Discover Tai Chi - Weight Loss (2002)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Instructor: Scott Cole
Music: New Age/Asian
Difficulty: Easy

Features:

• Nutrition Guide
  
• Suggested Menus
  
• Notes on dining out
  
• Motivational tips
  
• Wordless Hawaii workout
  

My Advice: Buy it.

It isn't easy to make exercise interesting, much less fun, yet Scott Cole has done just that. The Discover Tai Chi series is Cole's attempt to make the ancient art of tai chi accessible to Americans and suitable as a workout. Tired of Barbie dolls teaching overly complex "dance" moves to synth music? Give Cole's tai chi a try.

Tai chi is usually a slow, meditative martial art, though of course its origins were much more deadly. Cole has sped up the routines, making them aerobic and challenging. While hard-core athletes still might not work up much of a sweat doing this tape, those viewers just starting out in their exercise regimen will find this workout just the ticket--strenuous enough to yield results, but easy enough to avoid discouragement or muscle injury.

Cole's instruction is excellent; there's a reason he is well-known and respected in the field. He first covers the routine slowly and then speeds it up to tempo, fast enough to burn fat. Motivational without being annoyingly chipper or falsely excited, he teaches with grace and quiet support, appropriate for his subject matter, but also a splendid remedy for professional dancers declaring idiotic bouncing "easy." Cole's elegance makes you feel that when you've done the tai chi routine as many times as he has, you too will have grace and strength to spare. His philosophy is also a refreshing change, as he bases his weight loss regimen on body consciousness, rather than hatred of the body and a desire to rid one's self of it.

The extras are really where this disc shines. An exhaustive 51 screens of text contains a plethora of Cole's wisdom. Beginning with an overview of his nutrition advice, the Nutrition Guide continues with a look at "the Path of Least Resistance" and why it's good for you, some suggestions for increasing your metabolism, cooking tips, motivation, notes on label reading and dining out, and then a 7-day menu plan that makes healthy-eating sound tasty and fun. While there may not be any earth-shattering news contained in Cole's ideas, the presentation of the information is attractive, clear, and convincing. Such a DVD might give the viewers the motivation to actually do what they know they're supposed to do, and feel good doing it, instead of resenting the model-perfect bodies burbling about swimsuit season or other deep thoughts.

The music is instrumental and alternately soothing and energetic. A composition by Daveed, the music manages a nifty Asian influence without being corny or alien to Western viewers.

In short, if you're looking for a way to spice up your exercise life, Discover Tai Chi: Weight Loss might be just what you need. Challenging enough at tempo to actually tone a bit, yet flowing enough to skip "no pain, no gain" madness, tai chi is a wonderful change of pace. Listen to the man when he warns you about your knees, however, as no exercise is without its stresses, even one as spiritually fulfilling as it is physically rewarding, like tai chi.