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This documentary contains an interview with Master Liang and his performance of 5 T’ai Chi dances. Two of these are sword dances and two are two-person dances with his assistant, Alice Crooks.
Master Liang lived and taught in the U.S. about 30 years. Demian was a student of his in the early 70s.
“At first I take up T’ai Chi as a hobby,
Gradually I become addicted to it,
Finally I can no longer get rid of it.
I must keep practicing for my whole life —
it is the only way to preserve health.
The more I practice, the more I want to learn
from teachers and books.
The more I learn, the less I feel I know.
The Theory and philosophy of T’ai Chi is so
profound and abstruse!
I must continue studying forever and ever …
It is the only way to improve and better myself.”
From “T'ai Chi Chuan for Health and
Self Defense: Philosophy and Practice”
by Master T.T. Liang, edited by Paul B. Gallagher
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Master T.T. Liang was born Liang Tung Tsai on January 23, 1900 in China.
He was 73 when Demian made the film.
Liang died on August 19, 2002, in New Jersey, U.S.A. at the age of 101.
“T'ai Chi Chuan with Master T.T. Liang” Credits
Producer, Director, Interviewer: Demian
Liang’s Dance Partner: Alice Crooks
Demian’s Fall-back Support: Ting Barrow
Camera Operator: Dave Newcombe
Production Assistant: Ting Barrow
Digital Transfer Assistant: Paul Ivester
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This movie was originally shot on 16mm reversal b/w (with a magnetic sound track) on August 28, 1971, and re-edited in March 2010.
Digitizing from the original film allowed the option of programming for the DVD player’s remote control to access English subtitles for the interview, as well as the names of each posture for the first dance of the series.
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Click here for a PDF file list of the names of the T’ai Chi postures as presented by Master Liang. The list’s names correspond to the “Subtitle” names in the first solo dance on the video:
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This movie was supported by a grant from Smith College, Northampton, Mass., where it was filmed.
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