Shifu Yan Lei - Genuine Shaolin Kung Fu, Qi Gong & Rou Quan

I am the perfect person to review a workout DVD - totally unfit, much to my children’s delight they settled down to watch me make a buffoon of myself tackling this Shaolin Workout... actually though it wasn’t too bad at alll and they even joined in after 10 minutes rather than mock me.

Every man and his dog has a workout DVD these days, Wags, models, Corrie stars it’s all part of that fifteen minutes of fame cycle, I found this a much worthier entry into the world of home workout via the old DVD player.

The first thing worth noting about this DVD is that yes it’s based around martial arts and self-defence but you aren’t going to be expected to headbutt concrete blocks or master the art of a mid-air round-house kick, it’s actually a nice gentle but very effective program that is very different, very rewarding and a lot of fun.

Your tutor is no mug though he is Shifu Yan Lei is a 34th generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China.

He has been studying Shaolin martial arts for over twenty years, and is the country’s leading expert in Shaolin Qi Gong and Kung Fu.

The most important thing to remember here when thinking of undertaking the training is that you don’t have to have any previous experience, treat it like you would any other.

That’s not to say this is a watered down version because this is actual genuine Shaolin training - it’s just at a level that is good for the beginner to pick up, yes in other DVD’s I am sure it will get harder but I found this easy to pick up, even if it was a complete killer on the hamstrings!

This is a Shaolin workout in your own living room and if like me you felt like a total plank, don’t worry, that’s what those curtains are for!

The DVD is focused on taking you at a nice pace building up your basic idea of stamina, stances, how to prepare and the fundamentals of punching and kicking and also focusing your mind to be calm.

You work at your own pace and learn alongside some other disciples in the DVD so you don’t feel on your own. I have always been interesting in Kung-Fu flicks and the orient but this was not how I expected and it was I have to say a really relaxing workout - just not the next day!

I wouldn’t say i felt like an expert by the end of it - but I enjoyed learning the techniques and after playing it through a couple oof times there is definately less embarassing moments of over-balancing and landing in a crumpled heap. I am not the daintiest guy in the world and my living room is not that big!

This DVD is one I will stick with, I like it a lot and it is far less cringeworthy than some I have witnessed and the one think that really does it for me is that I totally believe iin what the guy is saying and it did really feel like it ws doing me some serious good.

I might even buy myself an orange robe. Worth considering if you are after a home workout with a difference and there are a few more in the series if you really get hooked.