Very Disappointing...The filming switches views too often making it very hard to follow!
Added 10/9/2009
Okay, I thought...a Yang-style form Tai Chi DVD by the daughter of the well know William C. C. Chen, that should be good...refresher up on what I had learned a few years ago...so I bought it...popped it in the DVD...Mmmm...very disappointing...not the instruction...the filming....it was too artsy making it too hard to follow...the cover you see with the beautiful southwestern mountains...it's not just the cover...its the live background for the entire DVD...beautiful however...a little distracting....but anyways the main thing that made the film a wash...the view switches way too often...just as I'm trying to follow the move from one angle...Bam! The camera angle switches...so then all of a sudden you are thrown off trying to catch up again where your body relates then to the new angle...and then Bam! Again! The camera angle switches....or starts into a rotating panorama which also adds to the confusion! No one learns like this in real life...I mean...granted it is a nice idea trying to have the multi- angles...but most of us learn from a face front view...or a back view...not angled views that keep switching...so unfortunately even though I had high hopes...the camera angle switching ruined it.... :(
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Advanced Tai-Chi Forms even for beginners
Added 8/26/2009
Although instructions are detailed, they require lots of repetition before they could be mastered, especially for beginners like me. If one is truly determined, disciplined and devoted plus has the time to learn it all, then this is where you can get all 60 very difficult Tai Chi Forms. DVD quality is somewhat wanting and DVD menu is a bit difficult to navigate esp since one may need to keep stopping, rewinding, pausing or do frame by frame. Try to recruit an assistant to handle the remote while you try for the movements.
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So stressful to follow...
Added 5/28/2009
With the spinning camera angles, it is impossible to follow the movments throughout a complete range of motion -- and I am a certified fitness instructor with ten years of experience. Simply put, this DVD is not well direcrted and is extremely difficult to follow. For an activity that is supposed to be relaxing, the inability to follow along created much mental stress. Auditory directions came VERY fast and the camera angles switched from front to back to side in rapid pace. The monotone narration ripped so quickly, "Shift your weight in the left side, relax in the right hip, spin the palms open and use the energy to turn and press, softening up the arms and use the ground you have to push out the fingers to energize...use your positive leg to energize..." the voice over was more of a distraction than an aid to comprehension. Dizzying camera shifts and rapid, non-specific narration means neither visual learners nor auditory learners can follow along. So disappointing.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Good beginning for Tai Chi
Added 5/17/2009
This is my first foray into Tai Chi. Ms. Chen took a lot of time carefully explaining the moves and all they meant. My biggest critique resides with the cinematography. It was difficult at times to follow along with the moves she was talking about and the angles of the camera. The camera seemed to jump around at times, focusing on the front and then the back switching back and forth. Other than that, I like it.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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I like the mirror image technique.
Added 5/4/2009
I like the mirror image technique method for teaching this form. However, sometimes the movement of the camera to the sides still confuses me during the learning.
I like the features of learning step by step with three repetitions which may be linked or may be taught with each step.
This may be an excellent supplement for practice between lessons with an instructor.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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