Product Review: Kung Fu Body Conditioning: Traditional Training for Endurance and Power (DVD)
Author: Dr. Yang Jwing Ming
Publisher: YMAA Publications
If you are like me then you are always looking for ways to improve your martial arts ability. As martial artists we know that conditioning can literally mean the difference between life and death whether in a physical confrontation or the rigors of everyday life and the stress it carries. These days many martial artists, regardless of style, are returning to or discovering the wealth that traditional martial arts conditioning offers. Enter Dr. Yang Jwing Ming and his Yang Martial Arts Association (YMAA) publication center. Dr. Yang and his live-in students demonstrate how to get in shape traditional Kung Fu Style! Here’s my review of Kung Fu Body Conditioning: Traditional Training for Endurance and Power:
Dr. Yang Jwing Ming’s Kung Fu Body conditioning is an excellent DVD to help improve your overall martial arts skill and fitness. This YMAA video covers many areas crucial to martial conditioning such as stretching, tumbling, strength training, skill development, horse stance training, and more. What I appreciated about the video was the explanations before the commencement of the actual exercises and the brief explanations as to why one would do these exercises. Another plus for me is the emphasis on traditional methods of conditioning (I think we have overlooked many of the benefits of traditional conditioning) and the inclusion of modern equipment (pull up bars, etc.). Dr. Yang (and his students’) expertise really shine through in this video and their hard work in doing these exercises shine through.
Kung Fu Body Conditioning, in my opinion, can be used as a supplement to your martial arts conditioning program, but some of the techniques (especially the tumbling section) should be done under qualified supervision to avoid serious injury. One of the things I would have liked would have been the inclusion of some type of frequency as a graphic or included with the DVD. For example, “5 days a week horse stance training hold for 1 minute then progress to 2 minutes in the second week, etc.” Overall, Kung Fu Body Conditioning is an excellent addition to the training library of any martial artist, MMA practitioner, fitness enthusiast, or anyone looking to develop internal and external strength.
Recommendation: 
