Learning Tai Chi on DVD?

**CaseyRyback** · Posted On: 7/18/2011 1:38pm

I've been interested in Tai Chi, but am finding it difficult to jump in a class that's full of seventy year olds. Is it possible to get decent practice learning TC from DVDs? I was leaning towards Dr. Yang Jwing Ming's stuff.

There was a pretty authentic place in chinatown not too far from me that has some younger people in it, but I probably could make it once a week. This leads me to my other question on how often would I need to practice.

Thanks

**Rivington** · Posted On: 7/18/2011 1:55pm

It is not possible to learn taiji from a DVD. The best you can do, if you already know a bit of taiji, is watch a DVD and get a sense of the performer's flavor. Where do you live? Sometimes the more interesting taiji classes fly under the radar so might be difficult to stumble across.

With taiji, once a week will likely be slow and maddening, but it's doable. A lot of taiji, especially when just picking up the form, is "Learn in class, practice at home." You should be doing the foundational exercises, some drills, etc. every day. Another good thing about taiji though is that it's easy to get pick-up games of push hands and the like outside of class, especially if your city has a Chinatown.

If this is a choice between DVD and one class a week, please please please take the one class a week. Just practice at home between classes. If you end up liking taiji, you'll probably find a way to take more classes.

**berni29** · Posted On: 7/18/2011 8:06pm

Hi

I agree with the above. You really cannot learnit from a DVD. I have done Tai Chi classes with 70 year olds and it was OK. The thing to do is ask the instructor to demonstrate the martial applications of the moves. I found that made it easier to learn because it meant I could visualise the moves with some context.

Sadly the class times moved and I only managed to do just a few classes, but I was pretty impressed with some aspects of the training.

Berni

**CaseyRyback** · Posted On: 7/20/2011 1:49pm

Thanks guys. I think I will venture out to find some decent in person Tai Chi training.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 7/21/2011 12:48pm

I bought a Yang style video one time. I was planning on trying to learn the form in my spare time. There was a Tai Chi place I was going to visit, but I was working midnight shift and wasn't able to make it to class.

So I got this video. I tried learning the postures first and got where I thought I knew them. Then I tried to learn the 24 form. What I figured out realy quick was that I didn't remember the postures when I turned away from the TV. And that I got so freaking lost in the form trying to watch in one direction, move in the other direction, and then figure out how to do the movements that were shown on the TV. Because the TV guy was backward so you could see the front of him!

Holy frustrating!!!!!! It is physically impossible. So I went to the school where I learned Chen Pan Ling Tai Chi. I found a few things immediately. It is so helpful when your teacher can see what you are picking up and not picking up so that he doesn't push you too fast. It also helps a lot to have people around you so that when you turn, you can follow the person that you are now facing. It was also extremely gratifying when new people come and you become one of the people that they are following. Then when you finally get to lead the entire class, it is awesome.

Then when you start to learn pushhands, there is no substitution to doing it with someone.

Don't sweat the old dudes, you will learn that a lot of them, are just stoked to be there. And some a pretty cool too.

**CaseyRyback** · Posted On: 7/28/2011 7:49pm

Thanks Diesel. You also just sold me again. That definitely does not sound fun learning the way you described on dvd. I might just bite the bullet and jump in and see what's what.