Suggested Reading, Especially for Newer Apprentices

By Steve Shulman

Our best practice and progress in tai chi is experiential — body-to-body. Nevertheless, there are books that can be inspiring, fascinating, and helpful.

In the early days of our school, very few English-language tai chi books were available. Over time, new volumes began to appear. Folks would get in line to be the first kid on their block to check them out. Of course, a zillion books and YouTube videos about tai chi are now available — ranging from wonderful to… less than wonderful. Additionally, much of the tai chi available to view online and read about is not the style our school teaches, so it can be confusing, to say the least.

The following is a list of books that, if you haven’t already read them, could be helpful to you. Our school especially recognizes the first seven titles, plus Wolfe Lowenthal’s three books (12, 13, and 14).

As you might expect, a certain degree of repetition threads through the books — especially in the basics, like describing the physical movements of tai chi. However, I have found that each contains its own flavor and unique nuggets.

1. T’ai Chi Ch’uan, A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health & Self Defense by Cheng Man-ch’ing. I believe this book was ‘replaced’ later by:
2. Master Cheng’s New Method of Taichi Ch’uan Self-Cultivation by Cheng Man-ch’ing. Collectors will appreciate having both books one and two in their collection. Others who already have this volume might choose to skip the first one.
3. T’ai-Chi, The “Supreme Ultimate” Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense by Cheng Man-ch’ing and Robert W. Smith (available in hardback, paperback, and Kindle editions).
4. Master Cheng’s Thirteen Chapters on T’ai-Chi Ch’üan by Cheng Man-ching, translated by Douglas Wile.
5. The Tao Teh Ching is a seminal text about Taoism with many, many translations. Professor Cheng published one titled Lao Tzu: My Words Are Very Easy To Understand. I happen to resonate with this (strangely spelled title) volume: Tao Teh King, Interpreted as Nature and Intelligence by Archie J. Bahm.
6. Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Advanced T’ai-Chi Form Instructions by Cheng Man-Ch’ing and translated by Douglas Wile is out of print but you might find it at a library or used bookstore.
7. A book you should definitely check out is Tai Chi Touchstones, Yang Family Secret Transmissions, by Douglas Wile.
8. Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai Chi Ch’uan (available in hardcover and paperback), by Cheng Man Ch’ing, translated by Benjamin Lo and Martin Inn.
9. Zheng Manqing’s Uncollected Writings on Taijiquan, Qigong, and Health, with New Biographical Notes (greenish paperback), by Douglas Wile. While this is currently unavailable as a new book, you might check your local library or used bookstore for a copy.
10. Another seminal book we should all read is The Taijiquan Classics. Many translations exist, such as T’ai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao or The Taijiquan Classics by Barbara Davis.
11. Cheng Man-ch’ing and T’ai Chi, Echoes in the Hall of Happiness, An Anthology of Articles from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts (paperback), edited by Michael A. DeMarco and T.G. LaFredo.
12. If you haven’t yet explored them, Wolfe Lowenthal‘s three books are must-reads: There Are No Secrets
13. Gateway to the Miraculous
14. Like a Long River
15. Another wonderful book is Chinese Boxing:  Masters and Methods by Robert W. Smith.
16. A more recent book is In the Presence of Cheng Man-Ch’ing  (My Life And Lessons With The Master Of Five Excellences), by William C. Phillips.

For video lovers, in addition to the “Master Tapes” released on DVD by the Cheng family, everyone in the TCF community should watch The Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West, a documentary directed by Barry Strugatz.

While this is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list of worthwhile books and videos about tai chi, they might pique your interest. Hopefully, they will help you circle back around to a better, deeper experiential, body-to-body path.

I am always interested in hearing about other recommended books. Please share yours in the comment section below.

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