Four-Season Tai Chi IV - Winter 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 winter season is conservation and storage.  Therefore, Tai Chi practice should refrain from overusing the yang energy, keeping moves quiet and subdued in the winter months.  This will prevent kidney illness and benefit revitalization in spring.  Suggest for beginners and senior people.  Master Tsao teaches in English with front and back views.  Suggested 25 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate Levels). DVD, (63 minutes)

Yang Style Tai Chi is the most popular style.  This DVD teaches the ancient routine of Yang Style Tai Chi Long Form 108 in 22 lessons.  Master Tsao teaches each lesson posture-by-posture in English with back view and front view demonstration.  There are also self-healing and self-defense applications explained throughout the teaching.  It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 50 class hours.  (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Levels). DVD-R, Disc 1, First half instruction and entire routine demo (71 minutes)

In this video, you will learn the fighting aspects of Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi.  The principles are based on Tai Chi Classics: to redirect or borrow an opponent's force first, then strike his weak point.  Master Tsao reveals Tai Chi's fighting secrets in an easy-to-understand and use manner.  Each posture is demonstrated first, then details teaching its application in self-defense fighting and Push Hands,a nd there are multiple applications in each posture.  It is good for self-study or as a useful reference for teachers.  Instructions are given in English.  It is good for self-study, or a good resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours.  Played by Master Jesse Tsao and Michael Muckin. (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Levels). DVD-R, Disc 2 of 2 (65 minutes)

Traditional Tai Chi Eight Immortals Cane is a very special Tai Chi routine.  A walking cane is an everyday, common object, but is also a handy weapon in self defense!  This routine is based on the characteristics of Tai Chi postures with the traditional Taoist "eight immortals" cane/stick martial function.  It is fun for any age level to learn.  Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai created the Chinese brush writing calligraphy for this routine.  Detailed instruction by Master Jesse Tsao is in English with front and back view demos, as well as martial arts applications.  It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Level)

Tai Chi Neigong Shibashi in Chen Style Compact 18 Forms is created strictly based on the Chen family traditional postures.  Posture is only a tool to cultivate inner energy, the neigong is your goal. Repetitive drill on each posture is easy for a beginner to learn, it also provides the opportunity for advanced students to ascertain the feeling of inner work layer by layer.  It is designed for Zoom teaching to fit limited space for home or corporate onsite practice. This is also a perfect short form to lead beginners into a long form routine.  Demonstrations are given in front and back views, and Master Tsao gives a detailed description of each posture's main neigong concept.  (Difficulty: Beginner through advanced Levels). DVD, (68 minutes).

Tai Chi Neigong Shibashi in Yang Style Compact 18 Forms is created strictly based on the Yang family traditional postures.  Posture is only a tool to cultivate inner energy, your goal is to gain neigong. Repetitive drill on each posture is easy for a beginner to learn, it also provides the opportunity for advanced students to ascertain the feeling of inner work layer by layer.  It is designed for Zoom teaching to fit limited space for home or corporate onsite practice. This is also a perfect short form to lead beginners into the long form 108.  Demonstrations are given in front and back views, and Master Tsao gives a detailed description of each posture's main neigong concept.  (Difficulty: Beginner through advanced Levels). DVD, (68 minutes).

This is a therapy (or preventive practice) for people with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or Parkinson's Disease.  The stick provides you with a focal point to help  with hand-eye coordination.  The twisting moves can stimulate energy circulation in your fingers and wrists, prevent frozen shoulders, and improve the elasticity of the tendons around your elbows.  Combined with various tai chi postures, it stretches and tones your muscles, activates the hip and knee joints, improves the flexibility and strength of your spine, and  prevents lower back pain. The practice is adapted from the tai chi joint locking techniques of qin-na, a traditional  secret training approach for developing spiral inner energy.  Therefore, this routine can also be used as a martial arts drill.

Practical Stretching Anywhere in the Qigong Way

Stretching is an excellent thing you can do for your health. Without the need of a floor mat, these simple yet effective moves can help you limber up for tai chi and Qigong practice or any sports, improve your balance and prevent falls, increase your flexibility, and even help relieve arthritis, back, and knee pain. Dr. Jesse Tsao put together this stretching routine based on traditional Chinese tai chi and Qigong practices. They are easy and practical to use anywhere, each posture has Qigong energy circulation benefits, and they can be customized to your ability anywhere from easy to challenging. You’ll find these moves can boost overall flexibility and loosen up tight muscles, including specific stretches to ease back pain, stiff hamstrings, and the neck and shoulder pain that comes from spending too much time sitting at a desk staring at a computer!

Practical Stretching Anywhere in the Qigong Way - II

This is the 2nd set of practice, a little more dynamic. Stretching is an excellent thing you can do for your health. Without the need of a floor mat, these simple yet effective moves can help you limber up for tai chi and Qigong practice or any sports, improve your balance and prevent falls, increase your flexibility, and even help relieve arthritis, back, and knee pain. Dr. Jesse Tsao shared his practice based on traditional Chinese tai chi and Qigong practices. They are easy and practical to use anywhere, each posture has Qigong energy circulation benefits, and they can be customized to your ability anywhere from easy to challenging. You’ll find these moves can boost overall flexibility and loosen up tight muscles, including specific stretches to ease back pain, stiff hamstrings, and the neck and shoulder pain that comes from spending too much time sitting at a desk staring at a computer!

This is designed for people with physical difficulty of standing or recovery from medical treatment.  You can still practice to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, hand arthritis.  The stick provides you with a focal point to help  with hand-eye coordination.  The twisting moves can stimulate energy circulation in your fingers and wrists, prevent frozen shoulders, and improve the elasticity of the tendons around your elbows.  It stretches and tones your muscles, improves the flexibility and strength of your spine, and  prevents lower back pain. The practice is adapted from the tai chi joint locking techniques of qin-na, a traditional  secret training approach for developing spiral inner energy.

Tai Chi Ball in Form 24 by Dr. Jesse Tsao is adapted from the Simplified Tai Chi Form 24 to honor his teacher Professor Li Deyin of Beijing Renmin University, who is the most significant expert making tai chi worldwide popular today. This routine stays as close as possible to the original 24 postures with a ball in between the hands. The practice uses dan-tian (lower abdomen) rotation to generate torso movement, which leads to ball movement, to develop internal energy and core strength. The ball is usually made out of rubber, wood, steel, or even stone, and typically weighs between 2 and 30 lbs. This form will help you sink your center of gravity, improve balance and posture, tone muscles and tendons, and enhance internal power. You can start with a lighter medicine ball and then work up to a heavier one over time. This is a new curriculum of the Tai Chi Healthways instructor training program.

Tai Chi Ball Neigong by master Jesse Tsao shares a traditional practice to develop internal energy and core strength. The practice uses dan-tian (lower abdomen) rotation to generate torso movement which leads to ball movement. The ball is usually made out of rubber, wood, steel, or even stone, and typically weighs between 5 and 30 lbs. This practice will help you sink your center of gravity, improve balance and posture, tone muscles and tendons, and enhance internal power. You can start with a lighter medicine ball and then work up to a heavier one over time. This is a new curriculum of Tai Chi Healthways instructor training program.