Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I

A well presented book that outlines a breathing technique that is simple but extremely effective. I purchased this book after having purchased and read Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body. I have practiced TM meditation for 33 years and Tai Chi for 15 years. Bruce offers a new and freshing approach to these valuable techniques for self development.

This is an amazing book in my opinion and it goes into great detail about every aspect of the 3 main Internal Martial Arts of China. Everyone with an interest in studying Tai Chi should read this book! My review is based on an earlier version of the book which I purchased a few years ago. I have been studying Yang Style Tai Chi for 6 years now in Northern Ireland and more recently, Wu Style Broadsword and I have found that good teachers are few and far between. I have very been lucky to find 2 good teachers! I have 5 of Bruce's books now, a video and some DVD's ~ I refer to them on a regular basis for tips, but mainly for inspiration, when the circumstances of life prevent me from practicing as regularly as I would like. The book that this review is concerning is excellent in that respect ~ it demonstrates the immense possibilities of what one can achieve by training their own body and mind & this process ultimately gives one access to their spirit and to their higher spiritual qualities. All of Bruce's work is so multi-faceted ~ you will get what you need depending on your level of experience and understanding ~ this is something that you feel after a lot of practice, rather than a mere intellectual understanding ~ next time you read, you will pick up something new and so on and so forth. Just like regular practice of a form ~ if you are really focusing on what you are doing, you pick up on very subtle qualities each time you practice and that information can be used to improve your form & help you reach higher levels of perfection. This book has developed in me, an interest in studying Ba Gua Chang, which I hope to get into in a few years time, after I perfect my current Tai Chi and Broadsword forms. When I read Bruce's books, I feel myself "like a small baby" (in the words of the immortal T.T.Laing) The amount of knowledge contained in this and his other books is phenomenal!!! My advice? ... BUY IT ... it will become one of your best friends on your life-long journey of discovering your true potential.

I just finished reading this book and it really indulges a keen interest in the internal arts. The author's extensive martial arts style started of with karate and progressed to years of training in all of the major internal arts and a lot of external \ internal kung fu styles and his extensive knowledge of this very complex subject matter is very impressive. To put it in a nutshell if you're looking at studying an internal art this gives you a good reference as to which one might suit you best. It's dry at times and sometimes too personalised but no doubt a very good book to get things underway. Big ups to author ... his second book ... Opening the energy gates of you body is next on my list ...

The fact Bruce Kumar Frantzis share so many insights about the Tai Chi, Ba Gua, and Hsing-I Chuan was very rewarding. This book reflects a life time of dedication, exploration, and relationships - the author has gained from the study of internal style martial arts. Some of the concepts the author shared, I related to very well. However, many of the concepts were new and provided an encouragement for my continual improvement and striving to understand these concepts. Three topics particular interested me, besides the numerous biographical stories of interaction with Chinese masters, these were pushing hands, standing meditation, and circle walking. I was aware of two types of pushing hands: single and double hand as practiced stationary or in motion; but Frantzis shares two more types of pushing hands. The book is a valued portion of knowledge helping dedicated martial artist learn the guide lines and directions to achieving real mastery over the internal styles. The author talks of his experiences standing for six hours to gain the chi for discharge. My favorite story was Frantzis's recounting his first experience with his Ba Gua teacher, his departure, and return - realizing there's always more to learn, as his master lodge an energy ball within his body that took a month to remove. The fact Frantzis has mastered three internal arts speaks for itself. Its true the author has experienced and studied numerous other arts: Judo, Shotokan, Jujitsu, Akido, Praying Mantis, and more; but the heart of the author's focus was explanations about the internal styles. Frantzis's capable as a martial artist receives no dispute from me. He is absolutely amazing and capable. He talks about Fa Jin, the ability to project the opponent without harm or injury by uprooting him through discharge; he talks of drilling power and magnetic hand; he talks about soft and hard power; he distinquish the philosophies between Tai Chi, Ba Gua, and Hsing-I; he talks about the 16 concepts of mastery of the internal style; he explains Ba Gua stress movement, reappearance and disappearance; He describes Hsing-I as militant, linear, delivered with the fists, utilizes small circles, yet using internal power, an internal karate, and feared by the Praying Mantis style and the analysis for this claim; He describes the why the Praying Mantis style is effective against linear attacks. He describes Tai Chi as soft, yielding, capable of absorbing the opponent's energy and redirecting it back; He explains the internal style kicks are below the heart; He explains the emptiness and lack of anger or animal impulses in the internal style. Just as the "Tai Chi" classics teach by story, so does the author. I learned just as much from his personal stories as I did from his analytical discussion of the concepts of internal energy. I found he analysis consistent with the teachings of the "Tai Chi Classics". However, the author add more analysis which exceeded anything I've rea