DVD: Taiji Ball Qigong 1 & 2

Deepen Your Tai Chi Training with Taiji Ball Qigong

Taiji Ball training is common practice in both external and internal martial arts in China. It can strengthen the torso, condition the muscles, and increase physical power by using the mind to lead the Qi. In Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan), Taiji Ball Qigong training was once a major training tool to enhance Pushing Hands ability. However, due to its secrecy, fewer and fewer people have learned it. Today the art of Taiji Ball training is almost unknown.

In Course 1, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming teaches fundamental Taiji Ball breathing techniques, and 16 basic patterns of stationary and moving Taiji Ball Circling, both Vertical and Horizontal.

Breathing patterns demonstrated:

• Wuji breathing
• Yongquan breathing
• Laogong breathing
• Four Gates breathing
• Taiji Grand Circulation breathing

Course 2 focuses on 16 basic patterns of stationary and moving Taiji Ball Rotating, both Vertical and Horizontal.

Dr. Yang offers detailed instruction as students demonstrate in the classroom, accompanied by an easy-to-follow demonstration of each pattern shown in a lush outdoor setting, with beautiful classical Chinese music.

Regular Qigong practice accelerates the health benefits of Taiji. You'll enjoy reduced stress, a stronger immune system, and a deeper awareness of breath and body coordination. This authoritative guide can be used with any style of Taijiquan, and it is a great way for anyone to energize the body, raise the spirit, and deepen your understanding of Qigong and Taiji.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Over 100 Scene Selections • Narration: English, French • Multi-Language Menus and Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish • Over 1 hour of additional DVD-only content • Hidden DVD-Outtakes Segment • Interactive YMAA Product catalog with Previews of All Other YMAA Video Titles

YMAA PRODUCTION • DR. YANG, JWING-MING • “TAIJI BALL QIGONG 1 & 2” • WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING, WITH AARON DAMUS, RAMEL RONES, KATHY YANG, BEN WARNER, RICHARD KRUPP & VADAS MIHALY • PRODUCED BY DAVID SILVER • EDITING AND DVD AUTHORING BY MEDIAMANIC • DIRECTED BY DR.YANG, JWING-MING & DAVID SILVER

DO YOU NEED AN AUTHENTIC HANDMADE WOODEN TAIJI BALL? Contact: Paul Mahoney, email:GBtaichi@hotmail.com, Phone: 978 646-9317, www.greatbaytaichi.com

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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 Newton, Massachusetts.

REVIEWS

"One of America's most sought after instructors of Qigong" - The Omega Institute.

Taijiquan.com, Patrick Dickson

"Taiji Ball Qigong should be learned by everyone interested in Taijiquan. The patterns taught in this video are an integral part of taijiquan movement. Persons already skilled in Taijiquan will recognize the basic types of movement covered in this video.

Dr. Yang explains the difference between various types of Taiji Balls, which vary in size, weight and material. Valuable information is provided to guide the student in choosing the correct type of Taiji Ball. Five different types of Taiji Balls are shown and discussed, illustrating the good and bad points of each type.

Rubber ball - Good for beginners. No strain on lower back muscles due to low weight.

Wood ball - good for Taijiquan and useful for developing internal Qi power. Usually made of two halves glued together, due to the difficulty of making a ball from one piece of wood. Glue can be a problem when sending Qi due to being a different material than the wood.

Rock/Marble ball - used by Shaolin practitioners and useful in developing external Qi power. More difficult to move Qi through this type of ball. Best to start with a small ball and then move up to a larger ball after developing more strength.

Dr. Yang provides excellent tips throughout the video that point out the required techniques and then provides clear explanations of what makes it all work. Reverse abdominal breathing is suggested while doing the exercises. Dr. Yang describes how a practitioner can circle the ball to mimic the fire path or the wind path. With the fire path the ball moves away from the face and then down, which is like the Qi coming up the back, over the top of the head and down the front side of the body. With the wind path the ball goes out from the dantien and up, and then back towards the face and then down, which is like the Qi coming up the front of the body, over the head and down the back.

Dr. Yang moves his body in a very smooth and flexible manner, causing his back to circle in a similar manner as the path of the ball.

At first the moves are demonstrated by four or five students of Dr. Yang. The students do the moves with varying degrees of skill. Following this demonstration that includes some beginning instruction, two more advanced students of Dr. Yang practice the circling pattern in a lush outdoor setting.

This is a nice time for the student to follow along with the demonstrators who appear to be doing the moves with a fair degree of skill. Following this section, the video then brings the viewer back into the studio for a more detailed explanation of how to do the moves. At various times Dr. Yang demonstrates the moves to the class.

Dr. Yang then takes one student at a time and has them demonstrate the patterns while Dr. Yang offers invaluable correction and advice. This video has a surprising amount of instruction for the topic. Although I am familiar with the quality of Dr. Yang's instructional books and videos, I did not expect as much material as there is present on this video. The patterns taught will be familiar to anyone that practices taijiquan on a regular basis. There are many patterns that one does in the Taijiquan form that many students might not have realized existed. While doing these Taiji Ball exercises I recognized patterns that I have observed when practicing the martial applications of Taijiquan.

In the end of the first section of the Yang long form, after one does step, parry and punch, the punch goes forward and one imagines that the opponent has grabbed the right wrist. The fist does the horizontal counterclockwise pattern while rocking backwards, which then turns into a push. I've seen video of a master doing the move differently in his later years. The master, instead of circling counterclockwise while rocking backwards with his right fist, instead does vertical circling backwards to bring the fist up and back, and as the fist goes down the back of the circle the two hands then push forward. Both techniques work to escape the wrist grab and to turn the escape into a push. One uses vertical circling/rotating and the other uses horizontal circling/rotating.

This video has an amazing amount of information. I strongly recommend it to any student of Taijiquan. The skills taught and the benefits received make the video appropriate for anyone interested in body/mind/spirit development."