Customer Reviews

Xingyi Quan 5 Element Fists Xing Yi Hsing-i

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the best martial arts DVDs and the best Xingyi Quan DVD I have seen. To begin with, this is one of the few martial arts videos that takes advantage of the potential of the format. Rather than simply being a video tape on a disc, the material is broken down into logical components for easy reference and viewing.

The skill of the teacher, Liu Xiao Ling, is very apparent and he is forthcoming with the material. He goes into the details that are so important for the correct execution of the movements. I also like his style of presentation. He has a very relaxed way about him and is not at all dogmatic. I hope he and his production team will continue to put out such excellent materials.

Length:: 2:55 Mins

This dvd, along with the Ted Mancuso's bagua#1 dvd, are the two best martial arts dvd's I've seen. There is a lot of convincing and clear application footage. A few tips: You have to occasionally click the "language" button on your player to keep English subtitles working and it is not obvious that the 5 elements picture on the right is part of the menu.

This is one of the most in depth works on a portion of Xingyiquan that I have ever seen.
Lui puts so much time and effort into Santi (The basic stance) and the five elements (The core of the art) that it makes it a JOY to watch.
GREAT,.......GREAT,....GREAT!!!!
A MUST HAVE FOR STUDENTS OF XINGYIQUAN!!!

This is probably the best martial arts DVD I've come across for instructional purposes. Nothing beats an instructor, but this would be the next best thing. There is a lot of material for beginners explained very well and in great detail. While there is a fair amount of demonstration that isn't the point of the DVD. I think the mix of lecture, instruction and demonstration is very well chosen for an instructional DVD.

If you are a complete cold-start beginner then look casually at the Applications section first so you can get some idea of what Xing Yi looks like in practice - that will make the drills much more meaningful. But learning an internal art without an instructor is going to be a real challenge.

Three things to note. This is Hebei style Xing Yi. In case it isn't obvious, the creation/destruction diagram on the menu page contains the five fists menu items within it - move the pointer right. Use your DVD's Audio button to get English voice overs.

What a great learning material is this, everything is explained clearly and repeteadly, sifu Liu Xiao Ling goes to great lengths to insure that every step and motion is crystal clear, he also gives a broad history of His art, which I liked a lot.

Obviously it won't replace a real life expert as He himself suggests, but it's a great resource to us folks without the luck of having one nearby.

Highly recommended.

The demos on this video are good and the material is great. The only complaint I have is with the audio. To get it play in english in some sections is difficult...you have to play around with the settings for it to go right.

I did Hsing i a few years ago and wanted to go back to doing the standing.
This DVD gives excellent points to remember regarding san ti shih. In a way
I wish they had also discussed reasons for doing each of the five fists as a standing,
but I guess that is more an oral instruction. One advantage to Hsing i is that it
develops expression of chi, IMO, quicker than Bagua or Tai Chi. Your hi can then be developed by Hsing i
practice and it will spill over to your Bagua and Tai Chi.

I have studied the 5 element fist and find this to be a very interesting addition to what I already know of it. Santi training is the foundation the these forms, and is how the moves are empowered. The longer you can stand the better. There are more techniques but they are not taught openly. However, they are just permutations of the original five. If you can learn Pa Qua, this would also be helpful.

Ron

I agree with all 5-star ratings above.My hobby is Karate kata and Taekwondo poomsae,but this DVD enlightens me a lot.It is among a few exceptional_probably the best_ Xingyiquan-teaching video that you do not see very often.Grandmaster Liu Xiao Ling instructions and performance in a well-made video is the best choice if you do not have time for Xingyiquan school.Thanks to his talent plus teaching methods and the smart way the disc-menu is arranged,self-tutoring is not very diffcult ( you sure need to put in some of your patience,of course !!!).The disc does offer English audio and English subtitle (but interviews just have English subtitle_no English voice-over Mr.Liu's speaking Chinese).In some instruction chapters the Chinese audio is default,so you will have to re-select English audio again_not a real issue to me ...