Rating: 
Summary: Great T'ai Chi teaching tool
Review: I would recommend this DVD to anyone who wants a great alternative or supplement to their formal instruction in T'ai Chi. Bill Douglas' teaching approach makes learning and appreciating this wonderful internal martial art fun. I wish I had stumbled across this many many years ago, as I had always been interested in T'ai Chi, but good instructors are difficult to find in my area.Anthology of T'ai Chi & Qigong: The Prescription for the Future
has been my answer and when you watch the DVD, and also read the book as an additional supplement, it is obvious the time and effort and professionalism that has gone into the making of this production. My life has been enriched by this DVD and, at only lesson 10, I can't wait for the rest of it! As the material teaches, T'ai Chi is a lifelong learning process and, for me, this DVD has been great place to start. Many, many thanks to Bill Douglas for sharing his experience with the rest of us!
Rating:
Summary: Just what we need
Review: I'm a big fan of Bill Douglas's work. When I began looking into Tai Chi, I first picked up Bill's Book and thought it was great. It explained things in very simple terms and defined the ideas very well. I've been mostly working on my Tai Chi alone do to my crazy schedule & lifestyle and its is difficult at best. As soon as I saw this DVD set I grabbed it right up and it has reinvigorated my playing. Bill has single handily opened the doors of Tai Chi to millions around the globe and we are all in great debt to him. I couldn't be happier with this DVD, or recommend it with more enthusasum.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoying this!
Review: I've been doing tai chi for a couple years, just in a home practice, and learned a short form. I wanted some new inspiration so I got the book first and I liked it. I had never heard of the "Kuang Ping" form before, but all the movements were diagrammed and it looked interesting. Decided to try the DVD. Wasn't sure I would be able to learn a new form this way, especially a long complicated one, so was a little hesitant. Started in a few weeks ago and I am just loving it!! Bill is an inspiring teacher and I find his approach very encouraging and helpful. It is a lot of fun. The lessons are split up into manageable pieces and on the DVD it is really easy to review things, in slow motion even, if I need to see details. There are also sections where he puts what has been covered all together, so you can do the form "with him," and see how it all links together. It is great being able to learn from a DVD .. for various reasons a live class wouldn't work for me. And with the DVD I can go at my own pace, in small increments and I practice whenever I need a break from the computer! I am finding this form very enjoyable because the movements feel so good. I know over the last two years I have gotten a lot of health benefits from tai chi and I am sure this DVD will help me get to the next levels. I think the book and DVD complement each other very well. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Clear Instruction? This is the ONE!
Review: If you want clear instruction, a knowledgable instructor, and a great product get this DVD! I have about a dozen Tai Chi tapes of various forms and styles most of which I am happy with and would recommend. This one, however, is THE ONE I would get if I could only have one! Goes along nicely with Bill's Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi and Qigong. I would like to respond to the one reviewer who complained about technical problems with the DVD by assuring you that there are none. There are no problems as he discribed them with the video so it must have been his player. And, I can tell you that the Douglass's are honorable people who are responsive to communication. You CAN TRUST these people and their products! I have nothing but positive Kudo's for this DVD! Nicely laid out. Although they give review segments along the way that tie the forms you are learning together (a nice feature most tapes forget); you can easily go to the full demonstration which gives the "breathing pattern" in the movements which puts the Chi into the practice. Or you can skip to it if you want to tie a lesson into the routine before you get to the next review practice. This DVD is real instruction in a real and beautiful Tai Chi form.
Rating:
Summary: A "must-see and do"
Review: Mr. Douglas has discovered and beautifully conveyed the real essence of T'ai Chi & Qigong. Do your mind and body a favor and treat them to some amazing results!
Rating:
Summary: Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi & QiGong is the best!
Review: The "Complete Idiots Guide to T'ai Chi & QiGong is a WONDERFUL BOOK! I LOVE it! As a T'ai Chi Instructor, I am frequently asked by my students to recommend a book on T'ai Chi & Qigong that is easy to understand, but that also provides detailed yet practical information. This book COMPLETELY satisfies all requirements! The Directory of Schools is also of great value. Many of my students are seasonal residents... The directory will assist them in locating classes when they return home. This is a great book to own, whether you are a beginner or a professional teacher. Bill has done it again!
Rating: 
Summary: Anthology of T'ai Chi
Review: There is no such thing as the "one-and-only, correct T'ai Chi" and there is no such thing as an incorrect performance of T'ai Chi. But in a teaching video, there is a need for clarity, consistency, and grace. On clarity, this DVD gets a 5; its a job well done. On grace of presentation, which requires exceptional muscle control and years of practice, the Author/performer gets a 3. For a performance that rates a 5, see the DVDs by Dr. Lam. However, a "3" is not so bad as the Author still rather young. But for consistency, he gets only a 3, which is not so good since consistency is within his grasp. T'ai Chi is a martial art and all its movements are fighting forms. Unlike Chi Kung, T'ai Chi is a defensive art that includes a self-protecting response. It is a catalogue of movements to choose from in response to an attack. In several cases, the Author refers to a punch or a kick to an opponent, but he fails to explain why these actions were taken. He fails to explain the martial connection between defense and response consistently. Missing these explanations, the DVD becomes a taxing memorization of a sequence of changing hand, leg and body positions. By showing the connections between the movements and their martial arts purpose, the Author would add logic to the DVD which would make it easier to learn in a more repeatable manner.
John T. McCabe
Rating:
Summary: Well Done, Bill !
Review: This certainly a keeper. Your presentation and delivery as well as your calm personality helped sent the message across. You definitely have your own unique style and approach of the subject and I respect you for that. You are presenting Tai-Chi in Yang style of your lineage and respect you for that too. (Dr. Paul LAM certainly earns his credit in gifting humanity with his TaiChi for Arthritis and TaiChi for Diabetes).
As a fellow Tai-Chi practitioner, I observed that you can take Bill's forms and add (fighting) visualization and may lower the (bending of) knees (2-levels more) to fill anyone's desire. But certainly Bill has shown and led us the way in using Qi-Gong and Tai-Chi to benefit one's health (aren't we all tired of aggression and fighting?). ...
Rating:
Summary: Well Done, Bill !
Review: This certainly a keeper. Your presentation and delivery as well as your calm personality helped sent the message across. You definitely have your own unique style and approach of the subject and I respect you for that. You are presenting Tai-Chi in Yang style of your lineage and respect you for that too. (Dr. Paul LAM certainly earns his credit in gifting humanity with his TaiChi for Arthritis and TaiChi for Diabetes).
As a fellow Tai-Chi practitioner, I observed that you can take Bill's forms and add (fighting) visualization and may lower the (bending of) knees (2-levels more) to fill anyone's desire. But certainly Bill has shown and led us the way in using Qi-Gong and Tai-Chi to benefit one's health (aren't we all tired of aggression and fighting?). ...
Rating:
Summary: TOP NOTCH DVD!
Review: This is by far the best instructional DVD I have ever purchased. Bill gives you complete instructions/demonstrations (from several angles) and gives you the opportunity to incorporate each lesson into the skills you have already learned. The sitting QiGong segment will leave you totally relaxed and ready to tackle our hectic world. The principles described here will change your life - if you let it!
If you've been considering T'ai Chi.......BUY THIS DVD!
| 
