Books & Magazines

Taijiquan Literature

*Essence of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Ben Lo, et al, tr. North Atlantic. Translation of the T’ai Chi Ch’uan classics, with introduction and glossary. North Atlantic, 1985.
Master Cheng’s New Method of Taichi Ch’uan Self-Cultivation. Cheng Man-ch’ing, tr. Mark Hennessy. North Atlantic, 1999.
*T’ai Chi Ch’uan: A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health and Self-Defence. Cheng Man-ch’ing, North Atlantic.
T’ai Chi Ch’uan for Health and Self-defense. T.T. Liang. Vintage. Philosophy, commentary, and classics.
T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Cheng Man-ch’ing and Robert W. Smith. Tuttle. Hardcover. Pictures, desciptions, essays, classics.
There Are No Secrets: Professor Cheng Man-ch’ings T’ai Chi Ch’uan (1991), Gateway to the Miraculous (1994), Like a Long River. Wolfe Lowenthal. North Atlantic. Accounts of author’s study with Cheng Man-ch’ing and personal growth through T’ai Chi Ch’uan practice.
The Beauty of Gesture: The Invisible Keyboard of Piano and T’ai Chi. Catherine David. North Atlantic, 1996. A lyrical, literary encounter.
Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power, Yang Yang. Zhenwu Publishing, 2005

FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS:

*Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Chapters on T’ai Chi Ch’uan (Cheng-tzu t’ai chi ch’uan shih-san p’ien). Trans. Ben Lo et al. North Atlantic Books, 1985. Authorized translations. Photos. Other translation by Douglas Wile in: Master Cheng’s Thirteen Chapters on T’ai Chi Ch’uan1982 and Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Advanced T’ai Chi Form Instructions 1985, both from Sweet Ch’i.
Cheng Man-ch’ing: Master of Five Excellences. M. Hennessy, tr. North Atlantic, 1995. Essays by Prof. Cheng on painting, poetry, calligraphy, medicine, philosophy, and Taijiquan.
*T’ai Chi Ch’uan Ta Wen: Questions and Answers on T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Chen Wei-ming. Original ed., Shanghai: 1929. English edition, Trans. Ben Lo and Robert W. Smith. North Atlantic, 1985.
Taiji Sword. Chen Weiming. Orig. ed. 1927. Barbara Davis, tr. North Atlantic 2000.
*The Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation. Barbara Davis. North Atlantic Books, 2004. Includes a commentary by Chen Weiming.
“In Search of a Unified Dao: Zheng Manqing’s Life and Contributions to Taijiquan” by Barbara Davis, in Journal of Asian Martial Arts 5/2 1996. Most complete biography to date of Professor Cheng. Out of print. Contact author for further information.
*T’ai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions. Douglas Wile, trans. and ed. Sweet Ch’i Press, 1983. Collection of materials from various Yang Family publications.
*The Tao of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Jou Tsung-Hwa. Chas. Tuttle.
The Tai Chi Book: Refining and Enjoying a Lifetime of Practice. Robert Chuckrow, YMAA, 1988. An analytical approach to Taijiquan practice.
Martial Musings. Robert W. Smith. Via Media, 1999. Memoirs of leading Taiji practitioner and author.
T’ai Chi’s Ancestors: The Making of an Internal Martial Art. Douglas Wile. Sweet Ch’i, 1999.
Lost T’ai Chi Classics from the Late Ch’ing Dynasty. Douglas Wile. Scholarly examination of t’ai chi’s early history and texts. SUNY, 1996.
Zheng Manqing’s Uncollected Writings on Taijiquan, Qigong, and Health, with New Biographical Notes. Douglas Wile, Milwaukee: Sweet Ch’i Press, 2007

MAGAZINES:

PUBLICATIONS

Journal of Asian Martial Arts—In-depth articles, research, and reviews, edited by Michael DeMarco. JAMA has ceased publication, however, its articles have been collected into thematic anthologies, including Taijiquan Journal editor Barbara Davis’ article “In Search of a Unified Dao: Zheng Manqing’s  (Cheng Man-ch’ing) Life and Contribution to Taijiquan,” now in the anthology Cheng Man-ch’ing and T’ai Chi: Echoes in the Hall of Happiness.

Kungfu Tai Chi Magazine—This magazine covers the martial arts end of these Chinese arts.

Empty Vessel: A Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice—Contemporary practice of Daoism and related topics.

T’ai Chi Magazine—Was edited by the late Marvin Smallheiser. The first of its kind, began as a newsletter, and later expanded into a magazine.

Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Via Media Publishing. Quarterly; ceased publication, but back issues, articles, and anthologies available. History, philosophy, research.
T’ai Chi. Bimonthly; ceased publication. News and articles about various styles and schools of T’ai Chi Ch’uan.
Taijiquan Journal. Quarterly; on hiatus; back issues available. Opinions, philosophy, how-to, theory, history, study, theory, humor. Edited by Great River director Barbara Davis. View the blog with news and reviews.

ADDITIONAL READING–CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

Analects, Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean. Confucius. James Legge, trans. and commentary. Dover reprint, bilingual.
Chinese Religion. Laurence Thompson. 4th ed. Wordsworth, 1989.
*Chuang-tzu (Zhuangzi). Tr. Burton Watson (Columbia); A.C. Graham and Victor Mair (Wandering on the Way, Bantam).
I Ching (Yijing). Anon. Numerous translations, standard is by Richard Wilhelm (Princeton). Also A Guide to the I Ching, Carol Anthony (Anthony Publishing), I Ching, by Wang Bi, Richard Lynn, tr. (Columbia).
Mencius. D.C. Lau, trans. Penguin, 1970. Early Confucian philosopher.
*Tao Te Ching (Daodejing). Lao Tzu (Laozi). Numerous translations, good ones include Ellen Chen (Paragon, 1989), Victor Mair (Bantam 1990), Richard Lynn (Columbia U 1998). Red Pine (Mercury House), Lao Tzu: My Words Are Very Easy to Understand. Cheng Man-ch’ing commentary, Tam Gibbs, tr. North Atlantic, 1981.
Taoism, the Parting of the Way. Holmes Welch. Beacon, 1967.
The Taoist Body. Kristopher Schipper. U California. An excellent overview of Daoism.
The Art of War (Sunzi, Sun-tzu). Numerous translations: Griffith, Sawyer both recommended. Classic of strategy from 1st century BCE.
Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods. Robert W. Smith. North Atlantic reprint, 1990. Stories and biographies of famous masters.
Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques. Livia Kohn, ed. University of Michigan, 1989.
The Web That Has No Weaver. Ted Kaptchuk. Congdon and Weed, 1983. Chinese medical theory.
Chinese Medicine: A History of Ideas. Paul Unschuld. Berkeley: Univ. of Calif.