Tae Boxing Jam
Billy BlanksYear Released: 1999
Categories: Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts
Show oldest reviews first
This is one of the most annoying videos I've ever done and I have a high tolerance level! The class would progress from one set of moves to another with no explanation. Billy is in front but he doesn't really do the moves, yet often the camera stays on him, instead of on the group who are doing the moves, so you have no idea of what's going on. Would be a fun workout if you could keep up!
04/05/2009
This workout is about 45 minutes, divided into 2 workouts. The moves are for the most part basic (no complex choreography here), but it was a definate disappointment. I would not recommend it. If I ever put it in the VCR I am bored almost every minute and constantly staring atmy watch to see when my torture will be over. But, if you are new to tae bo, it does offer a slow introduction to some kicks and punches (although some jumping kicks were definately not introduced well).
Instructor Comments:
Billy was his usual self but did not cue very well at all. He would wait until after the exercising group had begun another move to describe a transition. He seemed like a novice.
This was the biggest disappointment I have ever paid for! My friends and coworkers have been talking about how great Tae Bo is for over two years, and I had never tried it until recently. I currently do Kathy Smith's Kickboxing with Keith Cook 5 times a week and it makes me sweat like crazy! It's a fabulous workout. So I thought this would be a great progression into something maybe more challenging, and was hoping it would add some great variety to my workout. And it WAS a challenge alright - a challenge to watch! The video instructs you how to do many cool moves, but after just a couple sets, you move on to the next before I could really even get the one being explained down pat. And often times Billy Blanks wasn't even doing the moves, rather, the people behind him were, but his face and body took up the whole screen so I could not follow them either! It was very frustrating! He would say, "Ok, now let's work the other side!", when I had not even seen him do the FIRST side! The biggest irritant was that he would say "Now go RIGHT", or "Now we'll be using our RIGHT side", and he really DID use his right side, making it all backwards for me as the viewer. I'd use my right like he was saying, but the people on the video were doing just the opposite, making it very confusing. When doing kickboxing moves, I like to follow exactly on the screen to make me feel like I am doing it as safely as possible, and this was a nightmare to follow. I am getting rid of it. It really soured my aspirations to try more Tae-Bo.
08/23/2001
This tape is atrocious. The cueing is non-existent. The exercises are half done before the viewer is told what to do. The final cooldown cannot be followed because people are demonstrating martial arts in front of the exercisers. I may write a letter to Crunch. It does not come close to their usual standards.
Instructor Comments:
Doesn't cue or take tape seriously.
I DID NOT like this video. I LOVE athe regular Tae Bo tapes. Tae Boxing/Jam was definitely done well before. Billy isn't as pumped and defined and Shellie, his daughter, has long hair. The people in the tape, other than Billy, Shellie and another woman who is in Tae Bo, don't have a clue of what they're doing. I don't expect them to do the kicks as well or punch perfectly, but at least try. Although they don't have to be perfect doing everything, they were selected for a fitness/exercise video. Maybe they didn't practice enough.
I bought it, for a lot less money than Tae Bo, but now it's going to collect dust. I'll stick with Tae Bo.
05/10/1999
I want results like the people in the Tae-Bo infomercials. Like them, I'm willing to work for them. However, I won't get the results from this video. Besides poor cueing, it is just too slow. Once you start doing a sequence that gets your heart rate up and is actually fun, it's over, and you're back to marching in place. I'll be trading this video.
Instructor Comments:
Blanks has certainly earned a fabulous reputation through Tae Bo. After all, that stuff will kick your butt! However, I'm assuming that he didn't believe that anyone actually watches Crunch Fitness on cable and that these workouts wouldn't make it to video. The cueing leaves much to be desired. What am I saying, in some parts there isn't any cueing. I'm disappointed.
I wouldn't recommend this video to anyone. The people in the background are just clueless and make following the video difficult.
04/11/1999
I am a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Physical Therapist, and I LOVED Tae Bo!! I have a great time! BUT, I am extremely disappointed that the video was made so poorly. The repetitions are very unequal, the tempo varies from right to left, and the more you watch it, the more mistakes that you will find. I understand tha t mistakes happen, but----to massively sell these videos with these kind of crucial mistakes blows my mind!!! You could do 4 sets of 8 on the left leg, and then 2 sets of 8 on the right!!! For beginner exercisers, for which I feel this video series is targeted for---IT IS VERY DANGEROUS!!! Please consider making updated videos that are correct in form, reps, and tempo. Thank you!
Instructor Comments:
He is very motivating, very challenging, and cute, too! You got to love his personality on camera!
I would not recommend purchasing this video as I would consider it to be "TaeBo lite." It is being rushed into stores because of the popularity of his newest tapes. The moves are definitely lo-impact compared to the TaeBo tapes. Although Billy uses some of the same moves in the TaeBo tapes here, they are miscued and were obviously not run through with the class beforehand to get them down before filming. The class seems more interested in being on camera than in really getting down to work. The warmup and stretch segment is actually better than in the TaeBo tapes. However, the amount of makeup, fake smiles, and camera focus on uncoordinated participants did not assist me with concentrating on following Billy's moves. Now that I've bought it, I would use it for very light days when I really don't want to sweat too much.
Instructor Comments:
Obviously very pre-TaeBo. Billy looks smaller bodywise and doesn't seem as comfortable in front of the camera than in the newer tapes. Although this was probably his first tape, he wasn't that bad. He at least shows you the moves before he does them. You can tell he probably looked at his mistakes and incorporated some of the changes into the latest tapes. Overall, he's an okay instructor in this tape but there's no comparison between the "actors" in this tape and the "real" participants in the TaeBo tapes.
The video is approximately 45 minutes in length and consists of two sections: Kickology and Taeboxing Jam. Kickology introduces the user to the basic kicks and punches. Billy leads the group and recommends the usage of boxing gloves to add weight and resistance to the arm movements. Each movement is done slowly 4 times each side and then faster 4 times each side. The music is muted and the movements are not done to the rhythm of the music. Billy stops to explain movements throughout but the group behind him continues onward. Warm up and cool down are standard athletic stretches (no tai chi) and are at a relatively safe speed. Approx. 20 minutes long. I would liken Kickology to the Instructional video for TaeBo, but the movements aren't explained quite as thoroughly and both sides are worked with each movement before moving to the next movement.
In the Taeboxing Jam, the speed picks up with various combinations being done at 4-8 reps each side. The group progresses through the workout and appear to be led by someone other than Billy because he will stop and talk or explain a move and the participants move on to the next move with no cuing. It is annoying, but I must say the moves are more interesting than those in TaeBo Basics. I just wish there were more repetitions than 4 or 8 per side of each movement. Warm up and cool down are standard athletic stretches and the entire Taebo Jam lasts approx. 20 minutes. (They do not use gloves in this section.) The participants even move through the stretches while being directed by someone else off-screen. You will recognize a few people from his TaeBo videos (such as Shelly).
I like the video because it offers a 20 minute version of TaeBo (but I wish it was longer!!). The Kickology portion I would not consider a workout unless you were a beginner but it's a nice reminder of forms. I think users will like the Taeboxing Jam portion because of the punch-kick combos which were missing from the TaeBo Basics. (This is my first Crunch video, so I cannot really comment on it from that aspect.)
Instructor Comments:
Billy Blanks was much more laid back in this video. No flashing of the abs and limited pep talks. He was not in touch with what was going on behind him at all times. The participants seemed to progress with the workout even when he stopped to review form.
