Customer Reviews

18 Buddha Hands Qigong-DVD

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was lucky enough to attend one of the few live seminars taught by Larry Johnson in June of 2000, where we learned this chi kung set from him over the course of the weekend. From experience, I can attest that this is an outstanding variation of 18 Buddha Hands (there are other versions from other schools and traditions) - it is simple to learn but challenging to perform and to perfect and will reward the dedicated practitioner with enhanced feelings of calm, energy, relaxation, and increaed stamina and resistance to minor illnesses (maybe even some of the major ones).

The set takes about an hour to complete (each "Hand" is usually composed of of 2-3 movements and a standing meditation), but there have been busy periods where I was forced to limit myself to practicing the first 9 stations, the last 9 stations, or even the middle 9 stations with good effect. So the sheer number and variety of exercises in the set actually add to its versatility and adaptability to modern lives.

Clearly, I am a fan and believer in this set. So why only 4 stars? Well, the video/DVD session clearly demonstates how to perform each exercise, and the voiceover narration by Johnson is simple and clear, but there is very little information on the energetic effects and background info for each exercise. Those details, along with performance instructions, can be found in the accompanying book. So once you know the set, the book is actually a more valuable resource than the video/DVD. If you are really apt at learning physical exercises and drills from books, and you can only afford one version of this set, you should probably get the book instead. (Yes, I have both, but I have the interest and the disposable income).

The 2nd reason for four stars: some of the exercises can be hard on the lower back. A preexisting sacroiliac injury was aggravated by the cross-legged forward bends featured in the first 9 stations; I had to modify the stances to a simple shoulder width stances for several months in order to be able to continue practice. (Fortunately, a few months of Bikram yoga cleared the problem up). Less experienced students, learning material like this for the first time, might have be forced to discontinue the set. So a discussion and demonstration of alternate stances would have been a nice feature to have.

Even with these minor drawbacks, this is a great resource for students of traditional kung fu, TCM, and general health and fitness. I wish Johnson had a higher profile and made more of his knowledge available to the public. Based on his demonstration of advanced esoteric Taoist energy practices at the seminar, 18 Buddha hands is only the start of what he has to teach.

Enjoyed the DVD. At first it was a little hard to follow but I also bought the book and between the two I was able to learn the movements. I would recommend buying both.

The qi gong is okay; a bit martial in nature but the main reason I gave this a 3 star, is there is no energetic affects explanation included.