DVD: Taiji Martial Applications

Discover the Martial Art of Taijiquan

Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is an ancient internal Chinese martial art which has gained widespread popularity for its many health benefits. Today, most people practice taiji slowly to develop their balance, strength, and vitality, and the martial applications of the art are often ignored. Taijiquan, or 'Grand Ultimate Fist', is a highly effective form of combat specializing in short and middle-range fighting.

This program offers practical martial applications for each of the 37-postures of traditional Taiji, based on the forms passed down by Yang, Ban-Hou. Once the viewer has a basic understanding of these universal principles, you may use them to devise further applications for every movement no matter which style of Taiji you practice.

• Learn the Basic Concepts of Taiji and Taijiquan.
• Understand the purpose of every Taiji movement.
• Over 50 effective applications for any Taijiquan style.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Multi-Language Menus/Subtitles: English, French, Spanish • Interactive YMAA Catalog with 50 additional minutes of Preview Trailers for All YMAA Videos

Features senior YMAA students Pedro Rodrigues, Tony Chee, and Kathy Yang

YMAA PRODUCTION • DR. YANG, JWING-MING • “TAIJI 37-POSTURES MARTIAL APPLICATIONS” • WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING, WITH TONY CHEE, PEDRO RODRIGUES & KATHY YANG • EDITING & DVD AUTHORING BY MEDIAMANIC • PRODUCED BY DAVID SILVER • DIRECTED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING AND DAVID SILVER

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AUTHOR(S)

Yang, Jwing-Ming Ph.D., is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for over forty-five years. He is the author of over thirty books, and was elected by Inside Kung Fu magazine as one of the 10 people who has "made the greatest impact on martial arts in the past 100 years." Dr. Yang lives in Northern California.

REVIEWS

Master Jou, Tsung-Hwa

Dr. Yang's ability is of the same high caliber as his written treatises.

Grandmaster Liang, Tung-Tsai

Dr. Yang surely follows in the footsteps of the Yang style founder Yang Lu-Chan, who also first studied the Shaolin hard styles and later studied and mastered the soft style of Taijiquan. Dr. Yang stimulates this tradition, which will surely bear the fruit of high achievement within the martial arts.

Martial Arts Publisher of the Year, 2008 NQA World Congress on Qigong and TCM

5 of 5 stars, Taijiquan.com, Patrick Dickson, May 2008

The DVD begins with an excellent lecture by Master Yang on basic concepts of martial arts applications in Taijiquan. As Master Yang points out, you can practice Taijiquan for health-purposes only and do this with very little instruction from a teacher.

However, to learn the martial side of Taijiquan requires a teacher along with hands-on practice of the applications, preferably with a variety of persons of various sizes, strengths and skills. The lecture covers familiar material as well as new concepts. The lecture is over thirty minutes long and every minute is enjoyable and informative.

Master Yang's style of Taijiquan originates with Yang Pan-hou, the second child of Yang, Lu Chan, the originator of Yang Style Taijiquan. Yang Pan-hou was second in skill only to his father, Yang, Lu Chan. Yang Pan-hou was known for teaching a very martial arts oriented version of the Yang style.

One of the aspects of this DVD that I love is the teaching of how to utilize coiling techniques in the applications. Usually, and I find this inaccurate, people say that Yang style does not use coiling. As Master Yang so capably demonstrates, coiling is an integral part of applying the techniques found in Chen Style as well as Yang Style Taijiquan. Even the Yin Yang diagram shows the pattern of coiling within the design.

Master Yang points out that as one develops a sense of enemy, Qi is more easily led in the body. What I've always found to be interesting is that some practitioners state their reluctance to learn any of the martial aspects of Taijiquan, as their interest is only for the health benefits. The irony being that if they learned the martial side of Taijiquan, then the benefits of health would increase. The movements become more balanced, integrated, powerful and effective when done with a sense of purpose (martial intent), as is displayed when one practices the movements with knowledge of the martial applications.

There are 37 unique postures (patterns) in the long set of Yang Style Taijiquan. The long form of Yang Taijiquan, whether counted as 88 or 108 movements, has many repeats of some of the 37 unique postures. Ward off, rollback, press and push are repeated seven times throughout the form. These four movements are the heart of the Yang Style of Taijiquan. They represent the cardinal directions and four of the movements from the original 13 movements of Taijiquan. Consequently Master Yang gives these four movements their due when demonstrating applications found within the four movements.

Many of the techniques found within the 37 postures have been covered in previous DVDs by Master Yang. Without viewing the DVD it might be assumed that this would be material already available on other DVDs. However, Master Yang, demonstrating a clear understanding of the techniques that are the foundation of the applications, is able to present new ways of employing the techniques found within the 37 postures of Taijiquan.

While watching the DVD I felt two seemingly opposite feelings; the feeling of recognition as he described various applications, as well as the feeling of learning new knowledge as Master Yang presented another view of how to use the postures of Taijiquan in a martial way. Remember, there are few techniques, and many applications that are manifested from the understanding and use of these techniques.

One of the points stressed throughout the DVD is the importance of the legs in the application of techniques. The legs are the foundation, the root and the origin of power in Taijiquan. In the classes I teach one of the things I stress is if you have trouble following the form, then just follow the leg movements. Without the foundation, the rest (upper body movement) is ineffective.

Bottom line, the DVD is excellent. Along with the many applications demonstrated throughout the DVD by Master Yang and his students, Master Yang and his daughter Kathy also demonstrate the Yang Style Taijiquan form. Master Yang and Kathy Yang look great together as they show the form.

This is a must-have DVD for the serious Taijiquan practitioner.