Tai Chi Basic Form: Traditional Yang Style Old Frame Paperback – Large Print, 29 Nov. 2022

If you want to learn and understand the Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Basic Form (the most popular one of the five major styles), this is the book for you!Unlike the prevailing simplified Tai Chi 24 Forms, this is the one that takes you back to the Traditional Old Frame with 111 Postures. Master Pan has been teaching Tai Chi in the greater Boston area for the past 42 years (I and my wife have been his students since 1987). This Basic Form is the very first thing he teaches as a foundation to learn the Tuishou (Pushing Hands), Dalu (The Great Roll Back), Sanshou (Free Hands), Sword, Saber and Staff. He is trying to preserve the complete set of the traditional Yang Style Tai Chi (the so-called “Old Frame”)!

Although I've known the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan for a long time, I only started learning it seriously two years ago. Though all the movements were slow, I found it hard to grasp the relevance of each pose until I began reading this book.Based on Master Pan's 42 years of teaching Yang Style Tai Chi Old Frame, the authors presented each pose with a simple instruction and a snapshot image of the critical step of the pose, accompanied with a paragraph of usage.With this book as a guide, I now see a clear path to mastering all the poses. This is a must-have handbook for everyone who wishes to learn Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan.

Well written, thoughtfully descriptive, with lots of photo illustrations as examples to follow. As a beginner trying to learn tai chi, this book serves as a great companion, and I also really appreciate the context and history on this style of tai chi in the beginning of the book.