Actor David Carradine gained popularity during his early 1970s TV show, "Kung Fu." He died in 2009. He made several exercise videos and published a book in 1997 called "David Carradine's Tai Chi Workout: The Beginner's Program for a Healthier Mind and Body." Tai chi is also known as chi kung or qigong, a philosophy that combines mental awareness with physical movement. The practice of tai chi is designed to promote vitality and health and promotes relief of mental, emotional and physical stress and tension.
Tai Chi
Movements in tai chi are slow and gentle and are designed to promote balance, strength and stability. The exercise form is popular with older people though many of its moves can be incorporated into fighting martial arts defensive and offensive positions. Tai chi stretches all the muscles in the body, and promotes rhythm, form and breathing.
Stances
Carradine's tai chi workout offers basic instruction regarding the stances performed in tai chi, including the horse stance. The horse stance is an essential form in many martial arts and is designed to increase leg strength and endurance. Also included in Carradine's book are instructions for the cat stance, crane stance and basic foot rotations. Beginners are encouraged to learn and practice the basic stances before moving on to tai chi exercise patterns.
Meditation
The slow, gentle movements employed by tai chi encourage exercisers to focus on the connection between body, spirit and mind. Breathing and meditation help achieve this connection. Carradine offers a history of tai chi and the practice of Taoism to help beginners explore this relationship. He also gives advice on the physical feelings and sensations you might feel while practicing basic tai chi moves along with meditation through the 13-week training program described in his book.
Moves
Basic tai chi moves described in words and pictures in Carradine's book include Drawing the Bow, the Arm Circles with Low Horse Stance and Crane balancing. Learning how to do sweeping hands and outer foot blocks are carefully described with complete illustrated step-by-step instructions. Carradine's approach to the exercises and moves described in the book offer easy-to-read and easy-to-follow instructions. Outer foot and arm blocks, wrist rotations and transitions from one move to another are fully described.
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