Sifu Leo’s Book Launch
Four years ago, in a private tai chi lesson, Caroline Addenbrooke wrote down some notes, as she had been doing for a while, and Sifu Leo Ming said: “You could eventually write a whole book just on this one form!” They were practicing the Yang Short form, and this then sparked something in their minds.
Taiji and the martial arts have been Sifu Leo’s love, so he was excited to make use of a different form of media to express his passion for taiji. Together with Caroline and her lengthy notes, and with a wonderful team of experts, they created this beautiful book “Yang Short Form. A beginners guide to Taiji Chuan.”
It’s a beginner’s guide, because we are all beginners at different levels, and insight comes in many different stages. This book is aimed at any level, as insight is in the eye of the beholder.
On Saturday 14th November 2020, the book was launched and a celebration was held in Johannesburg, at the Service Station Café. We were delighted to have over 50 guests at the launch, mostly Sifu Leo’s dedicated students, with over 20 online in the zoom broadcast, from all over the world.
Caroline joined from her new home in Ireland, and we even had a special guest from New York, Ellen Cheng, the daughter of Prof. Cheng Man Ching, who started the Yang Short form.
“Thank you for your support! I had a superb book launch and it meant a lot to me to have so many special friends, students and mentors join me.” shares Sifu Leo.
“In less than 24 hours we sold out of our first run of my book. We’re organising a second run for those still wanting a copy, (so please contact me if you want to get on the waiting list). The feedback has been so touching and wonderful about the book, so thank you for your support.”
Some of the feedback has been:
The book is great. Thanks for producing it. It really is a wonderful achievement and you can be very proud of it. Congrats again to all who made it happen!
👏👏👏 Regards Barbara
Dear Leo, I just want to say how much I like your book. I am in awe of the work that you and your team must have put in to create such a beautiful publication. It speaks to the reader on so many levels – technical and historical tai-chi info, your personal insights and your story, context, different levels of application. I can go on and on. I love the photos showing the form and especially the clever colour bar indicating the breathing. All the pictures are really beautiful and the descriptions are so detailed! You have really contributed something unique and bravely personal to the tai-chi world. I can just imagine how proud your daughter must be of you as well! Please let me know when the next batch is available, I would like to buy a few more for my two brothers. Very best wishes to you and Natalie, Zanta.💜💜
Thank you for the invite to the launch. I really enjoyed it. The book is fantastic and very well structured.😊👍🏻
– Ralph
It’s a beautiful book and well done all of you for pulling it together. No mean feat!
– Andrew Joseph
Wonderful ! It is really a Superb book – presentation and contents are outstanding. Especially love the breathing !! 👍😁 Congratulations to everyone involved 👏👏👏 🙌
– Anonymous
Leo, I see I have set myself a phenomenally difficult task. Your book is so exquisite, on all planes, the only way to properly review it would be a haiku. I don’t know whether I’ll even be able muster words, let alone a haiku. But I’m in the habit of gritting through and doing what I say I’ll do. It’ll take time. Thank you for this book. For one thing, with written words, at last I can properly “hear” what I’ve missed in classes. For another, there’s the Tau. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Master. With gratitude. Pam.
Hi Leo, I will be spending most of January and possibly February travelling…. i will take your book with me, it is astounding piece of work, wonderful and I will try to work from it while I am not in classes.
– Heather
Thank you Leo, the book arrived safely this morning. It is everything I had hoped and imagined. Looking at the images, our sessions have come to life again, but I will have to correct a number of the movements within my present form. Val de Vie is an amazing place and practising Tai Chi form here is fantastic. The silence and peace in the morning and at night is extraordinary. Thank for our time together and for the way in which you opened our minds to Tai Chi and the ancient Chinese culture. Good luck for the future,
Kind regard Lance and Pauline
Sifu Leo hopes that “just as a simple thing sparked Caroline to start a journey of a ‘thousand words’, so I hope this book will spark someone who has no clue what taiji is about or how taiji can help transform one’s life, start their journey. As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with your first step. We don’t know what lies ahead, but if we don’t make the steps on the path we will only be living in our imagination and not get first hand experience.”
For more info about the book, go here.
To purchase the book, go here.
Four years ago, in a private tai chi lesson, Caroline Addenbrooke wrote down some notes, as she had been doing for a while, and Sifu Leo Ming said: “You could eventually write a whole book just on this one form!” They were practicing the Yang Short form, and this then sparked something in their minds. …