Four-Season Tai Chi II - Summer This is part of a series of Tai Chi forms following the change of seasons for a healthy life.  According to the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huangdi Neijing), the essence of the summer season is flourishing and growth.  Therefore, Tai Chi practice should be active and release the abundance of yang energy, exercising the cardiovascular system and preparing for harvesting energy in the autumn. Chen Style Tai Chi is the favored practice among young people and martial artists.  It is characterized by spiraling and coiling, occasional powerful strikes, stamping, and jumping.  All of these motions from the core, driven by internal power, and will train you to develop inner strength.  This short form is a combination of Master Tsao's studies from recent years with Grandmasters Chen Zhenglei and Zhu Tiancai.  He teaches in English with front and back views.  Suggested 25 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate Levels)

This is a popular routine for internal martial artists.  It is characterized by spiral energy and combat techniques expressing numerous power hits (fajin).  Cannon Fist is also called Chen Style Routine Two.  Its firecracker power is based on the accumulated energy from Routine One's soft silk reeling.  In this instructional DVD, Master Jesse Tsao presents the routine in its classic form, in English with detailed instruction and front and back view demos.  He credits this new DVD on the teachings from Grandmasters Chen Zhenglei and Zhu Tiancai. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours.  (Difficulty: Intermediate through Advanced Levels)

Based on the classic tai chi energy circulation, self-healing and self defense, this short form is designed for daily stress reduction, banish fatigue, and energy enhancement to improve over all well-being physically, emotionally and psychologically. It can be downloaded onto a smart phone and practiced in an office room. This is Tai Chi Healthways new product for Corporate Tai Chi program.  Dr. Jesse Tsao teaches in English with front and back views. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation. Suggested 25 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner Level)

Hua-tuo, the most famous Chinese doctor in ancient China, designed Five Animals Frolic based on Chuang-tzu'ss Taoist practice and traditional Chinese medical philosophy. He observed animals in nature and mimicked their daily activities to create movements for people cultivating life energy. Each animal form has a special effect on a human being's inner organ health: tiger form for liver energy flow; deer form for kidney; bear form for spleen and stomach; ape form for the heart; bird form for lungs. Five Animal Frolics can fully stimulate and awaken qi, the vital energy inside of our body, contained within the meridian channels and cavities. Through the stimulation and accumulation of qi, a person can clear out stress and sickness and may not only acquire a new sense of physical and mental energy, but create the conditions for longevity as well. Throughout 1700 years, routines have been passed down from different people, resulting in various versions of Five Animal Frolics. This video shows the most popular forms in China today, and provides the basic how-to aspects of the routine. Master Tsao demonstrates the complete form in both front and back view, along with detailed instruction in posture-by-posture lessons. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 50 class hours.  (Difficulty: Beginner though Advanced Levels) DVD-R, (70 minutes)

All moves are practical, useful techniques for self-healing and self-defense, based on traditional Yang Style Tai Chi for ease of learning and recall. Combined with the fan's openings and closings, one practices stress release and energy circulation.  It also emphasizes self-defense as each move has clear martial meaning.  The closed fan can be a baton to deflect, strike, stab, or bludgeon an opponent.  The open fan can be used to shield, distract, or even cut because traditionally, the ribs of the fan would have sharpened points.  Dr. Jesse Tsao created this routine based on his Ph.D. research on traditional Chinese exercise for disease prevention and well-being. He teaches in English with reviews after each lesson. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation. Suggested 20 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner Level)

This is the most popular routine practiced in the world today. It is created mostly from the traditional Yang Style for beginners. This DVD video teaches the standard 24 movements posture-by-posture with repetition and explanation by Master Tsao in English. The entire routine is demonstrated in both front and back views. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation. Suggest 25 class hours.