STAFF Fundamental Training: Tai Chi & Shaolin Techniques by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming

This is a great DVD video to have which completes the other Dr. Yang DVD which teaches the Tai Chi form.

This is a fine DVD for anyone into long staff training.In empty hand training, we work on our stances, we drill our blocks, we drill our strikes, we drill our kicks. We create a solid foundation and develop the techniques which launch from that pedestal, this is key to success.For long staff training, or really any weapon training, you will find that this DVD is an excellent collection of exercises to build strength, coordination, and good rooting. Static and moving drills are explained and then demonstrated, both by Dr. Yang and, for variety and as teaching examples, several of his students.The intention seems to be to develop substance and content in the use of the staff, as opposed to learning pretty solo forms. (No forms/katas are taught in this DVD, but there are other DVDs available from YMAA which do teach staff forms. If you already practice a staff form, these exercises may add more substance to your practice.)My background in Chinese internal martial arts includes Hsing Yi Chuan, and one thing I remember about the style was how simple and even boring it might appear (Hence the old Hsing Yi proverb: "It is not pretty, but it works!"). I will compare staff training from this DVD to what I did the most in Hsing Yi - drilling a few simple yet versatile techniques and strikes, drilling my footwork, drilling both together, and then, much later, eventually applying it in the solo and partner forms. (My teacher did not even show me "Linking" until I had been training in basics for about 18 months)My point is that I was already gaining some competence in my art from doing nothing but basic training, and, by the same logic, these exercises would make anyone’s staff technique strong and coordinated, with or without practicing a form. The student will be comfortable swinging the staff, and strong and precise in striking and blocking with it. These are things you can apply to whatever style of long staff you may wish to practice, and will only enhance your abilities with any other weapons you may care to study..

Good teaching, will need room and space. Not a Cain use, but for outdoors a walker spares a good yes. For tool use. Does not cover everything. Like being, getting rushed . . . In the 8 foot staff. But see he has other DVDs !

The media could not be loaded. This video is more amazing than what I thought it would be. In the kung fu style I practice, there's staff sliding in the form. To me, since my Si Jo comes from a family of combat specialists due to their profession of old school escorts and bodyguards, then undergoing intensive training at Shaolin for ten years, his development of the style comes from a combat specialist mentality, it's a highly applicable combat style. To me there's a reason why he included the sliding in the form.In the attempt to understand why the staff slides in my style form, I became more interested in learning and strengthening my staff sliding first, rather than the general popular route it seems people take in immediately learning spinning the staff. I'm more interested in the slide of my style form in combat application.Your video includes an immense amount of staff sliding exercises. When I saw the preview trailer, I immediately knew in doing the exercises, I will get to "know" my staff better by improving my tactile sense of the staff in my hands. And when I finally saw the video, I was right.In addition, these exercises have all the basis needed to make learning staff spinning a whole lot easier when I finally decide to learn staff spinning.I bought this video (even though it's from a different style but connected through Shaolin) to study and strengthen in the style I practice.I highly recommend this video.I haven't found any other source that compiles this type of information about this subject into one source.Thank you

Dr. Yang knows his stuff, for sure. I have a couple of his books and have seen other disks (i.e. his chin na disk) and they are excellent. But while this does clearly show beginning techniques, Dr. Yang demonstrates one, then lets several of his students practice them for prolonged periods. I don't want to watch students fumble through the moves, I want to watch the master do them properly! With disks, we can play the moves slowly and repeat as necessary. As my first teacher said when a student asked him about warmups before class, "You can do push ups before class on your own. You guys aren't paying me to lead you through jumping jacks; you're paying me to show you kung fu."