Tai Chi for Beginners and the 24 Forms

This is an amazing book both for beginners and intermediate Tai Chi players. I find Dr Lam's instructions the most organized, detailed and useful. It complements the DVDs but it can also be used by itself. If you do not have access to an instructor, as it is my case, this book, the DVDs and online classes provided by Dr Lam are probably the best option for you. I ordered all other Dr Lam's DVDs and books and will subscribe to the online classes. I researched for months for good instructional material and this was not my first choice, but it definitely is now, along with learning from other sifu. I am not practicing only for the physical aspect, but also for the internal energy development and mind cultivation, so additional instructive material is used, but this book pretty much covers all the basics

no matter what you level of fitness is, this book will guide you through the paces. I love how it is separated into three distinct sections. And how you are told that even if all you ever do is the first set of forms, you are doing work that will make you healthier, happier, and stronger. Instead of the usual set up for failure attitude if yiou cannot even make it past the warmups, you are told that if that is where you are, then it is right for you. Thanks for a great book!

A basic text for Yang 24 tai chi practice especially for Dr. Paul Lam tai chi students. Very detailed and informative even thought the structure is a little awkward at first glance. I am a Paul Lam certified teacher and use this book often as a reference for my Beginners and Yang 24 short form classes. Works best with complementary DVD though the DVD may be more helpful for most new students. The best way to learn tai chi is with a competent teacher with a DVD the next best and with a book the third---. Though the DVD and book are very useful between classes when you have trouble remembering what you learned last class. For learning the Yang 24 short form (most popular form), this book will probably be useful for many people though YouTube videos (making sure you are watching the Yang 24 form) are often the reference most people use.

Yang Style Tai Chi for Beginners and the 24 Forms, with Qi Gong Movements: The book covers qi gong and the Yang Style 24 forms that are standard. I studied with Kraig Stephens in my early 70s and enjoyed learning the movements until I left the area. Now that I'm older, I decided to go back to practicing qi gong and tai chi for health as well as enjoyment. For various reasons, I can't attend classes, and find videos somewhat difficult to follow, so I went looking for a book by a reputable teacher that would break down the elements, so I could relearn them. Then I found a Yang style teacher (Pei) to practice with on YouTube. (Hint: Writing out the steps and posting them helps with sequencing.) There are variations in how the 24 forms are taught, but this was a good choice for me. The book arrived "like new," with only a slight ding on the cover.

I purchased this book on the recommendation of my Tai Chi instructor after I had been engaged in Tai Chi classes for about a year. This is an excellent overview of Tai Chi (and Qigong) - clear prose and great insights. My suggestion would be to purchase the 24 forms DVD first and work with it for a few months, then add this book for a deeper understanding.

Tai-Chi is much better to learn with an instructor. This book gave me an idea of what to expect. Without a live instructor I never knew if I was doing the exercises correctly.

I came across this book in my doctors office while in for a fibromyalgia follow up. I was captivated by it, absolutely captivated. The quality of the pages in this book is awesome. The lesson illustrations are gorgeous and comprehensible (see the image I uploaded for an example page). My doctor is a 1-year student, and we talked about how it might help me with my fibro issues. Coincidentally (?) the New York Times had just published an article on August 18th, 2010 about how tai chi has been found to help fibro patients. An excerpt is here: "A clinical trial at Tufts Medical Center found that after 12 weeks of tai chi, patients with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, did significantly better in measurements of pain, fatigue, physical functioning, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education. Tai chi patients were also more likely to sustain improvement three months later." ([...]) I really hate the need I have to take powerful meds and narcotics to control my symptoms, and I'm hoping Tai Chi can replace some, if not all, of them. So I bought the book, signed up for a 10 week beginner class with my doctors instructor, and I can't wait to get started. I'll definitely be using this book in my practice sessions at home to gain proficiency with the moves. A word of warning - this book is definitely for the first timers and relative newbies. I wouldn't recommend it for intermediate or advanced students. Unless you just want to have it in your collection or in your office for others to see.

This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in Tai Chi!

Aunque no conozco mucho del tema me parece un libro de iniciación claro y equilibrado. Por supuesto, no puede sustituir a un maestro de tai chi, pero creo que es un buen complemento.

Another excellent book by Dr Lam which describes the different types of Tai Chi, warm up and cooling down exercises and further Tai Chi forms. Dr Lam goes through the movements step by step which is easy to follow. However, this book if used along with his DVD would be even more beneficial so that you know you have the correct positions. I would recommend this book.

This book is wonderfully written and illustrated for helping beginners like myself learning Tai Chi. It’s brilliant!!!

Une approche pour le débutant ou un aide mémoire pour le pratiquant ou l'enseignant. Ne remplace évidemment pas un cours.

Excellent book