DVD: Yang Tai Chi for Beginners

Learn Tai Chi Step-by-Step with Master Yang

Tai Chi Chuan is a kind of moving meditation with ancient roots in Chinese martial arts. In this program, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming teaches you the complete traditional Yang-style long form step-by-step, while explaining the meaning of each movement.

Yang Tai Chi is the most popular style in the world, and it is practiced by millions of people every day. By practicing Tai Chi, you relax the mind and body deeply, which is the key to maintaining and improving your health. When you are calm and centered, your body's natural restorative abilities are most efficient.

Regular practice can benefit your strength, flexibility, bone-density, and muscle mass. The low-impact exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of depression and insomnia, and promote the healing of chronic conditions. Tai Chi is an excellent way to relieve stress, lower your blood pressure, and develop a positive attitude toward life. Tai Chi will increase your circulation of blood, nutrients, and energy throughout the body, resulting in improved vitality and longevity. 

Master Yang instructs the complete Tai Chi form from the front, and shows each movement one-by-one from multiple angles. There is also a rear view of the form that you can simply follow-along with once you're familiar with the movements. Tai Chi will develop your mind's alertness, awareness, and concentration. Most importantly, as you practice, pay attention to the feeling within the movements, so you may appreciate the profound essence of Tai Chi Chuan.

• Learn the form step-by-step
• Easy to follow with front or rear angle viewing
• Low-impact movements; good for all fitness levels
• Every movement explained in detail

Dr. Yang's tai chi lineage can be traced back to the Yang family through Grandmaster Kao, Tao (高濤) and his teacher Yue, Huanzhi (樂奐之), an indoor disciple of Yang, Chengfu (楊澄甫).

YMAA PRODUCTION • DR. YANG, JWING-MING "YANG TAI CHI FOR BEGINNERS" • PERFORMED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING, WITH JONATHAN CHANG • DVD PRODUCTION BY YMAA • EDITING AND DVD AUTHORING BY OCEAN SILVER • PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY DAVID SILVER

AUTHOR(S)

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for over forty-five years. He is the author of over thirty books, and was elected by Inside Kung Fu magazine as one of the 10 people who has "made the greatest impact on martial arts in the past 100 years." Dr. Yang lives in Northern California.

REVIEWS

For beginners and beyond, February 2012
By Zenpony (Amazon VINE VOICE)

This is an excellent DVD for the serious beginner and it will take you beyond the initial learning of a form. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is an icon in the martial arts world and, as such, does a wonderful job of introducing Yang Style tai chi to the beginner.

Each move of the long form is broken down to it's structure, martial application and it's usefulness to health and flexibility. In addition to showing how a move is performed, Dr. Yang also shows how it should not be done. For example, many new beginners project the rear when doing moves such as parting wild horses mane or ward off. He very clearly shows how tucking the tail bone under will give the body more roundness and grounding. I find that a very useful way to learn, because sometimes we just don't process all the nuances of a stance at first look. It is good to know exactly what we are doing incorrectly and to be shown how to correct it.

The DVD runs for almost 5 hours, so it is not a quick run through of a short form. There is a great deal of information shared and it is presented from various angles to make it easy to see all of the details. The skill level is listed as beginner and it will be easy for a beginner to understand and follow. I found many useful tips in this presentation of the long form. I have been teaching tai chi for 15 years. There is always something to discover, even in the simplest of movements.

The filming of the movements is quite nice; outside, on a mountain top with beautiful soft music. A rooster crowing in the background brought a smile to my face when Dr. Yang stopped is lesson and apologized for the noise. He said, "we live in the mountains". I also liked his humbleness when he performed an application with a student and was surprised that it was hard to do. He said, "I am getting old and he is getting stronger, that was hard". Not often you will hear a Grandmaster admit that he has to work at a move.

All in all, this is a wonderful value for the beginner and those looking to move beyond the surface of tai chi.