T'ai Chi Beginning Practice

The morning routine is beautiful and easy to follow. The tone of the dvd is peaceful and graceful. The Solo Forms section is great for a beginner, but I agree with others who say it is difficult to reverse the movements, right to left. I want to be able to copy what I see, and reversing right to left is too confusing, so I literally turn the laptop around, and look at the reflection of it in a mirror, so that I can copy his actions exactly, and that works fine.

If you have never done Tai Chi before, this provides a very good introduction. The instructions and demonstrations are very clear and easy to follow. It might take several tries to get the coordination down, but once you get it you will enjoy it. When I first started, my back and hips were seriously bothering me and it helped ease some of the pain - whether it's related to the gentle movements or just the fact that I was doing moves I don't normally do, I don't know. I just know that it made a difference. This may be too slow for an experienced Tai Chi person, but for a newbie like me it is perfect!

good picture quality, good sound, good atmosphere. however, when useing definite sides (now go to the RIGHT, now the LEFT) the instructor should move the opposite direction so the student can feel the "mirror image" effect you would get in a real class. this dvd does not do that. no big deal for some of the moves, but the solo form "push and brush knee" is playing havok with my dyslexia.

I purchased this DVD because I liked an earlier DVD by David Dorian Ross. This is an excellent introduction to the first part (8 moves) of the Yang style short form for those who have never tried T'ai Chi before. It does not teach the whole short form. However, if you master this DVD, you will be well prepared to take the next step--learning the entire form. David Dorian Ross is easy to understand and to follow. You shouldn't have any trouble learning these particular moves.