Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An invaluable contribution to the World, 18 Oct 2001
This book contains a fantastic set of exercises for developing flexiblity, tranquility and chi. If you have stiff joints, tendons, ligaments or muscles you will be totally impressed with these exercises. Looking at the pictures and reading the material gives no picture at all to the 'actual' experience of the set. From the very first exercise, which is one of my favorites, you just 'know' this set is going to 'sort' you out. As a Tai Chi practitioner of many years I have not seen a superior set of exercises. I tried 'yoga' to increase flexiblity and stiffness. Although yoga gave some relief, I was still very 'tight' in the morning. A problem, very tight left hamstring still did not improve with yoga. Yoga also gave me occasional minor injuries with some exercises. After 1 week of doing this set twice a day I noticed immediate improvement. Now after 3 weeks, I am far less tight in the mornings and my hamstring is 50% better, and getting better every week.
One other thing that I was totally impressed by is the opening of the shoulder joints with the first 4 exercises. Why so many? Once you do the set you'll understand why. I found almost instant tranquility from soothing my shoulder joints. All major joints are worked in this set.
For a total strength workout, including abdominals, give exercise 17 a go! My Tai Chi feels smooth and silky. I've been searching for 18 months for some answers. This book has brought great joy to my life as a Martial Artist. I can't imagine my flexibility after a year! My enthusiam for Chi Kung has totally awakened, even though this set is described as Nei Kung. I imagine the difference is Nei Kung includes Internal strength training as well.
The Creator of these exercises is a credit to the wonders of this set, living with perfect health until 100 years.
Finally, this set is all a person would need to do to maintain health and vitality. Although, once you've seen the wonders, adding Tai Chi, Xing Yi, Paqua or other activities to your life is inevitable.
Creator of the Beginner Tai Chi (DVD)
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent and useful summary of Xing Yi training methods, 16 April 2001
By A Customer
The book is a clear, informative and facsinating guide to the development of power in Xing Yi Chuan, although practicioners of other arts (particualy ba-gua and tai chi) will find the exercise contained herein very useful. The photographs are excellent, the best quality I have seen in any martial arts book. The sixteen exercises form a complete set, and described in painstaking detail. As such, they form a very good basis for anyone who wishes to incorporate this kind of training into their practice.However, the book contains a lot more than this. The first chapter explains much of the lineage of the Xing Yi masters from whom the nei gong exercises were described. The book then details much from the Xing Yi "classics". Having never seen this material before, it made a very insightful read. Next, there is a chapter devoted to stance keeping, with particular reference to san ti shi (a fundamental aspect of Xing Yi practice), before details of the nei gong exercises themselves. Finally, a brief chapter details the use of the long spear in advanced training. There's a lot of information packed into this book, and as such it represents good value for money. However, there are a few minor criticisms. The book feels a little like a 'mish-mash' of ideas, although it certainly does not lack clarity or depth of explanation. This is really a matter of taste, and does not distract from the overall quality. The first chapter could do with a little refining, as it does go into rather too much depth about all of the Xing Yi practicioners - it sometimes reads like a Chinese telephone directory, with a barrage of names! Overall, this is an excellent book. The clear method in which the material is presented also dispel any mysticism surrounding the internal martial arts. If you are seeking the ability to catch bullets in your teeth by focussing your chi, you would be advised to look elsewhere.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not a book about fighting, 12 Nov 2002
This book does not teach fighting techniques, forms or the martial training side of martial arts. Instead, it shows you how to lay a solid foundation to build real internal power, so that when you study martial training, the ability that you develop will be effective,strong, powerful fighting technique.The book does this with crystal clear, comprehensive instructions and equally clear, comprehensive pictures. The wisdom in this book is as close to pure and uncorrupted as possible for a western text on Xing Yi Quan. The introduction of the writers lineage is both interesting and helps to authenticate the execise advice later in the book. There is not wasted word. It is a gem of book. If a martial artist practices only the work in this book from posture, standing exercise and the sixteen exercises, they will need no other book to develop real power for their chosen soft style.
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