Kung Fu Step Workout

This is listed in collage as beg/int but I think it gives you an excellent mind-body workout. If you do all the moves with total form you get an intense workout.

She uses basic moves and spices them up with Kung Fu arm movements and kicks. The last interval of kicks is the most intense.

The tape is 60 minutes and she has two exerciser with her. He husband is one of the exercisers, I think that it so great that they've made a tape together :)for more info on them see www.taichi.com

For some reason all the males in my family have borrowed this tape and it always elicits comments from guests. Maybe it's the name....

I ordered this video from Collage because I enjoy martial arts inspired moves and I love step, and it's rare to find a video that combines the two. And the fact that Collage listed Kung Fu Step as a "staff favorite" certainly didn't hurt.

First of all, I have to say that I agree with the previous reviewer that while Collage lists this tape as beginner/intermediate level, it's really an intermediate level workout. I think a beginner may have trouble with some of the high kicks, and the intensity is also more intermediate than beginner. The choreography is pretty basic; lots of familiar steps, but with a Kung Fu flavor. For instance, you're punching and blocking while doing repeaters or the rocking horse. There are lots of different strike, block, and kick combinations. The workout is entirely low impact, but it's easy to modify it to include some power moves. All in all, a good choice for intermediate (or perhaps advanced beginners) steppers who are looking for something a little different.

Kung Fu Step is listed as a "Staff Favorite" in the Collage catalog. I've been curious about it for a while and recently bought it for $7 at Media Play. I'm just getting over a cold so I decided a "Beginner/Intermediate" step workout might be at the right level for me. I think it was more Intermediate, but maybe that's because I'm a little weaker than normal from the cold.

The video begins with a demonstration of hand positions (fist, open hand, tiger claw and finger strike). The floor warm-up is 10 minutes and uses a lot of the hand and foot movements that are later used on the step. Then there are four sections of step that total 22 minutes. The first three incorporate different kung fu movements and the fourth uses them all in one continuous routine. The steps are pretty simple and easy to follow, but I never got bored because she mixes so many different movements together. Then there is a four minute cool-down which is very similar to the warm-up and then a five minute "Tai Chi meditation" which is basically calming breathing techniques. At the end is a quick demonstration that shows how all the movements could be used in real attack situations. I didn't realize it was there and it was neat to watch it. I definitely want to do this workout again. I'd like to see if it seems as hard the next time and I'd like to keep doing the self-defense moves and get comfortable with them. I'd give this workout an A.