T'ai Chi and qigong are popular because of their great reputations as exercises with numerous health-related benefits. Can these benefits simply be results of placebo effects? Chapters in this e-book not only provide an interesting historical backdrop in which taiji and qigong developed, but also provide scientific support for the efficacy and effects of both modalities. Breslow's chapter focuses on Daoist practices associated with their quest for immortality and longevity. Rhoads, Crider, and Hayduk looks at taiji and qigong with the tools of modern science. DeMarco compares Yang-style taiji practice of with guidelines provided by the National Institue of Health. Kachur, Carleton, and Asmundson provide an excellent chapter that gives insight into aspects of taiji practice that improve balance. The final chapter by Kenneth Cohen offers a history of the taiji ruler as a tool conducive to vitalizing the qi. Included are aspects of design, lineage, and some illustrated exercises, plus details on qi circulation. For anyone who questions the validity of taiji and qigong as exercise modalities, the collected writings in this book will provide information not available elsewhere. In addition to finding the historical and scientific foundation of these practices, the contents in this book will help improve taiji and qigong practice, bringing the many benefits as claimed for these gems of Chinese culture.
About the Author: Gordon Asmundson, Ph.D., is a full professor of health studies and psychology at the University of Regina and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Investigator. Arieh Lev Breslow, M.A., received his M.A. in history from the University of Wisconsin. He has studied taijiquan for over thirty-five years. He is the author of Beyond the Closed Door: Chinese Culture and the Creation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. R. Nicholas Carleton, M.A., is a researcher and doctoral student working with Dr. Gordon Asmundson. Kenneth S. Cohen, M.A., M.S.Th., executive director of the Qigong Research & Practice Center, has studied qigong, taijiquan, and various other Chinese martial arts for forty-five years. He is the author of The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing (Ballantine Books, 1997) Duane Crider, Ph.D., has been teaching taiji at the university level for seventeen years and is currently a professor of sport management at Kutztown University. He has published two books on martial arts instruction. Dr. Crider holds a doctoral degree in health education from Pennsylvania State University. Michael A. DeMarco, M.A., received his degree from Seton Hall University's Asian Studies Department. In 1964 he began studies of Chinese-Indonesian kuntao-silat. Since 1973 he has focused on taijiquan: Yang style, Xiong Yanghe lineage; Chen style, Du Yuze lineage. He founded Via Media Publishing Company in 1991, producing the Journal of Asian Martial Arts and books. Dina Hayduk, D.Ed., M.Ed., is a health educator at Kutztown University. She earned both her M.Ed. in health education and her D.Ed. in adult education from Pennsylvania State University. Shane Kachur, B.M.R. (P.T), is a certified manipulative physical therapist and a graduate student working under Dr. Asmundson at the University of Regina. He has over twenty years of Chinese martial art experience and is a disciple of Master Nick Gracenin, studying both modern and traditional wushu, including taijiquan. C. J. Rhoads, D.Ed., M.Ed., has been studying taijiquan for twenty years. She holds several certifications to teach taijiquan and is a professional member of the National Qigong Association. Rhoads is one of the founding members of the Taijiquan Enthusiasts Organization. Rhoads is an associate professor in the College of Business at Kutztown University. She has a doctorate from Lehigh University.