Customer Reviews

David Carradine's AM & PM Tai Chi Workout for Beginners

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After purchasing David Carradine's Chi Engery Workouts, I went out and purchased his other two AM & PM Tai Chi Workouts (this one) and Tai Chi Workout. The Chi Energy Workout is my favorite, but these other two are terrific too. Both the Chi Engery Workout and this one include Arnold Tayam as the instructor. David Carradine does all the talking and the other students and the instructor follow along.

There are two 1-hour workouts on this DVD. The AM is really called Tai Chi for the Mind and can be done either in the AM or the PM. You work on your Chi Engergy similar to David's other DVD called Chi Energy Workout. You start out with stretching to warm up your muscles, then you move on to the stances, Tai Chi Ball movements, and The 8 Moves of Chi Kung. You end your practice with Dan Tien Ball Rotation. It is a wonderful way to get in touch with your internal energies and is a very gentle workout for your body.

The PM workout is really called Tai Chi for the Body. Again, you could do this workout any time of day. You start out with stretching, move on to individual stances, and then it is put together in Combination and The Complete Form. I am still working on the individual stances and have begun working on the Combination, which ties all the stances together. I will wait to use the Complete Form segment until I feel comfortable with the movements.

You also get a wonderful meditation with David Carradine. I love his voice and even though it is a still picture on the TV during the mediation, it is okay since your eyes are closed. I lay down during the mediation, but you can also sit in a cross-legged position, or in a chair.

Also included in Part I is an interview with David Carradine. (You need to get the other 2 DVD's to for Part II and III.) Also, you get 4 songs off David's CD called "As Is". Songs included are: 5 AM, Paint, And Then She Smiles, and Picasso. These same songs are also on the other two Tai Chi Workout DVDs. The interactive menu system is wonderful. You can choose which session you want to work on and even pick individual portions of the workout if you like. You can also workout to music with narration.

Please check my other reviews on amazon.com. Thanks!

Not for beginners. I used to take Tai Chi, so thought this DVD might get me going again at home. It didn't because it's hard to use. In class, beginners are put in the middle, so they always have someone in front of them to mimic. This DVD is filmed like an aerobics video--as if you are in front of the class watching them. As a result, "right" and "left" are the opposite directions for you and the people on screen. It would be better if it was filmed as if you were IN the class. There are some reverse angle "picture in picture" parts that attempt this, but I found it to be very difficult to mimic the movements and keep up--especially in the full form. Footwork is key, yet some shots do not show what the feet are doing. I also think the movements should be slower, or at least have a slow runthrough and then a "normal speed" one. Finally, it would also help to have an overhead view or some instruction which notes which direction to move. Some steps seem to be moving off on a 45 degree angle which helps when you realize it.

I just finished my 5th session with this DVD and it is quite good. (I feel fantastic!) The title is somewhat confusing; there really isn't a 'wake up' and 'go to sleep' section, more 'body focused' and 'mind focused.' My only complaint is that some forms are introduced but not really explained... but since I'd taken an intro Chi Kung it was fine. David Carradine is not just a gimmic, his voice is very mellow and is a perfect accompaniment. Also good if you are looking for a Chi Kung workout, the 'mind' session feels almost exactly like what we did in our class.

For me this DVD is an AM Workout. When I worked out at night I was up most of the night. I simply could not fall asleep. It really seemed to energize me. I didn't put the connection together until after 3 workouts.

I'm a beginner and found the DVD very enjoyable, even fun & not hard at all. After following along about 6 times I found I really enjoyed the option of doing it without the verbal instruction. That's the best! I love having that option. It's very peaceful. Also, I enjoyed watching and following the women behind David Carradine. They're great! I can only aspire to the level of the Asian master who is also featured on this DVD. All in all, this DVD was well worth the money.

Essentialy this is the DVD version of the videos "David Carradine's Tai Chi For The Mind" and "David Carradine's Tai Chi For The Body", with extra features that make this more than worth the repetition! Buy it just for the extras if you already own the aforementioned videos.

I bought this DVD because I need to regain some agility and lose some weight. I limbered up after about two weeks. The weight loss will take longer, but I'm in no hurry. It is a good program for someone who has poor coordination and zero athletic ability, and hates to exercise.

I found the lessons on this DVD very easy to follow, with excellent explanations about the purpose of each movement. David Carradine is easy to listen to and very good at demonstrating movements for beginners.

This is an excellent exercise dvd.Anyone interested in this kind of exercise should purchase the dvd. I took Tai Chi for 3 months at a gym. I then decided to buy this dvd and it is exactly like the person that taught at the gym. It is great for balance. It ia a mind,body and also meditation exercise .It is beginner focused and that helps. You will love it.

David's Tai Chi videos are great for the beginner and intermediate. They motivate as well and explain the exercies / movements in detail to make learning and following easy and enjoyable.

I think David Carradine's workout is really great, and the outfits aren't so silly in this video. However the one thing I find disappointing is the floor space required once you put all the moves together. Obviously, they practice in quite a large studio space, where ample floor space provides plenty of room to move around. I only have a small space in my living-room, and I quickly find myself running into furniture. The workout itself left me wanting a little more than was offered, but is more than adequate for beginners provided you have plenty of room in your workout area. I also think all the bonus extras of his life story in film & television, and his music is unnecessary and a bit self-involved. All that said, its still a pretty good buy, and I use it regularly.