I was exposed to some parts of the Crane Frolic at DragonDoor events: RKC and flexibility training weekends. I found some of the movements so pleasurable to perform that I incorporated them into my morning warmup which is mostly based around Pavel's "Super Joints" (also available on this web site).

Since injuring my shoulder a few months ago, I dug out my Crane Frolic DVD. It has been, on some days, the majority of my training, and I credit it as much as anything else I have done for the fact that my shoulder is slowly and surely returning to its prior strength - and without the surgery the orthopedist recommended. Once a week or so I take a long practice, usually doubling the approximately 30 minutes the 10 movements in the complete Frolic take if you do them along with the DVD. I have also committed the entire thing to memory, which is not difficult to do, and I now have a restorative routine at my disposal wherever I am - no equipment and now no DVD required.

If you find yourself with knots in your muscles and other symptoms of a body not able to completely relax, the Crane Frolic may be just what you're looking for. It is said to grant grace and longevity; I can tell you that it has granted me a new perspective on exercise, a soft component to balance out my Hard Style training. I expect the Crane Frolic, and eventually other soft practices as well, to be permanent parts of my daily training.

I was introduced to the Animal Frolics in a workshop. I was very happy to find this video (and the other Frolic videos) which demonstrated and explained the frolics as they were taught in the workshop that I attended. This video has given depth to my qigong frolic practice.

In this DVD, the author provides good and solid knowledge on the subject. This is also the case for his other DVD's. If you want to get practical information without esoteric hocus pocus, then this is for you.

watch this

I've found places "in my area" that teach tai chi, but they all seem to teach class on weekday evenings at 6:00, and that's a couple of hours' drive through evening traffic--it's just not feasible. I've tried books and other videos, but I haven't found anything that does a good job with both showing AND explaining what to do; most of those I had high hopes for did a better job at one or the other. For me, this DVD does both. I work with at-risk teens, so this is a good way to wind down at the end of the day. I am definitely going to be ordering the rest of the set!

Great Qi Gong, but it would be more appealing with some visual and auditory aesthetics.