| "Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi For Health | | | | The instruction is clear, and it is the right depth |
| & Longevity" by Ramel Rones with David | | | | for an introductory text and simple program. I |
| Silver is not just another tai chi book. Published by | | | | especially liked the sections on breathing, |
| YMAA Publication Center, "Sunrise Tai Chi" was a | | | | visualization, and meditation that can be done |
| pleasant surprise and much more than I expected. | | | | sitting or standing. With the ever increasing |
| Rather than another picture book illustrating tai chi | | | | busyness of our modern society, taking time for |
| forms, Rones has written a unique text that | | | | this type of practice is more important today |
| focuses more on the internal aspects of the | | | | than it ever was. |
| movements such as breathing, internal | | | | The second half of the book teaches a series of |
| visualization, and tapping into the energies of the | | | | movements and then a form made from those |
| earth and heaven rather than the movements | | | | movements. While the pictures and text are clear, |
| themselves. | | | | I believe this is where the companion DVD would |
| While my expertise is more in the fighting and | | | | be beneficial. I do not yet have the companion |
| self-defense aspects of Hapkido, I did also study | | | | DVD, but believe it would be a better medium to |
| Qigong with my instructors in South Korea. I do | | | | teach the movements. Having authored written |
| not claim mastery of the Chinese internal arts, | | | | and video instruction on martial arts, I know it is |
| but I have experienced them and have trained in | | | | much easier to teach movement through video |
| them enough to recognize not only mastery, but | | | | than text and pictures. I'm glad Rones made a |
| the ability to instruct and pass on knowledge to | | | | companion DVD for this book, together they will |
| students. Rones along with Silver, two | | | | make a complete program. (Unless of course you |
| accomplished martial artists do an exceptional job | | | | have the opportunity to learn from him in person |
| in teaching fundamentals of this simple, but | | | | which as we all know is the very best way to |
| powerful practice. | | | | learn. |