DVD: Eight Simple Qigong Exercises for Health

Feeling is a Language

In his bestselling qigong DVD, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming instructs and demonstrates "The Eight Pieces of Brocade", one of the most popular sets of Qigong (chi kung) healing exercises. These gentle breathing, stretching and strengthening movements activate the Qi (chi) energy and blood circulation in your body, helping to stimulate your immune system, strengthen your internal organs, and give you abundant energy. With both a sitting and standing set, anyone can practice these simple and effective exercises in as little as 20 minutes a day.

Known in China as the Ba Duan Jin, The Eight Pieces of Brocade has been practiced for over 1,000 years. Also included are the ‘secret words’ - poems and songs that have been used to pass this knowledge down from generation to generation, which contain the key to each of these ancient medical qigong movements.

This DVD edition includes a detailed and fascinating qigong lecture by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, with over an hour of additional explanation and instruction for each of the qigong movements and the history of The Eight Pieces of Brocade.

• Two complete sets of exercises (sitting & standing)
• Time-tested, traditional Chinese healing art
• Modern scientific explanation of healing principles
• Narrated in English, with original Chinese poetry narrated by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
• In-Depth Instruction of Qigong Theory & Movements in a Classroom Setting

SPECIAL FEATURES: Over 50 Scene Selections • Language: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch • Interactive YMAA Product Catalog • Chinese Glossary • Biography: Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming • History: YMAA

YMAA PRODUCTION • DR. YANG, JWING-MING • "8 SIMPLE QIGONG EXERCISES FOR HEALTH" • WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING • EDITED BY DAVID SILVER AND MEDIAMANIC • PRODUCED BY DAVID SILVER • DVD AUTHORING BY MEDIAMANIC • DIRECTED BY DR.YANG, JWING-MING AND DAVID SILVER

AUTHOR(S)

Yang, Jwing-Ming Ph.D., 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 Newton, Massachusetts.

REVIEWS

5 of 5 stars, C. , May 23, 2005

"Simple exercises but very effective. I can only add to the other rave reviews. I have tried other qigong videos, but this is the best one. The explanations are clear, and the quality of the DVD is excellent. There is no distracting background or new age gobbledigook. You can get a good workout in 20 minutes regardless of your age or physical condition. Well worth buying."

Jason Panick, KO Reviews.com March 06

As with all DVDs by YMAA and Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, you are impressively overwhelmed by technical and academic data to back up what you are practicing. Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming does not fool around or tell you to simply believe what he is saying. As with all YMAA material featuring Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, you are treated to hours of additional material that would most likely be worth hundreds of additional dollars if purchased seperately. These simple breathing and physical exercises calm the mind and refresh the body. They build strength and help to balance yourself in a hectic world or after a hard day of training. ...Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming is by far the most scientific and proficient teacher on the market.

Taijiquan.com, Patrick Dickson, 2004

"I probably own four or five books on the 8 Pieces of Brocade, a Qigong exercise that at first does not appear to be complex or difficult to learn. After reading the various books on this exercise I felt that I had a pretty good grasp of how to do the exercises and what to expect. Watching this DVD was very enlightening and corrected some misconceptions I had about the exercises. The book by Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming is excellent, but as suggested by the author, using the DVD and the book together is a very effective technique for obtaining accurate and effective results while doing this form.

The DVD offers both the Sitting and Standing versions of the 8 Pieces of Brocade exercise. Dr. Yang starts off the DVD with a history of the 8 Pieces of Brocade, which was created approximately one thousand years ago.

The 8 Pieces of Brocade is presented in two main sections, the sitting version and the standing version. First shown is an analysis of the steps in the sitting version. Throughout this analysis the DVD uses multiple angle shots to display the front, sides and rear of Dr. Yang as he demonstrates each of the movements. Additionally, the added benefit of sound helps the student to realize for example how hard to tap the teeth, or when to breath in and out. Even the tapping of the fingers on the back of the skull during one of the exercises helps the student to do the movement correctly by listening to the sound that is made when Dr. Yang demonstrates the movement.

Following a very detailed and clear presentation during the analysis of the 8 Pieces of Brocade, the form is then shown in its entirety. With the convenient chapter markers available on the DVD, the student can easily follow along whatever section they choose. The movement to DVD for the YMAA products has made learning much easier by allowing this convenient and instant access to any part of the material.

After the analysis of the sitting form of the 8 Pieces of Brocade, the DVD then presents the analysis of the standing form of the 8 Pieces of Brocade, followed by a continuous demonstration of the form.

The student is then treated to a lecture by Dr. Yang on the 8 Pieces of Brocade. This lecture is approximately 50 minutes and has a wealth of information about the form. Clever use of animation helps to illustrate the flow of chi that occurs while doing the form.

In my opinion, the way to learn martial arts successfully is to employ the following tools:

Instruction from a teacher. Studying printed material. Visualization in your mind. Self practice and study while doing the forms. Writing a journal to record what is learned or taught during each lesson. Watching videos of the teacher. Filming yourself and comparing it to the image you had in your mind of how you were doing the form. Socialize and share your knowledge with other students and work on the principles together.

Try teaching one of the concepts, moves, techniques or applications to a person who has no knowledge of Taijiquan. In the process you will easily learn as much as the person you are trying to teach.

This DVD is one of the above mentioned tools, and a wonderful addition for the serious student to learn and practice properly the 8 Pieces of Brocade."