Customer Reviews

Simple Qigong Exercises for Arthritis Relief

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This is an excellent DVD for dealing with arthritis. Additionally, even if one does not suffer the effects of arthritis, the exercises on this DVD will still maintain one's health and possibly prevent the onset of arthritis.

Locally, there is a Taijiquan group called the Taijiquan Tutelage of Palo Alto, CA. The former leader/main consultant of the group was Wu Ta-yeh. He studied under Tung, Hu-ling, who was the son of Tung, Ying-chieh. Tung, Ying-chieh was the main student of Yang Cheng Fu in the last twenty years of Yang's life.

Allegedly, Wu Ta-yeh suffered from an arthritic condition in his forties which prevented him from being able to hold a pen and sign his name. He learned Taijiquan and lived into his late eighties. According to his biography on the organization's home page, he rarely suffered any medical problems, including arthritis, for the last thirty years or so of his life.

In my own family my mother has suffered arthritic pain in her hands. After using the Qigong balls, so commonly found in any Chinese community, she was able to alleviate the pain and suffering from arthritis. The balls are usually metal and two of them are rolled around the palm of the hand, causing one to focus on the hands while attempting to roll them around each other.

By focusing on the hand and doing a non-load bearing exercise incorporating circular movements and coordination, Qi is directed to the area, allowing the body to heal itself. As I was watching this DVD I was not surprised to see Master Yang using these Chinese balls to demonstrate an exercise. They are very effective and low in cost.

Approximately a year ago I apparently had appendicitis for eight days, prior to having an operation to remove my appendix. During the eight days I found myself covering my lower abdomen with my right palm, with the left palm sitting on top of the right hand while I rubbed my abdomen in a clockwise circular movement. Somehow, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. While watching this DVD I was surprised to see the same exercise being offered by Master Yang.

After my operation, the surgeon remarked to me that he had never heard of anyone having appendicitis for eight days without the appendix bursting. When I told him that I taught and practiced Taijiquan and Qigong, he said that was probably the reason that it had not burst. He also said that when he operated, he was surprised at how little swelling there was of the appendix. I attribute this to my generally good health as well as the qigong massage that I was administering to myself.

The surgeon also stated that I had a surprising amount of abdomen muscles. I don't do crunches or lift weights, but I practice extensively moving my waist separate from my hips, which stretches and exercises the abdominal muscles. On this DVD, at the very beginning, you can see Master Yang practicing just such an exercise.

Well, I guess my point is that the exercises on this DVD work, and I've got personal and family experience with their beneficial effects.

A point well made by Master Yang in the beginning of the DVD is that if one practices these qigong exercises, the internal organs will be strengthened, which is an important part of the process of healing and dealing with arthritis. Only when you have healthy organs can you have a sufficient amount of Qi, which provides a much greater chance of having excellent health.

When I started to watch this DVD, I found myself following and performing the exercises Master Yang is seen doing in the background while the narrator talks about Qigong theory, etc... I normally do not take follow along while reviewing a DVD, but somehow as I watched this DVD, I immediately began emulating the exercises presented.

I recently had as a guest in my home one of the applicant/students for Master Yang's ten year retreat/school. The following morning, the student and I went out to practice some martial arts. I recall watching him do some of the exercises that are on this DVD. These exercises, although they are presented as useful in the treatment of arthritis, are also very beneficial to everyone, even those not suffering from arthritis.

As Master Yang is seen demonstrating the various exercises during the introduction, detailed information is provided about what the exercise is accomplishing and why it is effective for dealing with arthritis.
Throughout the whole DVD, Master Yang is seen doing various exercises while a narrator talks about various related concepts. Useful training tips are given near the end of the DVD.

Besides the exercises for the organs, exercises are also demonstrated for the neck, spine, waist, hands, wrist, elbows, shoulders, legs, feet and hips. That pretty much covers the whole body.

This DVD has the following sections covering the different aspects of Arthritis Qigong.

INTRO: Why Qigong is effective for arthritis
QIGONG FOR STRENGTHENING THE INTERNAL ORGANS

Self-Massage of the Internal Organs through Movement (abdomen, liver, stomach, spleen, gall bladder, kidney, lungs and heart)

Self-Massage for the Internal Organs

BASIC PARTNER MASSAGE AND CAVITY PRESS

Basic Massage Techniques

Basic Cavity Press Techniques

Massage Treatments

QIGONG EXERCISES

How Qigong Differs from Western Arthritis Exercises

Five Regulatings

Training Tips

Qigong Exercises

An excellent production and valuable to all, as the benefits gained from these exercises can be useful to everyone.

YMAA has asked me to review this DVD based on my almost 30 years in the martial arts. I have to admitt to being happy about snagging this assignment for selfish reasons. I had knee surgery and knew I would be limited in what I'd be able to do for a while. So I thought this would be a great time to branch out in my kiko (chinese qigong) practice. The exercises are perfect for someone who needs to keep their joints loose and supple. If you have arthritis I would check with you doctor before doing any of the exercises just as a general warning. Like all qigong exercises these look easy but they are challenging at their own level. If you are a beginner and have never done qigong before then this is a good place to start. There's lots of explanation and you can see the moves easily.

Another person says that the DVD drags and is too long before you "get to the meat". I can only say that if you slow down you'll get a more harmonious outcome. The DVD tries to slow down a persons pace as they enter into qigong practice. If you are in a hurry qigong is not for you. If after a few times you recognize an exercise and feel comfortable with it you can always press the magical fast forward button.

I personally found this quite beneficial after my knee surgery...that is after I got to the stage where unadded standing was allowed. It got the juices flowing again and prepped me for more rigourous physcial training. If you are interested in a more general simple qigong practice get Dr. Yang's "Simple 8 Brocade" DVD. I've been practicing it for years but I still learned a lot from it.

Having a background in Tae Kwon Do and Karate, I am always a little bit apprehensive when I review a book or DVD on a softer style of martial art or technique in fear that I won't be able to give the respective product a full, informed, and complete review of the material it provides.

However, after reviewing numerous products that fit that particular criteria, I have alleviated myself of all self-doubt in this matter as I have realized that, although it may not be directly associated with the martial arts that I am intimately familiar with, there is still a wealth of information to be had and in most cases can be adapted to your chosen art with little to no alteration of the technique needed in order to adapt it to your own particular uses.

Okay, now that I've got that out of the way, on with the review.

This DVD is simple, informative and most of all, very well done. There are no special effects or any other nonsensical things in this DVD to take away from the high quality of instruction that is presented by the martial artist demonstrating these very simple, yet effective techniques. Now one doesn't have to be a sufferer of arthritis to enjoy the wonderful benefits of a regular routine of performing the exercises shown in this video.

All you need to do is sit down and watch this video one or even two times all the way through just relaxing in a chair to start with. Once you have done that, then simply start back at the beginning and just take one or maybe two exercises at a time and slowly perform them until you feel comfortable with them. Then simply add one more at a time until you have a complete workout.

You shouldn't break a sweat at all performing these exercises, although that will of course depend upon your own individual level of physical fitness. The visual demonstrations of the exercises are very easy to follow and the audio explanations of the exercises themselves are very easy to understand and follow.

I really enjoyed this DVD and am proud to say that it has found a permanent home in my martial arts library.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

I am absolutely impressed with the quality (both in terms of subject matter and technology) of this DVD and believe it is excellent for dealing with arthritis. Additionally, the exercises on this DVD will maintain one's health and possibly prevent the onset of arthritis if you are not currently suffering. I have been searching for a way to heal and relieve arthritis naturally and was thrilled to find this venue. In addition, I have been suffering from back pain for years, and it offers hope to relieve this pain by reconiditioning the spine and torso. I am anxious to begin the program and find out for myself its rewards and benefits. I highly recommend the DVD.

Once again, a video from YMAA that is as soothing and gentle as it is powerful. I appreciate the range of exercises that includes some wonderful massage instruction. I really enjoy the slow pace, gentle voice-over, and hypnotic nature of the exercises.

I have several other YMAA DVD's and books, and come back to them over and over again. I can honestly say that every one of them is really well-done.

THANKS to YMAA - highly recommended.

Dr. Yang has once again provided us with an easy to follow, easy to learn and entertaining DVD. Whether you are burdened by arthritis or not, the exercises shown by Dr. Yang are simple to do and you still get your Quigong exercises for the day. I find that after following the demonstration I feel relaxed, comfortable and yet still have the feeling that I have just been through a good work-out. My energy level picks up and my circulation has improved. I believe that the blood circulation alleviates whatever arthritis problem I may have.

While this DVD is recommended for beginners, I would recommend this for those more advanced as well.

Dr. Yang's DVD is outstanding. Anyone can use this DVD to improve their health. I usded to improve my shoulders that have become so tight, that its called frozen shoulder and is quite painful. I started a morning practice using this DVD and experienced an immediate improvement in mobility and a huge reduction in pain. Thank you Dr Yang for sharing your knowledege to help improve our health. CG

This DVD is very well done. Great quality and masterfully put together. It is the perfect addition to any martial artists training. Even if you don't have arthritis, these simple excercises are great for prevention. If you know someone who has arthritis they NEED this DVD!

"Simple Qigong Exercises for Arthritis Relief" with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is one of many instructional Qigong DVDs by this 2003 Kung Fu Artist of the Year by Black Belt magazine. While this is a very good instructional DVD, there is a companion book that goes into greater detail of the theory behind the techniques shown in this DVD. Like all of the DVDs I've watched from YMAA, this DVD is extremely well done in regards to sound, picture quality, close-ups, etc. There is an excellent menu system allowing the viewer to select which exercise or massage technique they wish to view, and like other YMAA DVDs, it includes the catalog and video previews in the extras.

There is a brief introduction that briefly shares some of the benefits of Qigong practice, such as strengthening organs, immune system, and raising the spirit of vitality; all important for health. The DVD then teaches some basic Qigong exercises to help strengthen the internal organs. Dr. Yang demonstrates the movements while a voice over narrates and describes in the movements Dr. Yang performs. One thing I really like is that the movements are shown with a split screen. You get to see Dr. Yang from the front and from the side as he demonstrates the movements.

Qigong massage techniques, including self-massage, to help strengthen your internal organs, such as abdomen massages, are also taught. Some of these are done laying down, while others are done standing. Some are shown for self-massage, and others are partner massages. The massage techniques shown cover various areas of the body including neck, back and various joints. Technique and the reason why is illustrated.

The DVD then teaches specific qigong exercises, including comments on breathing and the mental state while doing them, for arthritis. A brief explanation of the differences between qigong and western exercises introduces this part of the program. There is also a short segment of tips to assist you with your qigong practice. The areas covered include: Neck, Spine, Waist, Hands/Wrist, Elbows, Shoulders, and Legs/Feet/Hips.

The movements in this DVD are simple, gradual, and can be done without exerting much effort. This is important since many who suffer from arthritis cannot engage in strenuous exercise due to the disease. The simple exercises in this program can help an arthritis sufferer move and regains some of the mobility of the joints. However, I also believe this program would benefit the elderly who may not have arthritis, but desire a low impact easy movement type of exercise. Lastly, I think anyone could include some of these into their daily exercise routine to feel better and maintain health. I do a variety of qigong and stretching exercises daily, and I'm incorporating some of the movements from this program into my morning routine.

This is a very good simple qigong exercise program. Rather than a series of movements, like Tai Chi or some of the other qigong forms, it is a collection of simple exercises that can benefit arthritis sufferers as well as others who wish to incorporate such exercises and massage into their daily practice for increased health and longevity. This is an introductory qigong program that does not take a lot of skill to do the exercises and massages to gain benefit. That makes it a great program for beginners and those that wish to try some qigong exercises too. Over all, a great addition to a qigong library.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.

This was an informative and easy to understand video with good production values. The instruction is clear and simple, and multiple camera angles are utilized. These exercises are intended for arthritis relief, but could probably be applied to any joint injury or inflammation. A companion book offers greater detail and explanation, but the DVD stands alone as a complete instructional. I was well impressed with the quality of this video.