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About the Publication
Icebergs Instead of Mountains presents Steve Rowe’s distinctive approach to Yang Style Tai Chi, developed through decades of practice, study and teaching. For Rowe, Tai Chi is not about accumulating techniques, but discovering the depth hidden beneath apparently simple principles.
Central to his method are keywords and the concept of a “memory palace”. Each keyword provides an accessible starting point, gradually acquiring deeper layers of understanding through practice until the principle becomes internalised.
The book explains how Rowe understands, structures and teaches Tai Chi, exploring its classics, principles and internal mechanics from his own perspective and distinctive way of thinking.
Both a guide to Tai Chi and an invitation to look beneath the surface, Icebergs Instead of Mountains reflects a fundamental principle of Rowe’s teaching: simple does not necessarily mean easy, and genuine progress is measured in depth rather than height.
This book is a masterpiece of knowledge and wisdom. I’ve been fortunate over the years, along with a number of his senior students to spend countless hours learning and trying to emulate Steve Rowe’s knowledge. Steve doesn’t like to be called a master, yet once again, he clearly demonstrates why that title is appropriate to describe him.
—Bryan Andrews, Chairman of the British Council of Chinese Martial Arts
Product Details
Publisher: The Ran Network
Publication date: 7 April 2024
Language: English
Print length: 142 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8321801222
Item weight: 220 g
Dimensions: 15.24 x 0.81 x 22.86 cm
Part of series: The Budo Classics
Table of Contents
Foreword by Julian Dale
Preface by Brian Andrews
Introduction
Chapter One – Why I Use Plain Language
Chapter Two – Why Tai Chi is for Everyone
Chapter Three – How Did the Name ‘Tai Chi Chuan’ Come About?
Chapter Four – The Qualities of Tai Chi
Chapter Five – Inner Work (Neigong)
Chapter Six – Body and Energy Work (Qigong)
Chapter Seven – The Form – Section One
Chapter Eight – The Form – Section Two
Chapter Nine – The Form – Section Three
Chapter Ten – Long Boxing (Chong Chuan)
Chapter Eleven – Push Hands
Chapter Twelve – The Four Corners (Da Lu)
Chapter Thirteen – Weapons
Chapter Fourteen – Why Tai Chi?
About the Author
Steve Rowe is a 9th Dan martial artist with more than fifty years of study and practice, complemented by a lifelong engagement with meditation, mindfulness, Taoism and Buddhism. His extensive personal and professional experience, including his own encounters with adversity and loss, has profoundly shaped the philosophy he has taught internationally for many years.
An established author, Rowe has published several works with The Ran Network, including
Insights,
Concepts of Karate, Soft Front Strong Back, and his novel The Light Bringer. His writing brings together martial arts, philosophy and lived experience, exploring principles that reach beyond the dojo into everyday life.
