Tai Chi for Arthritis - 12 Lessons with Dr. Paul Lam

I absolutely adore this DVD and Dr. Lam. This is by far one of the best instructional programs I have ever used for any subject. It is well organized and easy to navigate. The instruction from Dr. Lam is exceptionally well delivered. He breaks everything down into simple small steps that are well explained and easy to understand and follow. Each lesson includes a short welcome, a warmup, a review of previous movements, instruction in new movements for that lesson, a run through of all the movements taught so far,* and a cool down. One thing I really appreciate about this DVD is that Dr. Lam shows the movements both from the front and back views. This is incredibly helpful in getting the left/right motions down. When the whole class practices, the students face the camera, while Dr. Lam has his back to the camera, so you get both views. At the end of each of the two DVDs is a full demonstration of all the moves taught in the program, shown both from the front and the back. I found it very helpful to follow Dr. Lam in the back view demonstration for several weeks to really cement the movements into my mind. The back view feature takes all the pressure off of trying to mirror the instructions and keeping left and right straight in my mind. I can't say enough good of Dr. Lam himself. He is a warm, caring, knowledgeable and entertaining instructor, and the way he moves through the program is beautiful, graceful and inspiring. He talks about moving as though you are pushing against gentle resistance, and it is amazing to watch him--you can actually see what he means about the resistance as he moves. The students are accomplished and capable too. The students in the class are all older men and women, and one gentleman demonstrates the movements sitting down. Dr. Lam gives just the right amount of safety tips and includes some metaphors and hints to make learning the movements easier. There are no kicks or deep knee bends in this program. It is very gentle and fluid. That being said, I would recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to learn TaiChi, regardless of age or physical issues. It is excellent instruction for everyone and a wonderful place to start learning this fantastic martial art form. *the first DVD features the basic forms, and second DVD features the extension movements. Unfortunately, only the first lesson on the second DVD includes a review of all of the basic movements from the first DVD. I suspect that it is because of limited space on the DVD. Not a real problem though, since the entire sequence is included in the demonstrations, which you can access from the main menu. Once I practiced the extension movements with the class, I navigated to the demonstration to practice all of the movements in sequence.

I bought this years ago, but life happened and my practice went by the wayside. Then after chemo fogged up my memory, I couldn't remember the sequence. I was SO glad to find it on Amazon, Tai Chi is so body friendly and good for strengthening balance. Dr. Lam teaches in a way that makes it super easy to learn, step by step, and (mega bonus for me) he teaches each segment facing the camera, then with his back to the camera to help people like me who get left and right confused when the instructor is facing me. Love this program!!

This is the first exercise video I've bought, so I don't have much to compare it to, but based on reviews of other videos I've read, I think this one is very well done. There are 12 lessons on 2 disks, each lesson is broken into 7 sections: 1. Welcome 2. Warm up 3. Run through of previous lessons 4. Learn new forms 5. Run through of previous lessons including new form 6. Cool down 7. Message. In each lesson, Dr. Lam goes over each new form many times, both in front facing and rear facing positions. He suggests working on each new form for a week before progressing to the new lesson so that's what I have been doing. This has worked well for me so that remembering all the forms has been easy and effortless. Once you have gone through a lesson for the first time, you can easily skip steps that you might not need to watch again, such as the welcome or message. I always found the warm ups and cool downs as helpful as the actual lessons. Dr. Lam is easy to follow and speaks in a very pleasant voice. The run through sections of each lesson also include several students also doing the movements. One student does the movements while seated. I think this DVD would be helpful for people with a wide range of fitness levels and abilities. The best part of this video for me is that I have really enjoyed doing it for the 6 weeks since I received it. I find it very easy to understand and follow. It's also one of those things that while easy to learn, is challenging enough to keep me interested and improving. While I'm sure a class with a live instructor has it's benefits, this is a wonderful alternative for someone who doesn't have access to a class.

Am elderly (86). Had a few taichi classes. Learned Dr. Tam's method. Had several classes and also followed the warm-up exercises on You Tube with some lessons for over a year. This has improved my overall physical health. Am hard of hearing and was fortunate that there was closed captioning (CC). Happy to have purchased this dvd but am very disappointed there is no CC. It was a good thing that I followed the exercises on You Tube so I am able to understand the new movements taught by Dr. Lam, who is hard to understand at times becuz of his accent. Believe this is an excellent instructional dvd tho'. Would give 5 stars if there was CC. Also, it's hard for me to run dvd as I am tech illiterate. Want to continue to learn taichi. Do taichi every morning and feel quite good.

I love this DVD! It's a little on the expensive side but, it is very detailed. Dr. Lam has designed this course to be gentle on the joints and build up strength to reduce the risk of falls in elders. The forms in this DVD have a lot of cross-body motions which is very good for the brain processing and neurology. Each section has a warmup, review of the previous lesson, demonstration of the next form, teaching of the aforementioned form with Dr. Lam facing the same direction that you are facing so that it isn't confusing (something that a lot of teachers forget), a run-through of the form that you've learned and a cooldown. I would say, if you are able-bodied and looking to learn the traditional forms, Dr. Lam has other DVDs that teach the traditional 24 forms and others.

This dvd is just what I needed and worth every penny! Having arthritis in many of my joints and being unstable from muscle weakness, I needed an exercise program that was easy to do and gentle on my body. And I can do this in the privacy of my home or in my yard on a beautiful day. The instruction is very clear to understand and the movements are very slow and gentle on my joints and muscles. I noticed a difference in my stability and muscle strength in my legs within a few weeks. And doing Tai Chi takes me to a relaxed place in my mind...I feel peaceful when I'm done.

I started taking Tai Chi and since it's once a week sessions, I wanted to practice more frequently. I know this is who the sessions were based on, so thought I'd give it a try. It is wonderful. It is well organized by lesson: warm up, lesson form and cool down. Now I can practice at home and it makes me comfortable in class. It is slow enough to learn and practice the forms. The instructor explains the moves well and shows the hand and feet movements. It is a very specific and controlled set of movements that make you think, slow down, and appreciate body and align with nature and your surroundings. He teaches you balance, breathing and new words you may have to research. When all movements are put together with music, it is quite calming and very beautiful. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to exercise (with or without arthritis), is stressed from the every day fast life or just wants to try something different. These movements are very beneficial for all.

Took a little while to get here but well worth the wait. Excellent presentation of the moves and just what is needed to keep the old bones moving without stress being placed on them. Highly recommend