Style Guides Movie Reviews

An excellent work that gives much insight into the history, practice and theory of Tai Chi. Dr. Yangs presentation is easy to understand and very educational. His execution of the form is flawless and even inspiring. No matter if you've only begun your practice of Tai Chi or are a long time student the information presented will be of help in your studies.

I began practicing T'ai Chi fifteen years ago. My first teacher was trained from childhood in China, then Taiwan, in the strict classical Yang Long Form. I began studying with him years later in a major U.S. city -- still Yang Long Form, still classical approach. That was a magical time, a magical experience that will be a part of me for the rest of my life.

Periodic long-distance moves have since interrupted my study several times, but these have also required me to study with teachers of quite a few T'ai Chi styles and levels of expertise. Some were more fun, some more "practical," some much more "martial" in approach, and some were sadly "lightweight."

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's video is truly "the real deal." From the first frame of his performance of the entire Form, I was instantly transported back to my first Teacher's class: not only is the sequence of postures and connecting movements EXACTLY the same as where I began, but the "spirit" and "feel" of T'ai Chi is also the same as it was then. With the wide range of styles and emphases in my classes since, I'd nearly forgotten how "pure" and powerful the classical Yang form truly is!

Other reviews here have accurately described and appropriately praised the comprehensive contents and unsurpassed structure of this wonderful video that is at once a marvelous teaching tool and a true archival record of this ancient art.

I'll summarize my opinion this way:

If you EVER outgrow this DVD, please produce one of your own, so we can all study with you!

Meanwhile, I'm gonna hang with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming!!

The DVD edition of this Yang style Tai Chi video is so amazing. It is organized in a very simple and scholarly way, but the teaching inside is very deep and thorough.

It starts right at the very basics for beginners and gives you an excellent overview of the art of Tai Chi. The setting is a formal training studio. The video contains all the things you would learn in a Tai Chi Class from the basic stances and fundamental postures, to the entire form instructed and performed in complete detail by Dr. Yang.

There is an enhanced content button you can click on at any time to get the detailed analysis and instruction of every one of the movements. He even demonstrates some Chin Na grappling hidden in the postures of the form.

Not only is the entire thing subtitled, which is really helpful, but there are additional content subtitles, between the narration, in case you're interested in knowing more. It is over four hours long, including an excerpt of a Tai Chi Theory lecture by Dr. Yang, where he clearly explains the roots of Taiji Philosophy and Tai Chi as a martial art. This lecture alone makes the DVD worth getting.

There are also additional sections which explain Taiji Qigong (Chi Kung) internal energy training, and Taiji Fa Jin, which is the 'emission of internal power.'

The music is beautiful Classical Chinese and suits Master Yang nicely. I see this DVD as a very important document for transmitting the true essence of Taiji, both in its Classical form, and as a living, modern art.

First of all I think what is shown is pretty good stuff, and it shows capoeira in a good way and gives a good feeling of how a Capoeira class is.

BUT, just taping a class isn't quiet enough in my eyes. The Camerawork is just realy bad half of the time you don't even see the whole action. The Camera itself musst have been pretty bad as as soon the action goes faster you just see a blurr.

Also the techniques shown are not commented in any way, nothing to give you maybe a deeper insight. At the end there are also a few 'self defence' moves (sadly mostly from Jui jitsu), they are pretty complex, but no words of what it's important to look to do it right or not injure the partner...

The History arn't realy big, the just give you a very very brief introduction of it.

So like I said, what's on it is quite good if you look over the camerawork, and the feeling of it all is realy quiet good, but well... it's just not enough...

Excelent DVD overall. Exciting roda, decent techniques,
very energetic capoeira music, nice moves. Even though the camera work isn't so great, the capoeira in it makes up for everything.

the movie is cool but I only so a small peak on it but it was dope, but the camera wasn't so good on keeping the film but the ladies were hotttttt yeah.