Tai Chi Sword - Yang Style 32 Forms

I bought this DVD as a challenge for myself. The instruction is clearly set out and provides simple instruction for each move in a manner that is thoughtful and easy to follow.

This is the third Dr Lam DVD I've purchased. I discovered them after having spent a small fortune on other Tai Chi videos that were either impossible to follow, or weren't (despite their claims) teaching a form at all, but where 'workouts' based on Tai Chi movements. In this sword DVD, Dr Lam's method is gentle, clear, helpful, and, I think, as close as any DVD can come to providing a near-equivalent of an actual in-person class. I am HUGELY grateful to Dr Lam for the care and attention that has gone into all these DVDs.

This is such a beautiful progression and extension of the Tai Chi 24 Forms. The energy builds and flows with more graceful intensity than the forms before it. The sword feels like an extension of mind through the body. Dr. Lams learning method is fun, thoughtful and embeds itself beautifully in the muscle memory of the practitioner. I feel awesome and life is much easier to navigate through after a Tai Chi Sword session. Thanks Dr. Lam you are a gift to us all!

I learnt 24 Forms, TCA 1 & 2 , 32 Sword Form and 42 Combined Barehand Form with my Tai Chi teacher, Sam and TCA 1 & 2 and Sun 73 with my other teacher Teresa in Perth. I watch TCA 1 & 2 DVDs, 24 Forms, Sun 73, and my new collection 32 Sword and 42 Combined Barehand DVDs. I have not been able to attend Sam's class or Teresa’s class in person since October 2021 due to a health condition :-( Thanks to these DVDs, the DVDs are not only a great help me to keep up my Tai Chi practice at home with visual instructions but they help me to not forget these routines until I am ready to resume attending Sam's and Teresa’s classes. Great DVDs, thank you very much!

I bought the Yang 32 Sword Form DVD to complement the Yang 24 Form and Tai Chi for arthritis DVDs I already had, to give me three very different Tai Chi routines. I am finding the sword forms more difficult to remember, with the added complexity of the sword, but it is excellent training for my memory. The instructions are, as always very clear, with sufficient repetition to help develop the movements. My one wish is that the demonstration at the end of each section was a little slower so that I could keep up. I ought to say that I am 78 and started leaning Tai Chi last year at home via YouTube, then DVD, so am very much an infant in this, especially as I am not a noted keep fit person.

It is graceful, serene, easy and fun to learn. The Stepwise Progressive Teaching Method, adopts the appropriate number of repetition, and the break downs using different angles clarifies the forms. Instructor’s emphasis on where internal energy is applied during the various positions are helpful in learning the forms safely and to enjoy the wonderful feeling. As a bonus the discussion of spiral force demystifies the learning of harnessing this invisible energy. It is delightful how the sword adds liveliness to the movements. More importantly, my body and mind feel good as well as relaxed practicing the set. Highly recommended!

Like all Dr Lam's videos this takes time to teach the form slowly and carefully. Plus there are interesting chapters either side of the main teaching section. Sometimes it is a little difficult to follow as with all the DVDs when Dr Lam wears black trousers it is sometimes hard to define which leg is doing which action. Also with this sword form I could use a little more detail on how the hands hold the sword and how the wrist turns. But these are very small details. Overall a great teaching DVD.

When I saw that Dr Lam had added 32 Sword Form to his DVD collection, I immediately jumped at the opportunity! Although I have only had this DVD for about a month, I am absolutely, thoroughly enjoying the challenge associated with the expansion of movements through the sword and the subtleties of wrist movements. I have found the small bite-size lessons both easy to follow and encouraging. Loving it!

Having Dr Lam describe and demonstrate the moves throughout made the presentation very consistent. The educational method used throughout the dvd made it easy to follow because one knew how each segment would flow. The demonstrations of the whole form both front-on and back-on were really beneficial to promote both understanding and provide an easy-to-follow sequence for the beginner to learn how the different moves flow into one. A technique used in other dvds by Dr Lam, that of orienting the beginner to positions on a clock face would have made it easier to know in which direction to step. Sometimes it is a little difficult to determine when watching the dvd what the orientation should be because the descriptions for each move are a 'front on' view. On my copy, there was no sound when Dr Lam is teaching the 'Needle of the compass' but it was still possible to follow the different moves. The biggest contrast was the duration of the form when Dr Lam demonstrated it back-on: 3 minutes and 10 seconds compared with the earlier version of the 32 forms which took around 4 minutes 55 seconds. Probably because of my age, I prefer the slower version but it did give me something to aim for such as learning to sink my chi a little faster.