An hour-long, basic introduction to T'ai Chi which includes the first 20 movements of the Yang Style Short Form.

T'ai Chi beginners who want a no-frills video taught by a down-to-earth, non-glamorous teacher.

For those who know little or nothing about T'ai Chi, this is an excellent introduction. The instructor, Claire Hooton, is a disciple of the late Grandmaster Cheng Man-Ch'ing, and she has been teaching T'ai Chi for over 30 years. Hooton spends the first half of this DVD talking about T'ai Chi's basics, including the six principles. This makes a good foundation for the next 30 minutes, in which she teaches the first 20 movements of the Yang Style Short form in 3 to 4-move segments. Her instruction is clear and descriptive, making it easy to get a handle on the moves (even if you don't perform them correctly right away). Hooton goes through each segment of moves twice — once alone while facing the camera, and the second time in a "Reverse View" method, during which Hooton's two assistants perform the moves with their backs to the viewer. The "Reverse View" teaching method is very effective, but when Hooton is facing the camera alone, it is hard at times to remember which is right and which is left since you are not "mirroring" her moves but following her words. A little more focus on breathing — as important to T'ai Chi as it is to Yoga — would have been good, but one DVD can't do everything and overall, this one capably teaches T'ai Chi's basics.

 

 

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