Customer Reviews

Scott Cole's Discover Tai Chi - AM & PM Workouts

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have taken tai chi at 3 different times in my life from teachers with vastly differing styles. One was quietly meditational, another more dance oriented (he was a ball-room dance instructor) and the last was a martial arts instructor who taught a strict, rigid class that I survived for about 2 months. That was 12 years ago and I havn't done much in the way of exercise since. Now as part of a get-healthy-before-I-die program, I picked up the video cassette of Discover Tai Chi PM.

It was a very nice surprise. I had never heard of Scott Cole but his vital,cheery aproach to Tai Chi was very accessible and easy to follow. He gave an adequate amount of information about the philosohical basics (it is after all an exercise/health tape and not a Taoist teachings video :-} ) and it was incorporated into the exercises them selves. The movements flow nicely and are repeated several times in the introductory segments. They are then tied together into a form of sorts and repeated at the end over some above average New Age meditation music.

Cole is quite energetic, easy going and appears to really enjoy the act of teaching. And he has a pleasant voice that is easy to understand.

Now for the really important information. I feel great every time I do this work out: energized and relaxed at the same time. It was the perfect relaxation tape for this sedentary, moderately stressed out, over weight (but decreasing...finally) 40-something female. It would probably be best to have some familiarity with tai chi, although it is by no means necessary. It was for that reason (my perception that a certain amount of basic knowledge was assumed) and the fact that Sensei is still in my head barking at me to do the form seriously and correctly, that I gave the tape 4 stars. For sheer enjoyment and effectiveness, I'd give it 5.

The DVD format would be great as it is easier to find specific segments and more forgiving of endless replays.

Hello,
I have several Tai Chi tapes, but this is the one I play the most. I really like the morning and evening exercises. They are easy and the morning rountine leaves me energized and the evening one helps me relax and sleep well. The background is a beach in Hawaii which is calming to study while you exercise. Besides the instructional section, there is a section that has Scott lead you in the rountines to music without instruction. These run around 15 minutes which I can handle when I am too rushed to do anything else. There is also a meditation excercise which is also short, but relaxing.
In content and layout, this is a five star DVD. The only reason that I give it four stars is because there is a defect in the DVD. I don't remember which section--but it is midway through one of the instructional sections. The DVD freezes up and stops there and you have to exit the DVD and come in through the menu again to get to the other parts. However, the routine is also done to music without instruction--so I have been using that section instead. There was this flaw on the first copy I bought of this CD--so I took it back and it was exchanged for a new copy, and it has the same flaw. I just kept the second copy and have been working around it because even with the defect--it is my favorite Tai Chi tape.
I even took Tai Chi lessons for four months and learned a 108 routine and it certainly helped my body get in shape--but it is difficult to remember all the moves or have time to do them when you only have 15 minutes in the morning, when you are still groggy, or 15 minutes in the evening when you are exhausted.
Scott's moves are easy to follow--even for the brain dead--and they work anyway. :)
May 15, 2007 Update--I'm still using this DVD and enjoying it. Even when I've been sick or lazy and have strayed from excercise--I always start back with this to build me up for other excercise. :)
Banjo Dreamin' Suwannee Nights

Scott Cole's Discover Tai Chi AM & PM Workouts is the best I have found so far, and I have a box full of tai chi videos that I consider mostly useless. This one is not for the purist - it is a series of tai chi moves without adherence to a rigid "form." Just a really good and satisfying tai chi workout for old hands as well as beginners. . . and with no long explanations as you stand around and do nothing while the instructor listen to himself talk . . . and talk.

Best of all, there is no right-left confusion. The producers realize that you are watching a mirror image, so they refer to left when you see left and right when you see right (even though to Scott, the sides are actually reversed). I heartily thank them for this, having watched many routines in which the instructor turns (more than once) and you don't know which side is which or which end is up.

The production values are good, and simple - there are no fake waterfalls, hokie roar of ocean waves, or elaborate sets. There are simple studio shots and simple beach shots. The music is there but not distracting. There is no entourage of students, so we can spend our time watching the master, who is a pleasure to watch! Tai chi has great beauty, especially when performed by an expert such as Scott Cole!

I have a feeling my box of previous tai chi workouts will go the way of amazon marketplace or the local free store.

Thanks Scott and all of you who are responsible for this thoughtful presentation!!

My only introduction to Tai Chi was what I saw in "The Calendar Girls" movie, so I was a rank beginner when I bought this DVD. Because of bad knees, I was unable to do Yoga, so decided to try this out.

Scott is a wonderful teacher and I was able to follow along right from the beginning. I've used the DVD, morning & night, for 4 weeks, and have noticed a great deal of improvement in muscle tone in back, abs and especially the knees. They are stronger and no longer have that annoying tendency to buckle on stairs. I am overweight, btw, and unlike Yoga, this does not present a problem with doing this type of exercise. Hope these comments helps someone make the decision to buy . . .

I've never done Tai Chi before so I was a little skeptical about how much I would get out of this video. I bought this DVD yesterday and I've done the PM section twice and the AM section once. I felt energized after doing the AM stuff this morning and I am looking forward to doing it again tomorrow morning. The instructor has a very pleasing voice, is great looking, the music is very pleasant and the beach is gorgeous. He explains each movement clearly. I'm also getting a beginner's video so that I can learn more about the philosophy of Tai Chi.

I would actually call these practices a mix of tai chi and qigong- the movements are very simple and meditative and lack a lot of the harder to follow footwork found in some other tai chi releases. (Though I must say that I am *not* adept at picking up choreography, so please don't let me scare you off from other releases.) As another reviewer noted, Cole brings cheerfulness- even calm joy- into his instruction. I disagree that there is not a "form", but it is probably not a classical tai chi form. Having seen a number of hybrids, I do feel that I am doing the "real thing" when I perform these sequences.

Tai chi and qigong, I think, really require you to *believe* or at least want to believe. Otherwise, you might not get anything out of it. I go in believing or at least hoping that my energy is going to be positively affected, and it always is. With these practices, I feel warm halfway into them and I really do feel energy flowing out of my fingers and hands, particularly when forming a loose ball of energy. On preview that may be an unbelievable claim, but give it a shot.

The AM practice starts out gently and ends more strongly, but there is no jumping or even very quick movements. I did feel more buoyant and energetic when I was done. The PM practice, on the other hand, starts out with slightly more vigorous movements and then ends with a quiet meditation and brief stretch. I felt very relaxed and quiet afterwards, but not so much so that I had trouble connecting back to my regular life.

I love that these are about 30 minutes long. They are long enough to make me feel like I have had my exercise, but not so long that I'm nervously watching the clock to make sure I won't be interrupted.

While Cole is cheerful, joyful, humorous and non-judgmental, the noticeable sunburn he has during the Hawaiian beach sequences are a little distracting. I find myself chuckling when I first see them. But he is obviously enjoying what he is doing so much that it doesn't seem to bother him ;-)

Recommended for those who want to experience quality qigong and tai chi but are pressed for time.

My chiropractor kept telling me to take up tai chi as a way loosen up joints -- my lifestyle consists mostly of sitting, standing, and working out on machines at the gym, something that involves a limited range of motion. I took an introductory course on tai chi some years ago, but I found it very elaborate, tedious, and frankly just boring. I was reluctant to take up tai chi as it seemed like something that would entail a great deal of time and effort to learn. Then I came across Scott Cole's A.M/P.M. workout and it has been a Godsend. While tai chi purists may scoff at his pragmatic approach, I am grateful his tai chi program is readily accessible and easy to do. Those new to tai chi can start immediately by following Scott's instructions for his 15-minute morning and evening workouts. The emphasis is on just doing the movements and not worrying about being exacting and precise. I immediately started feeling more supple after using this DVD, which I now do each day. I may look into the more elaborate tai chi styles in the future, but for now Scott Cole's tai chi workouts fit into my lifestyle and make a positive difference in my body's functioning.

If you are looking for a non-aggressive but energizing workout go for this one. I have a very bad back problem so I select exercise routines that help me to work out without straining my back. The AM workout is very energizing and the PM workout certainly helps to unwind. When you do the workouts just remember to focus on your mind and body - you will enjoy these workouts as much as I do. Scott Cole does a good job of explaining the body points that these workouts energize, so you know where to focus your mind as you are moving your body.

This dvd is great. It is my first tai chi dvd. I had never done tai chi before, so I was as 'beginner' as you can get. Scott Cole is very clear in his instruction, but not so much that you get caught up with trying to figure out if what you are doing is correct. There is nice music playing in the background. I was able to close my eyes and really feel the relaxing effects of tai chi the very first time. I have since purchased "Scott Cole's Discover Tai Chi for Beginners - Workout Essentials". I am looking forward to more from Scott Cole. Two thumbs up!!

As I review this dvd i had just received it yesterday and was able to do the PM session last night and woke up with the AM session today.

After completing the easy to follow (yet not too remedial)session last night, i didn't want to do anything else but lay in bed and have a wonderful nights sleep. It was very relaxing and made me feel like i had gotten a full body massage, freeing up every joint in my body. It was a great way to end the day and relieve stress.

As i woke up with the AM session today i found that my mind was clear and body ready to face whatever comes my way today. I looked forward to getting going and didnt need coffee to jump-start my workday. This is a wonderful addition to my day. and after only two sessions, i know i'll be hooked.

I certainly am rusty as far as following the movements, but the pace and instruction is perfect and doesnt leave me confused or frustrated as i learn and follow the movements.

As i get more comfortable, i know that i will do well by continuing to explore the other dvds from this series.