Ba Gua Nei Gong Volume 5: Tian Gan Heavenly Stem Nei Gong

Well, Tom does it again!As those who have read others of my reviews of Tom Bisio's books know,I am a student of his and a great fan. I am 69, have been studying martial arts since I was 11, and for a long time have been fascinated by the Chinese Internal martial arts. I find in Tom a rare combination of authentic deep experience, a lack of bulls***, a willingness to share, and a clarity of mind which allows him to communicate about this difficult subject.I admire all Tom's books on Ba Gua and Chinese internal martial arts and healing, but this little volume is one of the best. It details a couple of training methods; what makes this special is that the internal subtleties are clearly spelt out. The Tian Gan involves 16 simple movements, with detailed instruction on use of the ming men, spine and rib cage (it is this that provides the "internal"); but for me the jewel is the Spinal Meditation, 6 standing practices involving moving the spine using "mind-intent" alone, with no visible motion--a purely "energy" exercise. Not for the beginner--it might be very frustrating, as it requires a fair degree of inner awareness--but a wonderful exercise for opening the major central channels. (The exercise has to be done in conjunction with 6 gentle physical movements to integrate the detailed energy work).The illustrations (photos) are clear and abundant, often involving side and front views, and the explanations are clear, complete and concise. Tom is a master teacher!

Tom Bisio has been writing about this subject for some time now. He has been documenting many of the Nei Gong practices of Baguazhang, and this volume features a practice that is featured in several lineages of Gao Yi Sheng's baguazhang. It mobilizes and energizes the spine, but also functions to help aid in the creation and refinement of whole-body use of power. You can take larger movements from the beginning sections and see how in latter sections how the same principles are applied to smaller movements, showing how the same principles can be applied to subtler actions later in the set. Clear and concise, the book has what is needed to keep people on the path while developing their Kung Fu.

Good book. Whatever your bagua zhang practice (Gao, Yin, Liang, Zhang Zhou Dong, or other), this book is worth reading (and practicing) to understand a fundamental facet of bagua training. I first learned Tian Gan as a warm-up exercise without a clear understanding of their value. This book presents the nei gong aspects of these practices. Basic internal energy movements aimed at loosening the spine and integrating legs, waist and torso are presented in a clear style that encourages the practice and exploration necessary to grasp some very basic principles of bagua zhang. Again, good book.

Clear information without too much general background fillers. Very hard to find Tian Gan in print or on the internet. The best I have found so far was in Mike Patterson's "Bagua - A means to an end", but Bisio's account is much more comprehensive. This is likely to become one of the authoritative reference books.

Good

A great book on Tain gan. More than likely the only book in English on the subject. The system I learned (nine little heaven) is slightly different. But still a great buy. I plan on using the internal info to enhance my practice and understanding.

Excelentes secuencias fotográficas y un texto que explica de una forma muy clara los movimientos externos e internos de cada ejercicio.

....on a rare seen great little system. If you already practice Tiangan this is a very good addition. Buy it!