepts
Neutralizing
Attacking
Yearning K. Chen 's Alternative Way of Deflecting an Attack
In Conclusion
CHAPTER 14: Non-Intention, Intention, and "a Hand is Not a Hand"
Non-Intention
The Mental Transmission of Intention
"A Hand is Not a Hand"
The Transmission of Intention Over a Distance
CHAPTER 15: Maximizing Your Progress in T'ai Chi
Studying T'ai-Chi
Obstacles to Learning T'ai-Chi
Dealing with Obstacles
Dangers of Overusing Images in Movement Arts
Validating Your Progress
CHAPTER 16: Perspectives on T'ai Chi
Internal Versus External Martial Arts
Lifting Versus Lowering
Empty / Full, Yin/ YangParadox
Some Variations of the T'ai-Chi Symbol
T'ai Chi "Weapons"
Misinterpretations
The Yang Long Form and Professor Cheng's Short Form
The Popularization of T'ai Chi
Afterword
Appendix 1. Basics of Vector Addition
Appendix 2. Analysis of Forces in Rooting
Appendix 3. Analysis of Swing of Hanging Rods
About the Author
Bibliography
Index
