Books

Into the Sea of Qi
(Copyright © Mark Popplewell 2012. All rights reserved).
Available in paperback and digital from Amazon.

Movie rights - Jackie Chan please contact the author (you can be Mr Li).
ISBN: 978 1480247949
Author: Mark Popplewell
Editor: Kate Foster

Principal Characters:
Ben Wakefield - Central character around whom the story revolves.
Mr Li - Martial artist and tai chi expert who becomes Ben's teacher.
The Shabby Monk - Buddhist scholar accompanying Ben on much of his journey.
The Sword Taoist - Taoist monk and martial arts expert.
Blonde-haired woman - Recruited by the forces of evil and in close pursuit of Ben.
Jan Wakefield (Ben's mother) - Was supposed to get out of the way to allow Ben free reign but managed to grab her own storyline.
Keeling - Another incidental character who developed his character in the hope of getting an Oscar when the movie comes out.
Eva - May yet get to play a bigger role in the sequel!

About:
Barren rocky desert, snowstorms, soaring mountains, bamboo thickets, and ancient temples provide the backdrop to the journey. Taoist and Buddhist scholars provide Ben with encouragement and some of China's rarest teas. A succession of supernatural adversaries stalks and confronts him at every opportunity. But, although this strange land has many dangers the most threatening of all may be the beautiful but cold killer who has followed him from police state Britain. The action shifts between modern Hong Kong and ancient Chinese landscapes but Ben is in both places at the same time.

Into the Sea of Qi is an adventure story set in an inner world - a parallel universe of soaring mountains, bamboo forests and ancient temples. Inside this beautiful world live immortals and scholars (eager to help and enlighten) but also ghosts and demons - determined to destroy.

An inner world is to be found inside each of us - endless overlapping universes containing whatever we are capable of imagining. Everything in these inner worlds - and the world we live in - is illusion. Everything is just energy, held in place by the shared mind of every living creature - human or otherwise. Everything is a sea of qi. All possibility lies inside each of us - accessible through the mind via the openings and doorways which lie along the acupuncture channels. A secret known to Taoist masters, and those accomplished in meditation, for thousands of years.

Qi - (Chee) to rhyme with tea - is the Chinese word for the life force energy and movement which flows through all living things.

People may sit 'til the cushion is worn through,
But never quite know the real Truth:
Let me tell about the ultimate Tao:
It is here, enshrined within us
- Lu Dong Bin, Tang Dynasty

Gathering Flowers. Li Family Secrets of Longevity
(Copyright Mark Popplewell 2020 all rights reserved)
Available from Amazon

The pursuit of long life, happiness and good health has occupied the thoughts of many, and none more so than the Daoists of China. One Daoist family, the Li Family, ensured that their traditions (especially tai chi) survived, yet little has been written about their teachings of daoyin and meditation - until now.

Through clear illustrations and detailed written notes Mark Popplewell, a student of the Li Family Arts since 1981, will guide you through:

45 daoyin exercises, including explanations of the exercises and alternative versions.
An understanding of the sinew channels and why this is vital to understanding how the exercises should be done.
5 meditative methods from the Li Family tradition and how they fit together as a foundation for Daoist alchemy.
The best longevity-promoting diets, referencing the most up to date and thorough nutritional knowledge.

There has never been a better time to increase and harness your energy, let go of stress and feel more relaxed. By following the exercises and advice in this book you will learn how to calm the mind, relax muscles, soften and stretch tendons and ensure that qi, blood and fluids flow smoothly through your body in a way which will prevent illness, repair tissues and restore good health. Never seen before in book format, this knowledge will delight students of the Li Family Arts and anyone who is interested in staying well and living long.

‘Slow Down, Get Fit’ may seem like a contradiction in terms, but in an increasingly fast-paced world, perhaps we all need to slow down before illness – physical or mental – forces us to stop. More and more people are coming to the conclusion that, on top of their chaotic lives, they do not need fast-paced exercise regimes; that the antidote is in fact to slow down, something which Daoists in China have understood for centuries.
Tai chi is a complete system designed to maintain and restore health and balance in our bodies. The Li style of tai chi was brought to the UK from China in the 1930s and later made popular by Chee Soo, who first published his book on the form in 1976. For nearly 50 years this has remained the only book available to Li style students – until now. In his new book Mark Popplewell gives us a comprehensive guide to the art he has practised for over 40 years, including:

A new history of tai chi, with Chee Soo’s Li style put into context.
An in-depth look at tai chi principles, with an emphasis on the original eight movements of the form.
A detailed description of each of the 140 moves of the form, the moves between the moves, and clear illustrations throughout.
Tips, timing and common errors for every sequence, as well as some commonly seen alternative versions.
A commentary on each of the sequence names.
An understanding of the alchemical nature of Li style tai chi.

Whether you are new to tai chi, new to Li style or a seasoned tai chi player, you will benefit from the knowledge and experience presented within these pages. It is not a rigid ‘how to’ guide but rather a handbook on the principles and philosophies of the art that, when properly understood, is the key to good health and wellbeing.