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From the box: "Striking Taiji SanShou belongs to ZiRan Men. It possesses some elements of Taiji while it differs a lot from TaiJi for its movements are composed by taking apart those of taiji and restructuring them. Striking Taiji Sanshou aims at providing practitioners with the most effective methods to gain victory in a fight. Thus it contains both elements of internal arts and external arts and tools like Taiji Ball, Taiji Pole and so on." This Striking Taiji dvd is a curiosity: while it shows several key attributes of Taiji, as named, it also incorporates Wan Lai Sheng's own core movements from ZiRan Men. In other words he applied ZiRan principles to Taiji movements, creating an impressive marriage of form and function. He did this by substituting ZiRan's Eight Actions with Taiji's eight actions. One other thing, we really like about this DVD is that instructor Wu adeptly uses many martial instruments such as heavy rings, conditioning rods, a ball and a gripping jar. Wan Lai Sheng studied under Zhao XinZhou, Liu BaiChuan, Liu ShenXian, Du XinWu. He took colors in the first National Arena Wushu Competition in NanJing, a special local in those days. Besides his many posts and teaching positions he also showed his skills as a competitor. Along with applications there was some gossip (of course) informal matches said to involve Gu RuChang, Wan Lai Sheng, Yang Chen Fu and others. Wan Lai Sheng was an innovator and the TaiJi on this DVD shows a unique approach to focused usage. The little ten-movement-plus sequence shown is, I believe, a concentrated attempt at simplification, a goal many practitioners seek, a great demonstration of how key elements must blend. A different sequence with a very different set of key movements.
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| Buy any two DVDs from those below and get a ten percent (10%) discount, Buy three or more DVDs from those below and receive a twenty percent (20%) discount. |
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#29945 ZiRan Men Throwing Skills Demonstrations of all the classical throws but with a distinctly ZiRan manner. The accent here is on natural movement which accomplishes the task with the least effort. Du ShihFu knows not only the basics of throwing but the proper angles and approaches and this should be heeded when watching the DVD. 99+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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#29946 ZiRan Men Basic Techniques Double DVD Now this is interesting. Many of the basics to the style: loose hand motions, stretching, warm ups, some kicks, even a ZiRan Staff set and staff movements. However, there are also a number of things we rarely see nowadays, more village Kung Fu such as knocking a brick over without touching it, extinguishing a candle, beating actions against the Tan Tien. Accept some of what you see or not, this is old style training: not always elegant or even indisputably honest but coming out of Kung Fu's almost forgotten heritage. What people know of ZiRan is it's "spontaneous" approach to fighting with very few forms and an emphasis on practice. There is also a strong Taoist philosophical basis to the sense that allows some more unusual practices and beliefs. A Double DVD. 108+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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18 "Natural" methods are shown here: practical San Shou. In this series the style Tzu Ran lives up to its name. The fighting techniques here are unusually practical and insightful especially considering the tendency of Chinese style instructors to "tone down" methods of defense. There is much strategy talk here. Actions take into account angles of approach, perceptual inaccuracies, body configuration. This might even be a little hard to understand for the student without much practical experience. Also some nice and surprisingly "modern" applications of spontaneous footwork. This we recommend as one of the best in the series.This is a Double DVD. 105+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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18 "Natural" methods are shown here: practical San Shou. In this series the style ZiRan lives up to its name. The fighting techniques here are unusually practical and insightful especially considering the tendency of some instructors to "tone down" methods of defense. There is much strategy talk here. Actions take into account angles of approach, perceptual inaccuracies, body configuration. The second half of this series starts with explanations of the true meaning behind such mysterious sounding moves as "Phoenix Faces the Sun" and "Wind Through the Ears". Double DVD 100+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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#29949 ZiRan Men Catching Skills Double DVD CHIN NAH: This shows many very well-known and "classic" China Nah actions. Some are better than others but the DVD does one very nice thing in that it takes each situation and "develops" it through a number of variations which often include counters. The entire series is very good in that it reveals the Kung Fu way of thinking about these moves: what to watch out for, what's the best application of energy, etc. Relaxed and easily understood instruction highlights this presentation . This is a Double DVD. 60+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above
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#29950 ZiRan Men Free Fighting Part 1 Double DVD This series is STUFFED with applications. At first one might see this as Jeet Kune Do 101 but considering it was created half a century earlier and comes from traditional martial arts, a closer look should prevail. From our experience we have to say that this isn't just a basic series of throws and grappling moves. Du knows what he'd doing. The moves are common throws, locks and lots of takedowns. But the angles and strategies are sophisticated. You may see the basic wrist locks you already know but with significant variation. After all people spend years seeing the same golf stroke again and again. If you want applied Kung Fu you could indeed do worse. Also some very nice counter-throws. The second second DVD in this pair concentrates on striking the face exclusively. This is a Double DVD. 107+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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#29951 ZiRan Men Free Fighting Part 2 This series is STUFFED with applications. At first one might see this as Jeet Kune Do 101 but considering it was created decades earlier and comes from traditional martial arts, a closer look should prevail. From our experience we have to say that this isn't just a basic series of throws and grappling moves. This guy knows what he'd doing. The moves are common throws, locks and lots of takedowns. But the angles and strategies are sophisticated. You may see the basic wrist locks you already know but with significant variation. After all people spend years seeing the same golf stroke again and again. If you want applied Kung Fu you could indeed do worse. This part of the series concentrates on counter-throws. 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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Spear Metal spear exercises with an very long spear highlight this VCD. The spear work itself demonstrated by Du ShihFu's son is about average with a set breakdown and postural instruction. However, the use of the spear is mostly for power in ZiRan and to that purpose their spear is about feet long, hollow and can be filled with sand for practicing issuance of power. Demonstrations show this form of spear play and routines to increases these skills. 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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Chang San Feng's Tai Chi: a fluid, medium height, small framed series of Tai Chi movements. Actions are soft, rounded and comfortable. The exemplify ZiRan's criterion of not forcing awkward motion on the practitioner. Du considers it to be an "old inheritance" which he learned from Wan Lai Sheng. Relatively soft with many repetitions of key moves, it is almost formless at times with great emphasis on Qigong like actions. A set keeping within the concept of ZiRan . 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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Cavity striking and revival points. A very interesting and lengthy demonstration of point striking and resuscitation. We are talking apparent knock outs here. Not a try-this-at-home types of demonstration. Some of the revival work quite interesting. Some of the points are lesser known and from apparent demonstration ZiRan contains good skills on this subject. Whether or not the effortless knockout are "assisted" or not, the points are correct and accurate. 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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Some have described ZiRan Men as starting with "Tan Tui-like" exercises to work into more and more spontaneous movements. This is true in this DVD. We have the equivalent of the ZiRan Tan Tui, 8 lines of kicking basics interspersed with some hands. They are practiced symmetrically and, in this version, shown applied to hitting bags and trees for the contact practice. The principles of kicking are smart and logical and rarely seen from Kung Fu teachers. This is an important "leg" of the ZiRan system. Unlike the two DVDs that follow the emphasis here is on basic skills and applications, working with equipment etc. and small exercise patterns but more partner oriented. This is a Double DVD. 105+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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#29956 ZiRan Men 9 Stars Ducking Peg Skills QinJing, the fourth generation inheritor of the ZiRan system, shows not only a high degree of kicking skill but the particulars of ZiRan's approach to the subject. This DVD is not represented in our earlier VCD series on this style. We do have other ZiRan DVDs which refer to these skills as the 8 Inner and the 8 Outer Leg Tricks and are roughly equivalent to these two presentations. These first tricks refer to the basic strong skills of ZiRan kicking each shown in a small routine. Explanations but no partnered applications. 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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QinJing, the fourth generation inheritor of the ZiRan system, shows not only a high degree of kicking skill but the particulars of ZiRan's approach to the subject. This DVD is not represented in our earlier VCD series on this style. We do have other ZiRan DVDs which refer to these skills as the 8 Inner and the 8 Outer Leg Tricks and are roughly equivalent to these two presentations. This second DVD shows the "subtle" or "hidden" forms of ZiRan kicking such as Treading, Splitting, Hanging, etc. Explanations but no partnered applications. 50+ Minutes Mandarin/ English Subtitles see discounts above |
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