Dim-mak: Death Point Striking

First off, for the purpose of this book, you could nearly make the equation "Dim
Mak=Taijiquan". Whether you agree with that or not doesn't matter much, but pro
spective buyers should be aware that this is a book on taijiquan, with a smatter
ing of other things. Bagua for example.
A must-read for any serious practitioner of taijiquan and highly recommended for
martial artists of any style interested in details of point striking. Mr. Monta
igue is certainly a controversial figure who has both his supporters and his det
ractors. I am not really concerned with any of that though, although I have neve
r met the author, I have met plenty of people in both camps--but if you are a pr
actitioner of taijiquan, perhaps even more importantly one that does not focus o
n striking, then you should at least consider a viewpoint different than your ow
n. I call it a must read because even if you are dead set against what Mr. Monta
igue teaches and says, you should at least confront it for yourself, and not be
dependent upon someone else's viewpoint.
I personally have a soft spot for this book because back in the early 80s, befor
e there was an ocean of books on taijiquan (in the US at least), before there we
re magazines dedicated to it, anyone who did anything differently from what you
were taught simply "wasn't doing tai chi". In those days you took a lot of flack
if you believed that those things that looked like punches or slaps were actual
ly meant for hitting. This book was one of the first longer studies on striking
in taijiquan available.
First off, for the purpose of this book, you could nearly make the equation "Dim
Mak=Taijiquan". Whether you agree with that or not doesn't matter much, but pro
spective buyers should be aware that this is a book on taijiquan, with a smatter
ing of other things. Bagua for example.
A must-read for any serious practitioner of taijiquan and highly recommended for
martial artists of any style interested in details of point striking. Mr. Monta
igue is certainly a controversial figure who has both his supporters and his det
ractors. I am not really concerned with any of that though, although I have neve
r met the author, I have met plenty of people in both camps--but if you are a pr
actitioner of taijiquan, perhaps even more importantly one that does not focus o
n striking, then you should at least consider a viewpoint different than your ow
n. I call it a must read because even if you are dead set against what Mr. Monta
igue teaches and says, you should at least confront it for yourself, and not be
dependent upon someone else's viewpoint.
I personally have a soft spot for this book because back in the early 80s, befor
e there was an ocean of books on taijiquan (in the US at least), before there we
re magazines dedicated to it, anyone who did anything differently from what you
were taught simply "wasn't doing tai chi". In those days you took a lot of flack
if you believed that those things that looked like punches or slaps were actual
ly meant for hitting. This book was one of the first longer studies on striking
in taijiquan available.
First off, for the purpose of this book, you could nearly make the equation "Dim
Mak=Taijiquan". Whether you agree with that or not doesn't matter much, but pro
spective buyers should be aware that this is a book on taijiquan, with a smatter
ing of other things. Bagua for example.
A must-read for any serious practitioner of taijiquan and highly recommended for
martial artists of any style interested in details of point striking. Mr. Monta
igue is certainly a controversial figure who has both his supporters and his det
ractors. I am not really concerned with any of that though, although I have neve
r met the author, I have met plenty of people in both camps--but if you are a pr
actitioner of taijiquan, perhaps even more importantly one that does not focus o
n striking, then you should at least consider a viewpoint different than your ow
n. I call it a must read because even if you are dead set against what Mr. Monta

igue teaches and says, you should at least confront it for yourself, and not be
dependent upon someone else's viewpoint.
I personally have a soft spot for this book because back in the early 80s, befor
e there was an ocean of books on taijiquan (in the US at least), before there we
re magazines dedicated to it, anyone who did anything differently from what you
were taught simply "wasn't doing tai chi". In those days you took a lot of flack
if you believed that those things that looked like punches or slaps were actual
ly meant for hitting. This book was one of the first longer studies on striking
in taijiquan available.