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Hello everyone. Would you advise a student who’s about to take the Dragon and Tiger 10-week online course to purchase the Dragon and Tiger books and/or DVD as well? Or will the online course suffice?
Thank you.
Hello Tomas… best wishes on the journey you are stepping onto.. (perhaps others might advise from their experience and/or their being an instructor… I’ve trained in Dr&T, but I haven’t taken the 10-wk course.. I did get each of the bks when they came out.. -below is from that, and other responses to questions just like this, in the past).
The Books are good as they are written as texts (ie not just a transcript, but utilizing some of the aspects that written text, and diagrams, can give. mentioning some of the exercises that may be shown/worked on how-to feel.. — Vol 1 is more “covering all the bases”.. while Vol 2, is a whole ‘nuther layer upon that.. ie all the moves in both, so if you want the basics you can just get vol 1.. but if you want more depth.. and get both vol1&2 you aren’t getting the moves spread over both bks (ie part I. -to be continued- and part II. ), but rather “you know all the vol 1, so know -while you do that- XYZ….”
So if you dip you toe in, work on a regular “testing/tasting” basis, and have the long-view (ie able to recognize its not “zip through it” but there is enough in the two books, and the video-course learning the flow- to last a while…. (its not just move this way and that, but a different logic than even other chigung sets- and working it gives you tools and footholds to experience further.. -a foundation developed)
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Last thought- a key you might look for, expec in the videos, try and sense/pick-up “how” the person(s) doing the moves are working the chi, and relating differently than someone might that is there doing the same movements (even with “Energy”-whatever that is- moving).. there is a certain way of relating to the area around one that is different.. and how to catch what that is. ( a trick in each set/art.. but espec stepping into this ) -so how you/they relate to the area around, as well as how the inside of your “body” feels (— and how that won’t be the same as you learn it, and then “get better at it”.. it will change, develop).luck
As usual Taokua’s advice is right on,
I started with Bruce’s first volume when it first came out
(2008).
I liked the way he described and illustrated the weight shifting of the hips while turning.Once I got the hang of D&T I tried teaching it to others.
Well, showing it in one hour once a week didn’t work.
No student ever asked to borrow the book and teach themselves.Later, when Vol. 2 came out in 2014 I got it, too.
It refines the movements.
I also acquired the CDs.Paul Cavel (one of Bruce’s senior instructors) has some excellent youtubes on D&T.
So I suppose the online course would be the easiest way to learn D&T.
(I love Bruce’s online Old Yang Style Tai Chi Course–you can stop and replay at will to catch the smallest nuance of a movement–better than a book).I used to practice D&T just once or twice a week to review for a class.
But for the past year I’ve been doing it every morning to wake up my Qi and get a Tai Chi attitude, which works better that doing Three Swings or the Microcosmic Orbit or Shibashi or the Six Healing Sounds.After D&T I’m ready to do The Yang Style Long-Long Form and 8 bagua Palm Changes (until I blew out my elbow).
D&T is a great tool for this life-long journey.
God luck
Good Morning,
This is my first posting here. Two years ago I did the D&T online course with Bill Ryan and highly recommend it! It is clear, well organized, easy to follow, and thorough. I then attended 2 workshops that Bill taught in Boston and followed that with 2 weekend retreats in Western Mass. this past year. At the first workshop he noted that I was the first person he had met that had learned the form from the online course. I have both books and dip into them occasionally when questions come up. The online course got me in the door and working with an instructor has provided a wealth of refining and deepening information I take into my daily practice. As a former dancer I have a warm up sequence I begin with. I follow this with a self taught (?!) attempt at Energy Gates, then Dragon & Tiger, and then the Yang Style Long Form. I also alternate left and right sides of these, an old dance habit. The online course is a great beginning, the opportunity to work with a teacher and then practice makes it meaningful as part of my life as I step through my eighth decade.
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