Customer Reviews

T'ai Chi for Health: Yang Short Form with Terence Dunn

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really enjoyed this video! Terence Dunn is a good teacher when it comes to VHS instruction. He explains every move in detail and even has extra camra angles for the hard to learn postures. This is the best tai chi video avalible. I have to say something about a earlier review of this video. Who ever said this video does not demenstrate real tai chi is misinformed. Terence Dunn is as real as it gets short of getting a taoist from china to teach you the postures. He is right about it not being complete... 37 postures is just a shortened version. Mr. Dunn does have a Long form instuction once you learn the short form. But in terms of learning 100% real tai chi ch'uan postures, this video is great for the beginner! I loved it!

This is a VERY low budget production. It doesn't have anyone big for a face draw for funding, so the lack of a set, the mediocre camera management, and the lack of separate takes can be distraction to people who are trying to use this as a workout video. THIS IS NOT A WORKOUT VIDEO. This is an instructional video showing the basic postures of the Yang short-form of T'ai Chi. This is a teaching video, showing postures in time-consuming detail.

If you want a work-out video, there are other T'ai Chi DVD's in production that do follow formats cognizant of the time constraints of a normal workout period. If that's what you're looking for, don't bother with this DVD. However, I must state that this is the BEST VIDEO INSTRUCTION IN T'AI CHI THAT I HAVE EVER FOUND.

Dunn moves extremely slowly through the short form, from warm-up to cool down. The video is a total of two hours long. If you can hold T'ai Chi postures for two hours, you aren't human the way most of us are. The benefit of this style is that he holds his postures, and demonstrates entry and exit to and from each posture several times. This gives you plenty of time to try to get it right. Take everything as slow as he does, otherwise you'll likely miss some aspect of a posture and learn to do it incorrectly, making it even more difficult to learn the correct posture. If you want to really learn a shortened T'ai Chi form for practice without a video guide, I would recommend this video over any other's I have seen.

The only thing lacking in this video is special effects and computer graphics. However, it starts overlooking the sea with Terrence Dunn performing the Yang Short Form. Motivational music plays and a voice narrates the philosophy of yin and yang, "The Great Terminous", Toaism, etc. Various shots of the various movements in the form are shown with the sea as backgound and symbol of the Tao. The form ends and we are shown a shot of "average" people Strumming the Lute and Lifting Hands. Then the slow grueling and flowing dance begins as Mr. Dunn leads us through the 40 odd postures in the form, detail by detail. Finally, a work of art is presented. The entire Yang short Form being presented by Mr. Dunn with a superb musical background. The beauty of this dance is enhanced and we are both informed and entertained. I loved this tape and will one year move on to the Long Form. I must also, before concluding, say that the basics of Qi Gong and the three fundamental stances of Tai Chi are dealt with in detail and are presented as warmup exercises.

I'm sure that there is no replacement for good one-on-one instruction from a qualified instructor. In some situations that may not be practical. If you can't get direct instruction, this video is just the ticket. I've seen several Tai Chi instructional videos and this one rates among the best. The videography is crisp and clear. Every nuance of hand and foot positioning can be seen. Terry Dunn's instructional style is very clear and easy to follow. He takes time to go through evry technique slowly enough that it can be seen and understood.

If i were trying to keep the bills paid with a Tai Chi school, I would probably join the ranks of critics who say that you can't possible learn good Tai Chi from a video, but I think you can. Certainly, if you are trained in some form of martial art, Terry Dunn's video will be a good introduction to Tai Chi.

One caution, though. Be prepared to invest a lot of time. You will not be able to learn this form in a couple of hours.

I tried to make this video part of my workout routine, but I couldn't stick with it. The warm up is too long, leaving insufficient time to learn the postures that follow. The frontal view is confusing, and when Terry mixes up his left & right, it doesn't help! It's an intimidating introduction to T'ai Chi, I had difficulty holding the poses long enough for him to get through the explanations.

Terence Dunn has created the quintessential short-form Tai Chi instruction for anyone wishing to learn and practice the art. Years ago I studied under a Tai Chi master from Taiwan. Although working with a master has certain other benefits, the instruction given by Terence is clearer and easier to follow than that which I received from the master. Had I had the benefits of both this DVD and the master, I likley would have not become discouraged and discontinued practice. If you have the advantage of working with a master, I recommend that you also use this program to give you a different perspective on the form, and to give you a tireless, omnipresent example to observe.

While I found Mr. Dunn's presentation and instruction to be very pleasant and informative, I would warn beginners to take care with the exercises, even the warm-ups. This is especially true if you are new to exercise or have ANY problem with your knees or back.

The beginning of the video shows some larger & older people doing the exercises, but this doesn't mean the viewer should underestimate the strain on their own joints, especially if they are a novice to this sort of exercise. Mr. Dunn may be able to do these exercises without even breathing hard, but it took my partner and I weeks to even get through the warm-up portion of the tape, and we finally gave it up because it was too much for us.

The pain and strain on our joints overrode the advantages, and we feared injuring ourselves if we continued with the video before strengthening our bodies in other ways. If you are in relatively good shape or are young and resilient, this video could be very beneficial to you, but if you are not, please exercise caution with the tape.

A good video for a reference. You can also use it for practice between formal lessons. However, there is no substitute for instruction from an experienced teacher. The group learning dynamics are irreplacable. Get the instruction first and then this tape can help you.

I am a beginner so I am NOT evaluating this one any other level save a beginner. I had a lot of misgivings about the DVDs in this art. One thing was can they communicate or will they communicate the positions well enough and will it be encouraging enough to help me feel it possible to advance.

This is an excellent DVD & worth what I paid for it. It gives you clear shots of the positions, his technic for helping you through the movements is wonderful. You aren't left feeling like you can never accomplish the proper form position and transition. I will stay with Tai Chi and go to purchase the Yang long form in time. It will be a while there is a lot on this DVD.

Again, I am just a beginner so take it for that.

This is a DVD for those who have taken "Real" tai chi. Not the kind taught in most gyms or health spas which is just a form of dancing. To take Tai Chi one must learn Qi Qong the two go hand in hand. If you do not focus on mastering the internal aspects of Tai Chi breathing and meditation you are just dancing. So that being said, I have studied this form under a respected master of Tai Chi and I can say the this video is a great companion to taking a real class. This gives you the ability to go home and practice while having a good reference as to how to do the postures correctly. This is not a "workout" video and people who do Tai Chi to "workout" don't understand what this internal form of martial art is all about. Tai Chi takes a life time to master it is not a quick fix for you or your health. If you try to take shortcuts you will not master Tai Chi you will just be dancing and although this may look cool to the uneducated it is not doing you any good. The comment made about the warm up being too long is a sure sign that the person who wrote that does not have the patience to work with Tai Chi. I went to class 3 times a week for over 6 months before I could even progress past the warm up. If you don't have the patience to develop the basics don't bother with the moves because you will be doing them incorrectly and you won't have the stamina needed to do the whole form correctly. Terry Dunn does the forms exactly as the old masters teach them and if they are too difficult for you then go to your gym and take "tai chi dancing" and pretend you are a martial artist. If you have the patience to learn real tai chi then this DVD is a great way to learn it form the ground up.