Excellent Tai Chi Videos & books?

[Tydive]

Hey all,

I am looking for some instructional videos / books on Tai Chi. My focus is on the physical aspects, I have a very good feel for the Chi part. I really don't know much Tai Chi, only having studied it for a little over a year about 17 years ago. I am recovering from a broken back and need an art that does not require me to get tossed around on a daily basis.

I would prefer a style that is more functional than showy.

My laundry list of past arts; street, kenpo, judo, aikido, shotokhan, kendo, epee, sabre, hawrang do, kali, plus a few years of messing with ex-marines... so I have the scar tissue, now I need something to loosen it up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[fyn5000]

Hello Ty,

There are lots of very good Tai Chi Chuan videos out there and I'm sure that you will probably get many recommendations. My recommendation is to visit William C.C. Chen's website ( www.williamccchen.com ). I find his approach to Tai Chi Chuan to be very good.

Good luck with your search.

fyn

 

[vampyre_rat]

It's always better to find a class. Where are you? Someone may know of a good class in your area. It is incredibly difficult to learn just from videos and books.

I too have seen the William CC Chen vid. Very good.

Also worth a look is the video by Ben Lo. He teaches the Zheng Man Qing (Cheng Man Ch'ing) style which has a strong emphasis on keeping the back upright and not leaning forward or back or from side to side.* He has a phrase "No burn, no earn", he likes people to work hard. Of course I am biased 'cos I train in this style. It is definitely not showy.

Cheng Man Ch'ing also wrote a number of excellent books on the subject.

Wolfe Lowenthal has a couple of books that are good for finding out what Tai Chi is like, but it does not tell you how to do the movements. I've re-read my copies numerous times.

Some other styles do 'lean' and have more 'active' movements that may or may not suit your needs. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes, so if you can see some classes they might be what you're after.

Some classes are more martial, some are more health orientated. The same can be said for all the videos that are out there.

Best of Luck finding something you like!
*There are other styles that also advise the erect spine before anyone jumps at me.

 

[Tydive]

Thank you for the info. I live about 20 minutes south of San Francisico, and am open to finding a Master to train under. Right now, I don't have the stamina to go to class but should in another few months (gotta love PT).

Part of my problem is that I have not seen any Masters in the area. Many have the physical, but I rarely see somebody using Chi properly. At best they have the internal Chi, but finding somebody who is totally present & aware is quite the hunt as I am sure you all know.

 

[Patrick Skerry]

Hey all,

I am looking for some instructional videos / books on Tai Chi. My focus is on the physical aspects, I have a very good feel for the Chi part. I really don't know much Tai Chi, only having studied it for a little over a year about 17 years ago. I am recovering from a broken back and need an art that does not require me to get tossed around on a daily basis.

I would prefer a style that is more functional than showy.

My laundry list of past arts; street, kenpo, judo, aikido, shotokhan, kendo, epee, sabre, hawrang do, kali, plus a few years of messing with ex-marines... so I have the scar tissue, now I need something to loosen it up.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.judoinfo.com/images/video/media/taichimasters.mov

 

[Tydive]

Patrick... thanks for the laugh.

 

[New boy]

Where can I get the video of Ben Lo? Thanks.

 

[vampyre_rat]

Ordering information for Mr. Ben Lo's Instructional Video

Mr. Ben Lo's video is not available through any standard distribution channels, but you can order it directly from:
​

Mr. Benjamin Lo
P.O. Box 210537
San Francisco, CA 94121-0537

Cost is $75 plus shipping, which is about $5

I guess that means he has a school in San Francisco. If it is their, I would be there in a second. It's a bit far to travel from Scotland though! Its a great video though.

 

[Patrick Skerry]

Patrick... thanks for the laugh.

Thanks! I had to share that one. I laughed for five minutes. You should check out 'Concentration' and 'Why judo is better than karate' and 'Anyone can learn karate' (http://www.judoinfo.com/video5.htm) for a real hoot!

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Your best bet is to find a good instructor first. Then, you can look for good books/videos which will follow the particular style which you study. Taijiquan is not all the same. Even within a Taiji style, there is some variation. Having a reference source to augment your instruction is a good idea, but it should be in accord with your style's requirements. No sense in getting a Chen style tape/book if you're studying Sun style (at least not at first).
IMHO, of course. :asian:

 

[vampyre_rat]

whoever you get to teach you should be able to suggest some books and/or videos that will compliment your training.

 

[pakua]

Lawrence Galante's site is a good one. He has a good book which I've used, and some audio/video tapes for sale too.