Sunset Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Relaxation and Longevity

This is a very comprehensive set of drills to treat your mind and body and spirit. It has improved my balance and movement by 1,000% and replaced a drawer full of medicine. Ramel Rones teaching method is thoughtful and spiritual as well as effective.

Really great book, recommended by my teacher.

If you have a couple of Tai Chi books on the shelf that feature brief descriptions accompanying pictures of one of the Tai Chi forms, and you don't think you need any others, rest assured that "Sunset Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi For Relaxation And Longevity" by Ramel Rones and written with David Silver is no such ordinary book. While the title says this form is simplified, and it is a shorter form than some of the longer forms of Tai Chi, there is nothing "simple" about this book. It is a very detailed and informative text, with accompanying pictures, on a mind/body program designed for beginners or intermediate level students. (And I wouldn't be surprised if many who consider themselves beyond the intermediate level wouldn't learn quite a bit from this book too.)When you include the back matter, such as the glossary of terms and index, this book goes beyond four hundred pages. And while the pictures are plentiful, there is an awful lot of informative and instructional text to this book. Anyone who wishes to better understand Qigong and Tai Chi, and who wants a practical approach to the study and practice of these internal Chinese arts will benefit from Rones' teachings. Again, the book is so much more than just a series of pictures teaching a form.There are two Forewords, a short introduction, and then a brief segment on how to use the book. From there, Rones goes into explaining what Tai Chi is and a little about his journey into training. This first chapter is a good start to the book. Chapter 2, Qi is Real - Understanding Human Energy, is where the book starts to pick up momentum and illustrates the comprehensiveness of the text. The chapter is eighty pages of explanation of various aspects of energy and breathing. If you have studied any of Dr. Yang's Qigong resources, you will be familiar with some of this. Rones is a student of Dr. Yang, so it is natural that the teachings are similar.Chapter 3, Sunset Tai Chi Mind/Body Program, is the bulk of the book. The chapter is 165 pages long, and goes through the prep work to get you ready to learn the Tai Chi movements and form. Various breathing exercises are taught, different stretching exercises, and the mental meditative drills to accompany the breathing or movement. Additionally, Rones included some Tai Chi Ball training. (Dr. Yang has authored a complete text with accompanying DVDs on Tai Chi Ball training for those that want more of this portion of the art.)Chapter 4 details the Tai Chi movements. Each movement is described and shown with photographs. Chapter 5 then puts the movements into the Sunset Tai Chi form. Remember, this is a simplified form to be done in the evening to relax after your work day. However, the movements are the same as found in other Tai Chi forms. Rones also includes martial applications of the movements. While a reality based fighter might not care for these more classical techniques, I believe knowing the martial application will aid in the learning process and help those who do study martial arts incorporate Tai Chi training into their programs. Obviously, many people will choose to study Tai Chi for the health benefits and never delve into martial applications or other martial arts. The book then concludes with a short Epilogue.For anyone wishing to incorporate Tai Chi and Qigong breathing exercises and movements into their health regimen,"Sunset Tai Chi" by Ramel Rones is a great reference to learn from. There is a companion DVD that I have not yet viewed, but I'm sure that using this book together with a DVD to assist you with learning the movements will provide one of the best instructional resources available outside an actual live instructor. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn a simplified mind/body program for health based in Chinese Qigong and Tai Chi.Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.

Sunset Tai Chi is a worthy follow-up to Rones and Silver's Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi for Health and Longevity, a Living Now Book Award Winner. While internal ("soft") styles like tai chi, taijiquan, and qigong have been popular around the world for years, in part because they can be practiced at any age, there is a growing body of peer-reviewed, scientific evidence that confirms the importance of mind-body approaches such as the one described in this tome for health maintenance, disease management, and longevity. That is exciting news for folks who are already interested in martial arts, but also powerful motivation for those who have been thinking about it but not yet begun their journey. Whether you are a rank beginner or already a practitioner, there is more than enough information in this book to get you started and/or teach you something new.The workout described combines mental and physical techniques from yoga, qigong, and tai chi into a comprehensive program which helps practitioners relax, regain their composure, and recuperate from the stresses they have experienced throughout the day. It is synergistic and compatible with most other forms of martial arts, mediation, and stress reduction. Better still, it can be performed sitting or standing, so one does not need to be in great physical shape in order to get started. Content includes an introduction to tai chi and stress reduction, understanding human energy, breathing, cool down exercises, meditation, circulation, balancing exercises, tai chi movements and stances, and moving drills, all leading up to the sunset tai chi form itself.Publisher YMAA's motto is "YMAA means in depth." This book certainly proves that point. It is over an inch thick and absolutely cram-packed with information, everything from esoteric theory to step-by-step exercises and visualization drills, all augmented with hundreds of illustrations and photos that assure clarity. Although hands-on instruction is always advisable, the book is so detailed that readers can benefit from it alone. While the writing style is a bit academic (a nice way of saying "dry bordering on tedious"), the materials are well worth wading through. One simply cannot read from cover to cover without markedly increasing their knowledge of the subject. And, there's an excellent index for times when you want to refer back to something later on.The authors truly know their stuff. Ramel Rones is a senior disciple of renowned teacher and Kung Fu Hall of Fame member Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming. He teaches qigong at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is a consultant of mind-body therapies at Harvard and Tufts medical schools and at Children's Hospital in Boston, proof that his ideas actually work. A gold medalist in both internal and external martial arts, including a Grand National Championship in Shanghai and three gold medals in the International North American Chinese Martial Arts Competition, he currently spends his time doing research, studying the effects of tai chi on treating rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, prostate cancer, and cystic fibrosis. Co-author David Silver began practicing martial arts at age eleven. He has studied goju ryu, taijiquan, qigong, and yoga. He currently works as a writer, producer, and director of instructional martial arts and health books and DVDs.Lawrence KaneAuthor of Blinded by the Night, among other titlesNote: Initially reviewed for ForeWord Magazine, August 2011