December 30th, 2009 
Product Description
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 of… More >>
Taiji Martial Applications 37-Postures
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Dr. Yang’s knowledge is excellent. The practice of Taiji (or Tai Chi) is known primarily for its health benefits. In this DVD, the martial aspects of this art is made clearer.
Rating: 4 / 5
I have studied Yang style taijiquan for over 10 years, and found Dr. Yang’s presentation excellent. I think this DVD is best suited for advanced beginners and beyond.
Some of my thoughts about Taiji 37 Postures:
– Very thorough; Dr. Yang’s knowledge of the subject is very deep,
– Highly organized presentation; easy to follow; great attention to detail,
– Good presentation style; professional, yet informal,
– Covers taiji history in a manner that adds value to what he discussing,
– Brings martial aspect of taijiquan to life in an authoritative way,
– Nice explanation of fighting “ranges” and their influence on applications,
– “An”, or push, was clarified masterfully (amazing how cultural interpretation of a seemingly innocent word, “push” in this case, can sort of confuse things,
– Use of whiteboard added much value to Dr. Yang’s presentation,
– Point regarding application of breathing (inhale vs exhale) when issuing or yielding was subtle, but significant.
Much of my taiji practice is done alone. I have a number of Dr. Yang’s books about taiji, but this is my first DVD – and I will, due to viewing this DVD, invest more in internal martial arts DVDs. While a DVD is not a substitute for a live instructor, it can prime you well for live instruction, augment live instruction, or offer a solid alternative when you truly have no live instruction option.
Overall, I think this video is outstanding.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have enjoyed viewing and studying this video presentation of the Yang form. I like the way Dr Yang presents the material as it follows the structure I typically use to present and teach Yang form to my students. It is how my Sifu taught me. One of the very important points Dr Yang makes is that, without understanding the martial application of the form it is very difficult to derive the full benefit of practicing taiji. I whole heartedly agree with him on this point.
Dr. Yang does an excellent job and is very thorough in his explanation and demonstration of his form as he has come to understand and know its meaning and application over 40 years of practice. It is interesting to see where his emphasis is placed in a certain posture or pattern and to hear his explanation of how and why this is done in this way, as well as how it affects the energy of the form and the opponent.
If you are an experienced taiji practitioner I think you’ll find this video to be highly informative and it may give you some new concepts to think about and play with in your own practice. If you are just beginning your taiji practice it may help you understand what you are learning as well as give you a larger picture of taiji. I think you will find his lecture on the tape very helpful with many core concepts you will need to ingrain in order to find your taiji.
Again, highly recommended for taiji practitioners at any level of skill, and it will make an excellent addition to your martial arts library.
Jordan Misner
Windriver Tai Chi
Rating: 5 / 5
To start out this review, I would have to agree with the recommendation of the producers that the material presented in this video is best suited for the intermediate practitioner and not so much the novice or beginner. However, there are plenty of things that a beginner could learn, but there is a lot more that would simply be too advanced for the simple novice.
Like the vast majority of videos produced by YMAA, this video comes in at 3 hours in length and is definitely worth every penny spent and every minute of your time to watch.
In this video, you will get a fairly in-depth lesson in the practical applications of Taiji, as well as, Dr. Yang going in-depth and with quite a lot of detail on each one of the 37 positions in the Yang short form, and demonstrating the practical application of each of those positions on an opponent.
This, just like all of Dr. Yang’s videos, is not a video that you can watch just once, twice, or even a dozen times and get all out of the video that there is. You must watch this video numerous times over an extended period of time in order to fully realize the significant amount of knowledge that it contains. Now each person learns in different ways and at different speeds, so some of you may not have to watch at quite as many times as someone else in order to harvest all the knowledge that it contains, but the idea is to keep reviewing it periodically in order to refresh your memory and perhaps even cement the knowledge learned during the previous viewings.
Perhaps the single biggest underlying lesson that Dr. Yang teaches in this video is how to think for yourself by analyzing the form from all angles and to take it apart and really understand all that it has to offer you besides the obvious; punches, blocks, and kicks.
Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Krav Maga Instructor
Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
Rating: 5 / 5
I was absolutely amazed at how much I gained from this DVD. Both on a conceptual level and at the point of application, Dr. Yang will open and expand not only your Tai Chi, but your entire martial arts experience.
The opening sequence is a classroom lecture bridging “Taiji” and the concept of “quan” (Combined these two form the word “Taijiquan”). In this discussion Dr. Yang makes his point and the viewer will make the mental connection of Taiji, not only as a practice for health and relaxation, but Taiji as a martial application.
Don’t skip this lecture… watch it twice!
In the following chapters he ties your current Tai Chi practice with this concept and the actual martial application. All is done in a straightforward and uncomplicated manner, as Dr. Yang teaches you to make your own decisions based on sound fundamental knowledge, not on memorizing specific moves.
I cannot fully express to you how effortlessly and completely these fundamentals are communicated or, how well postures and patterns are demonstrated.
Rating: 5 / 5