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Allison Helm

I found some really good VCDs on Chen style taijiquan. Titles include laojia yi and er lu, xinjia yi lu and er lu, and push hands. The yi lu sets are taught by Chen Xiaoxing, Chen Xiaowang's brother, and the er lu sets and push hands are taught by Chen Bing, Chen Xiaowang's nephew. All are shot in Chen Village. The quality is excellent and the breakdown of the steps and moves is helpful for someone learning or practicing the forms. Prices are reasonable- single set VCDs are $7.99 and doubles are $13.99 plus nominal shipping charges. They are shipped from San Francisco and I got them in a few days. They play on DVD players and on computers (requires free downloadable VCD player). The web site is http://www.cmaod.com

There are 2 great books available written by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. In this 2 volume set, GM Chen outlines each move of the silk reeling, 19 Form, 38 Form, Laojia Yi Lu, Xinjia Yi Lu, Sword, Broadsword and 2 person Push Hands. The pictures are fantastic and show complete breakdowns of each move (all the numbers he uses in the seminars). The caveat - the books are written in Chinese. I feel the books are valuable resources for the postures, and I'm working on getting them translated. I would recommend them even without the translation. You can purchase them at www.chenxiaowang.com for $38 a set (includes s/h). The owner of this site is Betty Dong, the Arizona host, and she carries all of the video tapes in the Chen Style line.

Apparantly, Chinese Baiky badminton shoes make great martial arts shoes. They are flat, flexible, and have a good sole without too much grip. I bought a pair from Hi-Qua Sports, and have found them to be really comfortable for taiji. The shoes are $12 plus shipping and Ca. sales tax, don't come in large sizes (call before ordering) and arrived within 2 days of placing the order. I recently bought some other shoes from them - they are also really good for taiji. They have gum rubber soles and have a bit more support than the badminton shoes. These were $30 plus shipping. The place is in Rowland Heights, California. Click on the link if you are interested.