Exploring Tai Chi: Contemporary Views on an Ancient Art

by John Loupos M.S., C.H.S.E.

Overview

More and more people all over the world are studying Tai Chi. No matter what style they study, what direction they take, or what level they are at, all agree on one thing: Tai Chi is a limitless journey and there is always more to be learned.

There are so many questions along the way and everyone has them, students and teachers alike, questions that are fundamental to all styles of Tai Chi, fundamental to all learning processes.

Exploring Tai Chi helps students to understand the intricacies of Tai Chi training, as well as the underlying motives and psychological processes involved in any ongoing practice of this ancient discipline.

This book focuses on 'disclosure' and 'empowerment' for the Tai Chi practitioner. What to expect of your training, how to progress in your training, and how to implement the principles of Tai Chi into your everyday life.

From the Preface:

For many practitioners. Tai Chi remains something they merely 'do', as opposed to its becoming an indelible part of who they are. Tai Chi is, on the one hand, a tool for personal development. On the other, it is a metaphor for living life in the clearest, most efficient, and most deliberate way.

Chapter 10: Are You Living Your Tai Chi?

It is one thing to discuss the myriad benefits that Tai Chi has to offer in a theoretical fashion. It is another thing entirely to actually reap those benefits in ways that facilitate your becoming a healthier, more evolved and more fully functional human being. The essence of this book has to do with the quantifiable and qualifiable benefits of Tai Chi, benefits such as rooting, stress reduction, cultivating your Chi, and living heartfully.

• Deepen your understanding for great Tai Chi.
• Inspiration and advice for a lifetime of practice.
• Exercises and training drills to help you develop your Tai Chi.
• For all styles and all levels of experience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780940871427
Publisher:	YMAA Publication Center
Publication date:	06/01/2003
Pages:	222
Sales rank:	643,491
Product dimensions:	7.25(w) x 9.38(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sifu John Loupos, M.S., C.H.S.E., began studying martial arts in 1966. As a young teen, John inherited a school of his own and has been teaching martial arts ever since. His studies include Okinawan Karate, Chinese Kung Fu, Yang style Tai Chi Chuan, Liu He Ba Fa, Xingyi, and Bagua, and various Chi Kung and energy oriented meditation disciplines.

He holds a M.S. in Psychology and has a background in Classical Homeopathy. In additional to his teaching duties, John also maintains an active clinical practice in Hanna Somatics. John specializes in Tai Chi Chuan as an inter- and intra-personal communication modality, and enjoys traveling to conduct seminars for educational institutions and corporate entities, as well as for other schools.

He currently lives at the shore in Hull, Massachusetts and divides his time between writing, conducting his clinic, and teaching at his main school, Jade Forest Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Internal Arts in Cohasset, MA plus two branch facilities.

Editorial Reviews

"...From discussions on empowerment techniques to what to expect from a training course, and how to assess its impact and usefulness, this makes for a valuable contemporary assessment..."

The Bookwatch

"...Loupos writes in an easy, accessible voice tinged with humor...His thoughts on rooting, dynamic structure, and training tips are helpful and easy to understand. The chapter on fajing is intriguing..."

Journal of Asian Martial Arts

"...He offers useful information that can be applied to areas either within or outside of traditional taiji practice. He offers suggestions for dealing with injuries incurred during martial arts training (or any vigorous activity). Based in a realistic understanding that the softness of taiji sometimes is forgotten in practice, he includes mechanical, homeopathic and other suggestions for healing the body…"

Taijiquan Journal