Book review: Taichi: The Story of a Chinese Master in America

After I finished writing my own Tai Chi book*, I wanted to read another novel. I found a couple of fictional Taijiquan books on Amazon and in this blogpost by Violet Li. Then I started reading Taichi: The Story of a Chinese Master in America*.

The book was written by Marc Meyer, who is a Tai Chi instructor in Florida. I love that the book is written by an actual Tai Chi practitioner!

What the book is about

The story follows a Tai Chi master and his family in 1960s New York City. The book is about a teenager, who grows up in his uncle’s school and slowly gets pulled into the world of Taijiquan himself. The setup reminded me a little bit of Cheng Man-ching, who brought Taijiquan to the US around that time. It was an easy read, a light book for a couple of days.

What I found interesting is that the book doesn’t shy away from the martial side of Taijiquan. There’s talk of vital points, self-defense, and weapons training, alongside the calmer, meditative parts. It’s not the usual “Tai chi is for old people”, but there are actual fighting scenes.

A heads-up for women readers

However, there were a couple of parts in the book that I struggled with. I want to be really honest about that.

The book is written from the perspective of a teenage boy, and I found it hard to relate to that coming-of-age story. I’m empathetic, and I have a teenage son myself. But that perspective is not my own experience of Tai Chi. Obviously it’s good to read books from different perspectives, I just did not enjoy it that much.

In addition, there were several scenes that made me uncomfortable. At one point the narrator tries to kiss a drunk girl who is asleep. I understand that the male perspective of the 1960s was different from now, and the book is set in that era. Still, I found that uncomfortable.

I want to be clear: this is my personal taste, not a verdict on the book. Other readers might not mind it at all, or might not even notice. But if you’re a woman thinking about picking this up, I wanted you to know what to expect.

What I liked about it

As I said, the book is written by an actual Tai Chi teacher. And I enjoyed some of the learning moments. Some of the phrasing in the book stuck with me, especially two lines I’d never heard before.

“Uncle used to intone that it took two lifetimes to learn Taichi.”
— Taichi: The Story of a Chinese Master in America*

I love this one. It sums up something every long-term practitioner knows: you never really arrive. There is not enough time in this life to learn everything.

The other one made me laugh out loud.

“Toilet Stance,” was a term thought up by a humorous master… It referred to people who practiced the Wuji stance incorrectly by splaying their feet outward instead of keeping them parallel to each other, making them look as if they were squatting over a toilet seat.
— Taichi: The Story of a Chinese Master in America*

I never heard the term “toilet stance” before, that was fun to read.

So even though the book is fictional, I enjoyed reading those little nuggets of Tai Chi wisdom.

Closing

Well, would I recommend Taichi: The Story of a Chinese Master in America*? If you’re looking for a light, easy read with a Tai Chi setting, yes, give it a try. Just go in knowing it’s told through a teenage boy’s eyes, with all that comes with that.

If you want to read more Tai Chi novels, check out my own novel Push Hands*. And I come back next Friday, when I publish a new blogpost. I plan to review more novels in the coming months.

Happy Qi!
Angelika