They say good things come in threes. Also, it seems that all the great bands tend to have a triumvirate of great albums among others...less stellar. A similar thing may be said about book authors. It is a rare occurrence, though, when someone hits three brilliant pieces out of three! Well, today we have a shining example of that rare breed - Maija Soderholm.
Maija is a phenomenal exponent of blade arts, mainly of the Filipino provenance, and an excellent instructor, too. While it might be customary to introduce a person in this field by means of her teachers etc, she stands so firmly on her own expertise that even the fact that she comes from the lineage of legendary Sonny Umpad doesn't diminish her own contribution to the development and advancement of the arts. Fortunately, she happens to be as mighty with a proverbial pen as she is with a sword, thus writing a string of books hinted at in the introduction.
The thing that really made me love those is the common theme of all her products, i.e. higher-level, strategic dimension of dueling with sharp (and pointy) steel. In other words, Soderholm tackles the tricky topic of thinking process behind the seemingly "magical" performance by all the greatest exponents of this art/science. So, let me offer a brief review of her books, in the chronological order of their publication.
In the debut volume the author sets the standard for the whole "series" in several regards. First of all, I love the visual theme/design of the cover, which has been kept for the later volumes as well. Next, the title - The Liar, The Cheat and The Thief - is nothing short of brilliant! It very aptly represents the overall "mood" of the material contained within the book. Namely, Maija does not deal with philosophy and ethics of martial arts as they are typically presented nowadays, in terms of self perfection as part of a wider social environment. Instead, her focus is on the self preservation in the situations where life and limb are at stake. Even so, however, there are higher dimensions in this kind of endeavor, beyond the mechanics of technical performance, as important as they are.
To start with, the author describes a set of hypothetical circumstances that very well paint the kind of mindset required for thriving in the sort of situation that the material is aimed at. again - dueling with bladed implements. She then proceeds to explain why deception is the key word/idea in the foundation of advanced combative practice, in her view. The main section of the book, in Part 2, is dedicated to a number of drills designed to develop in the practitioner a constellation of skills that would help them in being successfully deceptive. The drills are divided into several categories, such as timing, footwork, faking, mirroring etc, depending on their primary developmental goal. This part is also where the only possible shortcoming of these books is found...all exercises and activities are described verbally, with no pictorial illustrations whatsoever. Now, this is not necessarily such a bad thing, as it means the inbuilt guidance to personalization and creativity in practice. Still, if you are adamant about seeing the "original" way of doing them, there is a set of corresponding videos available through Soderholm's website. The third and final section of the book offers several clarifications regarding the author's path leading to the lessons presented and several other tidbits that help put things together.
Her second title is The Hustler. While the previous one was mostly a hands-on instructional, this volume is more...theoretical in nature. More specifically, it will require that you put your thinking hat on and approach the material from the personal interpretation of the presented information. See, it still deals with deception, but goes a step further in treating the subject as a course in managing attention. Both the opponent's and your own. That said, it could be said that Soderholm is seeking to bring to the forefront certain facets of human nature that are relevant to the task at hand, which should help us understand the bigger picture of the activity (Remember? Yes, sword dueling!). And why is it important? Well, because it is easier to put the pieces of the puzzle in the right place if you have the picture before you, and it means the reciprocal endeavor of trying to figure out how to overcome the opponent, while simultaneously preventing them from overcoming you. Possibly most illuminating is the description and analysis of the Arc of Action, as she calls it, with its phases of before, during and after, because so many people seem not have the grasp of that continuum. The thing is, understanding that part will help immensely with the applicability of the rest of material, including time and targets, methods of control, and the art of reading the opponent. Obviously, the kind of knowledge that could be gained from understanding and working with this material is precious when you need to analyze other people's styles and overall strategies that run their approach to fighting. Whether that is for the purpose of countering or emulating them...I leave that up to you.
Finally, the last book (only for now, hopefully) is The Spy and the Rodeo Clown. This one also has the intriguing subtitle Swordplay and the Third Game, which is another way of pointing to the progression that these volumes present in terms of personal "game" development: the first book teaches us how to be unreadable for the opponent; the second is about reading their intention; while the this particular strives to reach the ability of "writing the opponent". In other words, guiding their actions to where you want them to be. In more other word, if in the first book you set the traps and waited (hoped) for the prey to fall into them, this time you are actively luring them to walk into that trap. It is possibly a more proactive approach, but in a rather subtle manner, since the trick is in making the opposition believe they are doing it of their own volition, i.e. in their best interest. Do you now get the references to magic and sorcery?
Maija has an interesting mode of presenting this material - she first gives you a set of tasks/assignments to do, and only after teaches how to solve the riddles and/or problems that might emerge along in the process. In my experience it is an excellent approach, because it starts with acquainting oneself with the context, so that everything learned afterwards makes much more sense and is easier to retain and further develop. Very few people in the contact weapons world offer that sort of instruction, and I have yet to see more of them getting so deep into it while staying practical.
The author is known for her championing the training method of random flow as the best way to instill this range of skills, but in order to make things easier to grasp, she first points to an important distinction between the interview and conversation, to better understand the scope of application and appreciate the spheres of influence in the contact range and edge of range (both while entering and exiting the contact range) etc. There is a lot of ground covered here, and it is not something that can be quickly absorbed into one's personal combative expression. It will take time and effort for sure, but in the long term it is not something that should be neglected or dismissed. On the contrary - at the advanced age you need advanced skill to compensate for deteriorating physical attributes, especially in working with weapons, where the margin of error is much narrower.
Before the end, I'd like to suggest a reading order different to chronology of publishing. Even though you can certainly go through the progression as already described, but from the standpoint of understanding the context first you may want to start with the Hustler, then carry on with LCT, and finally work on the Spy and the Rodeo Clown. Whatever the preferred order, you won't regret diving into the material.
In conclusion, for everyone who takes a serious approach to martial arts, training hard and smart, these books not only belong to their library, but ought to be read and referenced often and lot.
Well, you have probably seen my posts on the bowie knife material I like to peruse, but beyond books and videos there is still that most traditional of all formats - personal instruction. Sure, it is best to go to an instructor and get a hands-on lessons. Now, the challenge is finding such an instructor accessible and available. The former condition may simply be insurmountable for many folks, but the latter doesn't need to be. This is where the wonders of modern technology come in.
In my case, I attended a joint seminar on bowies that was held some time ago by Bill McGrath and Bryan Cannata, each showing a different approach. McGrath is comes from the Pekiti Tirsia Kali background, but Cannata is from the decidedly western standpoint, with background in European fencing and study under James Keating. Although he, too, has an FMA dimension to him, when it comes to bowies Cannata is decidedly "traditional".
Next thing you know, I reached out to him and asked if he did private classes online...and he did! No need to say, I jumped at the opportunity, scheduled a lesson - and he delivered! Great personality, knowledgeable, honest, really willing to help students in their quest. Being that I had already had some experience, he asked whether I was looking for instruction in the "classical" material, or what is referred to as the vulgate style. I opted for the latter, because there are really not many sources on this material.
Bryan's instruction is based on the loose progression of teaching mechanical fundamentals of particular techniques covered, and then putting them into logical combinations, which he calls "plays", roughly akin' to what McLemore terms engagement sets. He really has the whole online teaching mode dialed in, so the lesson felt great and went smoothly. All in all, an overall highly recommended experience.
That said, Cannata will conduct an open enrollment online seminar next month - January 2024 - so there is a great opportunity to start the year in a great way.
For more detailed information you can go to the event page on Facebook, or contact him directly via email medusasoutheast[at]gmail.com (don't want to send spammers to him).
With all that said, should you have any interest in this kind of material, I cannot recommend this opportunity highly enough. Hope to see you there!
...or, in a word - Bowie! It is probably safe to say that my interest in combative use of the bowie knife comes from the same dimension as that regarding tomahawk. This time however, I will split the review of the materials into three categories: introductory; comprehensive course; and additional resources. In presenting them, the order in which the materials are presented is based on the alphabetical order of the authors' last name. So, without further ado...
James Keating's double video package titled Legacy of Steel is essentially the edited recording of one of his legendary Riddle of Steel camps that he used to run annually for a number of years. It was professionally recorded and edited by the good folks of the Paladin Press, so we all can benefit from this work. And benefits abound! The first volume of the pack is titled Left Hand Path and deals with the close quarters use of smaller knives, the method being strongly influenced by FMA approach, and as good as it is (more like awesome), we shall focus today on the second volume - the Right Hand Path.
What we have here is roughly a 50-minute introduction to all the fundamental aspects regarding the usage of bowie-type, i.e. big knives. Keating starts with a spoken introduction to the specifics of this kind of knife, thus providing the context for the better understanding of the instruction that follows. He is than joined by another Comtech instructor, Rob Langford, who gives an excellent explanation of the timing that makes the bowie knife such a feared and respected implement. In practice, he analyzes and demonstrates teh mechanics of non-telegraphing striking, exemplified on this occasion by the straight thrust. Keating takes over the instruction to work on the topics of guard, with focus on the blind-spot targeting, and stance that serves as a mobile platform for the whole thing. Next, he shows the tactical maneuvers of in quartata and passata soto that allow you to place your thrusts as counters to the opponents initiative. In the last section, Langford steps in again to teach the functioning of the often mentioned but rarely understood specialty of of the bowie - back cut!
All in all, this is a great video, which should give an excellent overview of what the bowie knife is about, and if you practice the material diligently, it should give you a fairly sufficient command of the tool in practice, in case you do not want to investigate further.
The next piece is a book from Marc Lawrence, with a rather interesting take on the subject. Specifically, as indicated by the title American Bowie Knife Methods From the 1880s, the author takes a HEMA-type approach. Even the historical overview of the origins and popularity of the weapon itself is shown through a newspaper article from 1888, with all of the possible inaccuracies and bias, so the interpretation is left to the reader. When it comes to the fighting methods, he uses two newspaper articles from 1890 and 1888 (in that order for some reason), and then uses the information therein to formulate a couple dozen drills and exercises in order to put the material into practice. According to him, the goal here is to help the readers/practitioners to the level of skill demonstrated by the exponents, as described in the original articles.
Now, this approach is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, most instructors teaching the bowie knife today are explicit in saying that there is no a sure way to establish the period-authenticity of the techniques and methods used, i.e. that we can't know with certainty how Jim Bowie himself or other exponents in the first half of the 19th century, presumably the heyday of this type of knife, fought or taught their craft. Lawrence attempts to get us as close as possible, using the information that is as close as possible to the historical period and geographical region concerned. Second, while most practitioners would use this kind of resource to maybe pick up a couple of techniques or tactics at best, he strives to look beyond mere individual nuggets and see a bigger picture, thus developing an actual training plan that would get us to a higher level of understanding and, consequently, skill.
It has to be noted that the two articles used as mining source are quite similar, possibly a retelling of the same story.What are the implication of this fact to the historical authenticity and technical accuracy of the content...I leave that to the reader to ponder.
Among these three resources, James Loriega's book Behind the Bowie Blade is the only one that offers some comprehensiveness in its historical introduction, regarding the origin of the tool, particularly with regards to the influences of other cultures and earlier blade designs that were present in the southern part of today's USA in 1830's, where the roots of the phenomenon are.
Unlike the previous author, Loriega adheres to the subtitle - A Personal Method of Edged Defense - when treating the hands-on portion of the book. It means we get to see his own interpretation of how a big knife ought to be used for the combative purpose. While doing that, he covers all the bases required for a well rounded grasp of the situation: cuts, thrusts and related fundamentals; attack and defense; footwork and targeting; recommendations for safe training, including several suitable models of training knives for this kind of work.
Now, the author offers a rather succinct sort of instruction, primarily relying on written descriptions and very few illustrations. In itself that wouldn't bother me much, if there wasn't for the fact that out of 100 pages of this book as many as 15 (fifteen!) are used for a selection of posters and pictures from the a number of movies and TV shows that dealt with the lore of Jim Bowie. Aside from a possible bit of nostalgia trip for some of the readers, it seems to me that this space would have been much better used for a somewhat more detailed coverage of the instructional portion of the book. That said, it is an expensive book, and probably goes in tandem with Keating's video better that the previous one, due to a more conceptual method of approaching the material.
If these resources succeed in awakening more interest for the subject matter, keep en eye on the following posts about it.
When I first got interested in knife related combative issues, back in mid-90's, there were few printed resources available, and not all of them good. Having had a few years of traditional/typical martial art training under my belt, I was, naturally looking for methods that looked legit by having a more or less set curriculum and training progression to follow...and actually found a couple of training manuals that fit in with such criteria. Then, I stumbled upon a small book that didn't, but instead it raised some uncomfortable issues and made me ponder difficult questions, which happened to shed a new light on the whole subject...
Obviously, it offered a look from the perspective we don't usually think of, thus painting a more realistic picture of the problem that one may face, involving blades. To be honest, I don't know whether the book is still available, but ultimately - it doesn't matter.
Enter the main topic of today's post - Medusa edged weapons system! The background story doesn't sound too uncommon: a couple of practitioners weren't exactly satisfied with regular, readily accessible methods of dealing with knife threats and associated problems, so they started looking for more practical solutions. The fact that they were a father and son combo of Mike and Seth Raymond makes it a bit more interesting, but ultimately they turned to the US penal/correctional system, reckoning that most of today's reality blade users reside there. If you are interested into their research method, check this interview out:
Another key figure in the development of Medusa is its leading instructor Jason Schultz, a long time practitioner of martial arts and combatives, with an eye toward practicality and focus on the combative methods with roots in WWII. The thing is, Mr. Schultz really boiled the teaching down into a set of tools and principles that accelerate the training process, and then he wrote a manual about it.
Now, it is a rather short read, but covers all the info you need in order to develop a functional skill in handling a knife (or shank) in a defensive situation. Besides, there is not much talking here about history, lineage, (pseudo)philosophy, or even knife related stuff like selection, carry or deployment (all of which are often predicated on individual preferences and environment), nor on the legalities of using blades in self-defense situations (variable from one locale to another).
What the author does cover, on the other hand, are the topics of basic tactical protocol, grips and thrusts, stance, movement, target zones, some specific tactics (throttling, stick shifting), and a few sample sequences/combos to work on. Interestingly enough, the section on knife vs. knife type of encounter is very short. That is because Mr. Schultz stresses the importance of mindset and simplicity of technical arsenal as the foundation of the Medusa approach to fighting.
The way I see it, the real significance of this manual, and Medusa system as a whole, is not in coming up with another "ultimate supreme" new combative recipe, but rather in helping you understand the problem, i.e. the kind of adversary you might one day have to face...and hopefully prevail. In that regard, this is probably the best source you can find at the moment, and I cannot recommend it enough. After studying the material in this book, and putting it into practice, that task should be easier to complete. After all, what use are the latest, cutting edge technology sights if you are aiming in the wrong direction?
If you are intrigued, the manual is available as a PDF download, so you can "get your hands dirty" ASAP. If you are more of a video type of person and would like to learn more, make sure to find and follow the author on Instagram, where his profile is benkei_sohei.
Well, this was supposed to be my last article for 2022, but it wasn't meant to be. So, instead of ending the last year with a bang - here's to a happy and prosperous 2023!
Back in the 1990's, prior to Internet and Youtube, the only way to find out about new and interesting martial stuff out there was reading about it in magazines such as Black Belt. Otherwise, you would have to order a tape (yeah, VHS) from an author you had seen in an ad in those magazines. And those weren't cheap! At one point, the Black Belt actually came up with the idea of putting out a video magazine, and it looked exciting in their ads, but...at the time I just couldn't find the way of ordering to where I lived, and never got too see them to this day.
Fast forward a decade or so, and a gentleman named Pete Kautz, the founder of the Alliance Martial Arts decided to do a similar thing, but in a DVD format, featuring himself and James Keating as regular contributors in each issue, along with a guest or two being featured as well. Each issue focused on a single topic, and although titled Modern Knives, it wasn't dedicated solely to the edged weapons. Since I had already been a fan of their work, and been interested in what they had to show, as well as discovering new exponents, I ordered the first eight issues (i.e. all they had at that point) some 15 years ago. And guess what? I keep re-wathcing those somewhat frequently to this day. So, let's lee what they're all about!
First, a few words about the format and production. Typically, the DVD's are organized into chapters, where Keating usually takes the lead, followed by the featured guest, and then Kautz closing the instructional part. A first few issues also had a review of some instructional video's available, too - and, as you may imagine, I loved those. As the matter of fact, I ended up buying Blaise Loong's Sabungin Silat series after seeing the review in Modern Knives! Naturally, the reviews strived to cover the material that fits the topic of that issue. The video production is quite good, even if not always done with fully professional equipment, but both image and sound are clear, so the content is clear and easy to follow. Again, the videos have navigable menus with chapters, thus causing no inconvenience for the viewer.
Oh, the only aspect that gives out the "homemade" nature of the entire publishing operation is how the DVD jackets are done. Still, it didn't bother me the least - the cover image is indicative of the theme, and the back cover gives the content outline, which even many professionally produced and published videos before and since then failed to do.
front...
...and back
The issue #1 is about the the Spanish Fighting Arts. Keating opens up with with some instruction about the often misunderstood and/or neglected topic of how to use the so-called Spanish notch on some of the bigger fighting knives out there (including his own design - Crossada). He also touches upon the utilization of the knife's guard for the trapping purposes in the clinch phase of a knife fight/duel. Obviously, this material is mostly applicable with big blades, but those are rather interesting insights.
The guest author in the 1st issue is James Loriega, best known for his promotion of the knife fighting methods using traditional navaja folding knives of Spain. To me, this was the most interesting feature, because it is (still) one of the very few possibilities of actually seeing Loriega's material in action. Namely, despite having a few books on the subject published, they are not very clear with regards of how the techniques are executed (maybe even deliberately?), so if you have any interest in this domain - this DVD should be on your list of priorities.
Kautz goes into what is possibly the most evidently Spanish influence in FMA, i.e. the espada y daga approach to using a long and short blade simultaneously in combat. He presents the material along the lines of the so-called cinco teros (5 strikes) method of instruction, and offers what is probably one of the best available introductory lessons on this manner of armed fighting.
The video review in this issue is about the La Verdadera Destreza school of fencing, as presented by maestro Ramon Martinez.
The issue #2 deals with another geographical region - South East Asian Fighting Arts. Keating shows a very interesting method of using the kerambit knife, based on his Hellbows material. What I really liked about this is the conceptual nature of instruction, that integrates the defensive and offensive applications of the moves, doable without the weapon, too.
The legendary Kelly Worden is a featured guest instructor in what is actually a segment of his seminar on the FMA knife. A portion of his material is shown with Worden's patented Travel Wrench tool, and I liked it for the crossover applicability with other small palmstick-type tools and improvised weapons of similar characteristics.
Kautz teaches the triangle thrusting drill of the FMA and its variations, adaptations and applications. Again, in accord with his conceptual overall approach, he goes beyond the most obvious purpose of the drill and shows us how to see deeper into the work. These insights are meant to teach you how to get more mileage from any other type of drill and training method you may be using.
The review is focused on the above mentioned Sabungin Silat DVD series.
The issue #3 is closes to the title of whole series - Modern Knife Concepts. In it, Keating goes into the specifics of use with his signature Chinook folding knife made by Spyderco. It is always interesting to see and hear what a knife designer had in mind when coming up with his or her personal model, and this is no exception. Probably my favorite part was the use of a small, folding knife for back cut technique typically associated with much bigger weapons.
As the guest instructor, ninjutsu instructor Dale Seago does a rather interesting feature about the defense from an unexpected knife attack. I particularly appreciated how he connected cultural and philosophical layers of his art with the tactical and technical applications. That said, the very idea of training/drilling something unexpected is somewhat paradoxical, but there is still quite a bit of value to be gained from this chapter.
Finally, Kautz offers an excellent segment on the extensions and variations of the Comtech Drawpoint method of the knife used in the reverse grip manner. Now, this portion of the material is very useful when taken on its own, but even more so if you have also seen and worked on Keating's original material. It is also a brilliant example of how practitioners can take what they had learned and then put their own flavor to it, and how do do it right!
This is NOT a clip from the described DVD, but gives a fairly good taste of how Kautz does his material there.
The issue #4 is about the Western Martial Arts. This time, instead of being geographically specific, the focus is more on the historical research of the combat methods of Europe and America. Interestingly enough, Keating features a niche kind of material here - single action revolver twirling. Now, if you are not into firearms this may not be of interest at all, and if you are, you may wonder about the practical value of the stuff shown. The way I see it, attempting this material is aimed to achieve developmental effects, i.e. working on your attributes, and particularly the frequently missed benefits to honing one's neural connections and coordination.
Featured guest Bob Charon gives a presentation of the dagger fighting methods from the late medieval manual of Fiore Dei Liberi, i.e. Flos Duellatorum from 1410. It gives us insight into some of the time tested and confirmed principles of combat, regardless of the place they were used in. Also, should you be among the folks who believe the whole HEMA things is just a bunch of guys and gals involved into some sort of glorified costume-wearing reenactment play, it may open your eyes to practical benefits of studying this kind of material.
In the footsteps of the previous chapter, Kautz shows more dagger from another medieval master - this time a German one, Andre Lignitzer. Again, this is not so much about historical accuracy, but more looking toward how it can still be researched to find the worthwhile aspects for our day and age.
The issue #5 stays with the previous theme to a degree, and gives the viewer an incredible amount of information, since it deals with the American Bowie Knife. Now, Keating has long been recognized as one of the leading authorities in this domain, and once more he goes one step further than most other instructors. Namely, the bowie is most often perceived as a dueling implement nowadays, but back in the day it was probably seen more as a great backup weapon/tool, which is where Keating's treatment of the knife in tandem with a revolver is a unique value. Weapon deployment, retention and transition are the name of the game here, and the implications to footwork, distance and angling are as important as any other element. So, don't skip this part!
The late distinguished author Dwight McLemore focuses on one of the bowie knife signature moves - the snap cut - but specifically how do defend against this deceptive and destructive tactic. Like the previous chapter, this is they kind of instruction that is hard to find elsewhere, thus making the DVD that more valuable.
As if the above was not enough, Kautz demonstrates the application of historical sabre fencing techniques with the bowie knife, hence elucidating on some of the highly probably sources of this knife material in the first place. On top of it, we see done the techniques used against the bayonet attacks, which is, again, how the bowie was probably often used in its original environment.
But, there is even more! To give you even more insights into the phenomenon of this legendary blade, we are given a glimpse into the forging of a true fighting bowie under the hands of the legendary master blade maker Bill Bagwell, as well as the suggestions for the every day carry options from the sheath maker Mike Sastre. All in all, one heck of a great and informative DVD!
The issue #6 takes a step away from the blades and is concerned instead with Filipino Stick Fighting methods, and here we have a 2 DVD set. Keating leads the way with a series of options of using the stick as a tool for LEOs, i.e. teaching the locks and releases to control the opponent, where simply using the baton as an impact weapon may not be appropriate.
Dr. Remy Presas, the son of the legendary master Remy A. Presas of the Modern Arnis fame, is shown in a fragment of a seminar, teaching the counter for counter methods and tactics of his art. I liked that the editor (Pete Kautz) chose the material that really fits well with Keating's, and the viewer should probably try investigating how they could be combined. If this is your field of interest, you should be able to spend a long time in discovering modes and options of use with these.
Another guest instructor is Ken Smith, and his chapter is maybe my favorite here. Namely, he goes into Sibat, the long staff material, and for some reason I have always felt some primordial pleasure when handling this tool. Smith demonstrates a two-ended staff approach in his segment, showing how some well known FMA drills and exercises, normally done with a regular stick, can be adapted to and used with sibat.
Finally, Kautz delivers another phenomenal instructional package with his explanation of how to functionalize siniwali (double stick) material. Like before, he teaches us how to see "behind the curtain" of simple movements and movement patters, and into the driving engine behind them. And this not another set of interpretations of the meaning/applications of the already familiar mover, like with so many other FMA instructors. No, Kautz deconstructs the mechanics of strokes, their lines, trajectories and sectors, and then shows you how to come up with your own patterns and applications. In other words, he does not give you a vocabulary of words, but the actual grammar that makes one fluent in "speaking" siniwali. Highly recommended!
The issue #7 is another "deviation" from the topic of knives, but this time it is about the Grappling Arts. OK, with Keating's segment it does not entirely stray from knives, because this segment, taken from his legendary training camp Riddle of Steel held in 1992, shows how to integrate grappling with the blade work. As in some of the previous issues, he shows that there is a wide scope of possible strategies and possibilities to be researches, if you are a "lifer" with a serious and deep commitment to martial training.
Dr. Les Moore was one of those unexpected gems that I hoped to find in this type of publication, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. He shows a number of exercises and drills, some of which I have never seen elsewhere, primarily coming from the catch-as-cath-can wrestling of yesteryear. There are some preparatory/conditioning exercises and then several grappling techniques and tactics taught that make this issue well worthy of your time and money.
Guess what? We have another "double trouble" issue with two guest instructors here, with Mark Hatmaker as the second one. His topic is one very dear to my heart - dealing with grounded aspect of a fight, which means when you are down and your opponent still standing. I am always curious about various asymmetrical scenarios of combat, and Hatmaker's feature is excellent in this regard. He shows several solid approaches and responses to the challenges faced in this situation, and if your interest in grappling goes beyond the sport arena and with an eye toward the street-savvy solutions, this is a great place to learn something valuable.
In his manner, Kautz shows us grappling options and applications of hubud-lubad, one of the bread and butter drills of FMA. He focuses on what is called lock-flow sequences, which is an interesting way to see how on the higher levels of combat the finality of some techniques may be a relative thing, depending on your training and preparation. From the standpoint of MMA and BJJ this will probably look unrealistic, but like before - it should be looked at from the developmental angle... Plus, adding a weapon to the equation may change your view about the practicality of the exercises.
The issue #8 is one of my favorites, even though I really love the entire series. Probably because its subject is the one of Combative Drills & Skills. In my personal opinion, adequate drills are too often a missing phase between simple technique acquisition and sparring. In this DVD we are shown a few approaches to drills and exercises that should help in bridging this gap. Keating works on one of my pet topics - solo drills. In this chapter the developmental benefits mentioned earlier are really in the forefront. He demonstrates several drills done with a rope, unlike anything else I have seen. Now, for the best results, Keating's stuff requires you to put your thinking hat on and dig deep, in order to reap the fruits. Maybe, this clip will help you understand his approach a bit.
The guest instructor Ed Lawson teaches a couple of of muti-purpose and multi-layers drills from his Combat Escrima curriculum, inspired by the Pekiti Tirsia Kali, from what I was able to see. His presentation is really good, and if you are into FMA, you will probably like this portion of the DVD.
Kautz shows a simplified path of learning the use of stick in fighting, via his Figure-8 Method. True to his conceptual approach, Kautz applies a progression of drills to demonstrate his material, and to me an even greater value lies in trying to utilize his method of teaching to other stuff you may be working on in our training. Still, even if you just stay on what he shows, you will be satisfied for having acquired a functional fighting skillset that is fairly easy to maintain.
Now, since my buying this series of DVDs (and Mr. Kautz was so great that he threw in a set of Sharkee training knives that I still use regularly) there have been another three issues published (9 to 11), but for some reason I have never got them (that happens when family and children get into picture, lol). Although, obviously, I haven't seen those and cannot comment on the actual content, from the experience with the first eight issues, I feel comfortable recommending those as well.
In the end, there is one more element of Kautz's work on this video magazine that shows what a class act he is. Namely, instead of using some random/generic royalty-free music for the opening and closing credits, he actually goes with music from the demo bands that he likes, and then gives them full credit and some exposure by including footage of their performances.
Thank you sir Jim Keating and sir Pete Kautz for doing this awesome body of work!
As some of you may know I have been running a sort of intermittent series on the methods of knife use in self defense, according to the approach of reverse grip with edge-in configuration, aka RGEI. Since that first article that dealt with the WHYs of the whole thing, there have been a couple more about the HOWs. Obviously, I liked those quite a bit, but this time the focus is on the gentleman and his video that first got me aware of this characteristic mode of utilizing the tool at hand for the purposes of managing physical conflict.
The gentleman is the one and only James A. Keating, the founder and director of Comtech. To say that Mr. Keating is a progressive-minded practitioner of martial disciplines and combative methods would be a huge understatement, at the very least. I have been following his work for almost 25 years now (whoa, it even took me by surprise!), and his body of knowledge put to public never fails to be incredibly inspiring. I can't even begin to grasp his influence on the people who have had the opportunity to work with him in person. The sort of forward thinking in the relentless pursuit of ever broadening and deepening understanding of one's chosen field of study is always admirable, particularly when done in a such a comprehensive and non judgmental manner, as is the case here.
It is no wonder then that he was the first (to my knowledge, anyway) to propagate the RGEI style of knife combat and present it in an excellent video instructional. The testimony to his being ahead of times is that it first came out on VHS! Now, this volume was/is available in two versions actually. My first exposure was via the tape distributed by the now defunct Paladin Press (ugh, I will never get over it), titled transparently as Reverse Grip Knife Fighting.
At issue is the same material as originally published by Keating himself, just with an additional intro that talks about the type of knives best suited for the method of work as taught in the video, and their availability. The instructional portion, however, is the same as in the case of Comtech production, titled Drawpoint, which is the moniker I normally use when referring to this system.
The first thing that struck me here was the author's emphasis on the method of carry and deployment of the knife. It is safe to say that prior to that I had seen knife fighting as most other people do - a situation that somehow magically got to the point of facing an opponent with the blade already in and in a fighting stance, with no sense whatsoever about what had preceded it. And Keating does a great job explaining all the pertinent factors about this topic, while pointing out that in the close quarters combat, which is where the RGEI is primarily meant to be applied, the speed of reacting and drawing the weapon plays the main role.
In line with the subtitle of the Drawpoint video, i.e. Knife Fighting Fundamentals, from the deployment we go to learning two basic strikes/offensive techniques (yes, just TWO), but they are worked in such a way that you will thorough understand the mechanics of delivery, footwork to make them doable, applications to make the functional across various situations...in other words, the honest work on integrating the tool and usage method, and fostering actual skill.
But, it doesn't stop there! Remember how I mentioned the emphasis on deployment? Well, Keating goes into some innovative drills that should really hone both the speed, timing, perception and accuracy in drawing the blade and putting it to proper use in a self-protection scenario. And this is probably where the material truly shines, because although several other instructors have formulated their own take on the methods of RGEI use, none have gone anywhere near Keating's approach in terms of developing those attributes.
As you have probably noted from the above picture, the Drawpoint system is presented in a set of three videos, but the second and third are concerned with the reverse grip EDGE-OUT configuration. For that reason, I decided not to review them here. That said, the first volume is really a standalone instructional package, and as such is sufficient in providing the necessary information that will take you a long way in search for the solutions to the problems commonly faced in the real world (think high percentage here), whether it is opposing humans or aggressive animals in similar predicaments.
In conclusion, if you have somehow managed to let James Keating fly under your radar, this is a great way to get introduced to his (astonishing) body of work; if you know the man for his other stuff, this is an excellent to see him at his most straightforward combative mode.
If you have been around this blog for any length of
time, you have probably noticed that most reviews of educational materials have
related to the books and instructional DVD/video formats. Today, however, I’d
like to step into the 21st century and point to an excellent online
source of brilliant combative instruction.
For the readers who share my affinity for the
functional skill and sound training methodology, over the flashy maneuvers and
technique-collecting approach, the work of Tom Sotis
ought to be among the go-to references. Simply put, he spent 30+ years of
dedicated training with unwavering focus on providing to his trainees/clients
the best and most reliable information and skill to be developed. That said,
the more I learn about the man and his work, the more I am impressed with his sheer
honesty about the process of training and utmost disregard for the whole noise
of peripheral phenomena of martial arts, such as ranking, titles, power over
organizations and people etc. As the matter of fact, that is probably exactly
what enabled him to put so much effort and thought into the development of his
excellent methods.
The results are formulated under the banner of AMOK!
And available to the interested parties on Tom’s website Amok! Global. For what is possibly the most
affordable fee anywhere, you get access to the main body of the knowledge that
Sotis has distilled into two categories:
-Core skills;
-Methodology.
That way, not only do you learn what the people that
he has taught in more than 30 countries over the course of more than 30 years
have learned (what he teaches), but
also how did they develop it into a working set of skills (how he teaches). In approaching training from these angles, an
encompassing and thorough understanding is obtained with regards to the
technical performance and tactical decision making, but also the proper focus
on all the right components that will accelerate your progress on the
functional path. Attacks, counters, grabs, disarms; training, practicing,
sparring methods and configurations…it’s all there!
Although the core skills and methodology are
conceived in a manner that integrates the instruction of all necessary elements
of combative capability, for those who want to go into more detail and depth
regarding some of those elements, there are specific focus courses available on
the topics of Footwork, Handling, Faking, Striking, Countering and so on.
The common feature of
all his instruction is the presentation in the bite-sized video clips, shown in
appropriate order. Sotis uses whiteboard presentations where applicable, speaks
clearly and informatively, without fluff and unnecessary ornamentation. Some of
the clips are actually under two minutes of length, and I find it great for a
couple of reasons. One, it forces the instructor to be as clear and efficient
as possible in conveying his message; two, it makes it easier for the viewers
to rewind and dial in the exact part they need to see/hear; three, it keeps
tracking of the material you have covered much simpler; four, finding the exact
topic you want is effortless.
It bears saying that in AMOK! they use knife as the central
tool of instruction, for the reasons very well explained and argued for in the
course, but the material is easily adapted to (m)any other tools you may use,
or to the empty-handed application as well.
Ultimately, even if you have no interest of becoming
and adept of AMOK! or even adopting the methodology into your training, it will
still offer an excellent lens for filtering your
own training approaches, thus helping you stay on the right path, as long
as the desired destination is truth in combat.
You ever find that some things in your life and doings
are inexplicable, almost mysterious? I sure do. One of such conundrums is the
fact that I have been a real fan of work and instructional material of one Mark
Hatmaker for almost 25 years now, and despite his prolific output to my liking,
I don’t have any of it reviewed here. How did it happen is beyond me… Although,
I once did a thorough review of his Outer Limits Drills video for the Raven
Calling magazine, it is about time to rectify the situation on this blog.
To that end, instead of tackling a single product, I
would like to point your attention to his Black Box Project. If you’d prefer
reading what the author himself has to say about it, check out the overview at his website. But, here is my
summary:
Back Box is a series of DVDs from his RAW library, issued monthly, that
addresses the grey area of combat methods – the approach that relies as much on
the athletic physical attributes required in modern sports as it does on the “old
school” technical work that is both ring/mat proven and street savvy. In broad
strokes, the material presented belongs to the categories of standup striking,
upright and ground grappling, weaponry work (what Hatmaker call frontier tools,
i.e. tomahawk and trade knives), and physical preparation.
The interesting part is, however, that he did a huge
amount of research to find, test, filter and apply predominantly the training
methods used by the yesteryear generations of folks who had to use it in real
life, and did not have access to the facilities and gear that modern professional
fighters do. In other words, what you will find is the stuff that will work for
common people like you and I, who have daily jobs and limited financial
resources to invest in enhancing your fight game. On top of that, he focuses on
the type of training that minimizes the risk of injury typically caused by
following professional regimes without the professional support of coaches,
massage therapists, nutritional supplementation etc. Plus, there is a cool addition
of written outline of contents in each DVD, along with suggestions on how to
conduct the training, delivered either in hardcopy or electronic format with
each volume.
Now, as you could see, the production style is of the
homemade tradition, which might seem lo-fi to some viewers, but I actually like
it for its authentic feel. The sheer quality of the material is further
enhanced by Hatmaker’s excellent presentation. In line with the values of the
old-timers, Hatmaker is a rather eloquent gentleman, well read and able to
articulate his thoughts and advice very nicely. To get a taste of his worth in
this domain, I wholeheartedly recommend that you pay a visit (or several) to
either his audio podcast or written blog (or both)
according to your preferences.
After several months into his material, I can honestly
attest that Hatmaker’s Black Box stuff is excellent! The combative techniques
and tactics presented make a lot of sense, and with a little work can be
integrated in any existing program that you may be partaking in. And while that
portion is top notch, to me the physical training (culture) material contained
in the Unleaded sub-system of the Black Box has been a real blessing! It has
enabled me to get rid of some nagging injuries and discomforts that had been
hindering my daily training for a while, while also boosting my performance
ability in other areas.
As if all of the above was not enough, Mark happens to
be a true gentleman and enjoyable fellow to converse with, and inspires people
to do good work and live good life in the best way possible – leading by
example. All in all, digging into his offerings might turn out to be one of the
best investments (time, money and effort) you could possibly make.
I started this year with a big step back. But not a drawback by any means. The idea is to boil the big chunk of my practice time down to the bare basics and work on it in earnest, in a fully deliberate manner for a while. How long will that while last...remains to be seen. Yeah, there is still ongoing work on the new material as part of the already undertaken studies, but at the moment there will be no new systems or arts introduced.
So, what are the basics at hand? In terms of empty handed work it means a handful of ground maneuvers/exercises that are applicable to grappling (front, back and sideways rolls, shrimping, getting off the ground and engaging it); jab and cross; front knee kick and oblique stomp kick. When it comes to weapons work, just the forehand and backhand diagonal and horizontal strikes with stick; three thrusting and three cutting angles with a knife.
That is it. When working on them in a solo regime, I'm using a "pyramidal" approach - a set of very slow and deliberate reps, a set of semi-fast reps, a set of max-speed reps, a set of mid-speed, another set of very slow and deliberate ones. Then do the whole thing 2-4 times.
Is it tedious? Sure. But, what I do in order to combat the possible boredom and maintain focus is pick a visual target (or a physical one) and stay on it, because it provides feedback about the trajectory of hte technique, distance, structure etc.
It takes commitment and discipline to do it, but it is worthwhile. Namely, I have noted certain wrinkles in my performance that have crept up over time, and now they are being ironed out. If you are like me and subscribe to the "advanced techniques are basics done really well" school of thought, then it is not hard to understand the satisfaction of improving those fundamentals, for the greater benefit down the line. Not to mention that sometimes KISS-ing is just so refreshing.
Let's straight it out from the very beginning - what makes a book a classic? Well, in short, it has to be an excellent presentation on the given subject, holding its value over time, serve as a go-to source of information, and ideally reveal new insights with every reading/consultation even years later. In addition to all that, the work presented today was published in the 21st century, hence the term "modern". And the author of the subject of this review is master Reynaldo Galang.
Rey Galang doing what he loves most
Master Rey is a fairly well known name in the world of Filipino martial arts (FMA for short) and held in high regard, both for his teaching ability and penmanship. On the one hand, he is a co-founder and a driving force behind one of the most prestigious organizations in this sphere - Bakbakan. On the other hand, he wrote and edited four phenomenal books on various aspects of FMA, as well as numerous articles over the past couple of decades. Having had the good fortune to attend some of master Rey's online classes, I can confidently say that his dedication to the arts and commitment to students is absolutely of the highest order. This is probably the exact foundation that the success of Bakbakan was built on.
Bakbakan
Among the four books mentioned, I would like to point to the one titled Masters Of the Blade. Now, the books that seek to portray several, or many, representatives of any martial art (maybe even comprehensive overview of various styles within the art) are not exactly a new idea. In the realm of FMA itself there have been several, including one also written by master Galang (Warrior Arts Of the Philippines). However, there a few features that make the MOB book stand out.
the book
Firstly, instead of opting to cast a wide net of entire art (say, FMA) or geographical region (e.g. Philippines), the author chose to focus on a single aspect of the art, specifically the knife, and then bring in the views and thought from a large number of contributors. To be honest, all of the featured exponents in this tome had been more or less influenced by the FMA approach to handling the knife and dealing with it, but some of them (Tom Sotis of Amok!, Michael Janich, James Keating and Hock Hochheim come to mind) have moved to one degree or the other away from the typical Filipino treatment of the tool.
Secondly, the contributors are not grouped according to their stylistic affiliations, but rather presented in the alphabetical order. Why is that important? To start with, nobody can accuse the author or favoring his own "tribe" and pushing their agenda to the detriment of another one. Also, it makes for a more interesting read, because the expressions of the topics vary from one chapter to the next, so you will keep focus better. Finally, the absence of style/system chapters eliminates the proclivity for skipping some chapters, and in turn made me discover new people and learn about their insights with a more open mind.
Thirdly, all the contributing authors were obviously given the full freedom to state their position on the subject, even if it does not align with those of other exponents or the main author, which is a refreshing approach to doing this kind of work. That way, the book serves almost as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences for the mutual learning benefit of the reader, regardless of his or her previous experience.
Lastly, the technical presentation makes for a mighty nice package. Excellent print quality on glossy pages makes the photos clear; good binding provides years of perusing pleasure without the fear your book falling apart; format is just right...and at 450+ pages this book is chock-full of great information and will offer many hours of reading pleasure.
still going strong
Ok, but is it any practical in terms of learning something from it?
Why, am I glad you asked! If you don't mind a personal anecdote (hey, it is MY blog after all!), pondering this very question lead me to my currently main instructor of FMA.
Namely, when the book came out in 2005, the quality instruction in the Filipino arts was seriously scarce in my neck of woods, so I would take any opportunity (indiscriminately) to learn something from anybody who had access to real teachers. No wonder that some of those teaching would be contradictory to each other occasionally, system names were just labels to me, and it made me confused at more than one point. Upon going through the book a couple of times, there seemed to be chapters that, if taken in certain order, could constitute a solid training progression. And then, I shared my thoughts in this regard on one of the more active knife forums of the day. Here is what I wrote:
1. Start with the chapter provided by Roger Agbulos. It is dedicated to what I feel is the groundwork for any fighting endeavor, i.e. footwork and non-telegraphic movement. After you've done that on your own for a few days... 2. Find yourself a partner and get into drills nicely featured in Steve Grody's chapter. It will teach you how to stay in a long range, where your skills are most likely to give you the advantage over an untrained opponent (as they say - "proximity negates skill"), and you'll be pushed to use your footwork from the step 1 in a situational environment of sorts. 3. If you've been doing the above two steps for a few weeks, and started developing some timing and feel for keeping your distance, maybe entering and disengaging comfortably to some degree, you might be ready for basic medio and corto drills, so turn to Hospecio Balani's portion of the book. There you will also get a feel for working with a reverse grip. I'd like to add that you should not stop working on previous material, because we all need constant improvement and brushing up in those areas. The same principle applies in further steps too. 4. OK, once you have your live hand in sync with your weapon hand, you should move to more demanding tasks, such as those shown in the chapter by Dave Gould. This is where all your previous skills will be put to test, along with your mental perseverance, ability to cope with stress and failure in training and struggle with your ego. 5. At this point, which in my estimation is after few months of regular training, you should have your solid foundation in place, so you can start adding other material from the book, in accordance with your needs and interests - empty handed against blade concepts or stalemate solutions from Steve Tarani; solo training forms, techniques and drills and their applications from Rey Galang or Michael Janich; empty handed scenarios from W. Hock Hochheim and John Jacobo; multiple adversaries or VIP protection scenarios from Atienzas or Bakbakan; drills for overcoming knife defense attempts from San Miguel Eskrima and Krishna Godania; insightful and thought provoking writing from AMOK!, Ron Balicki or Jim Keating...and so on.
In essence, after you have your essential skills included in your functioning arsenal, you can go out and do research on your own, as the above is just a basic outline/framework, based only on a single book, although a great one. Finally, The fact that I haven't mentioned some people who contributed to the book (Ray Dionaldo, Bram Frank, Felix Valencia...) is not to say that they have nothing valuable to offer. It is just that I tried to make this as simple and functional as possible. After all, refer to the section on "doing your own research"...That's why they call it a homework - you do it on your own!
As it turned out, the person who was mentioned first was also a member of the forum ad reached out to say thanks about the review. We really hit it off from there, and have become friends, to my great learning and training benefit for 15 years now.
Also, I soon figured out that the next three instructors mentioned, just like the first one, were all practitioners of the Lameco Eskrima system of FMA, so that effectively made my decision on which path I would like to pursue in this regard.
In conclusion, this book has stood the test of time, especially if you keep in mind that it was published in the pre-Youtube era. While several new name instructors and training approaches have emerged in the meantime, most of those featured in the Masters Of the Blade are still pretty active and further honing their material.
If you get a chance to get this book - don't waste it! It will be a staple of your martial art library. That said, while eagerly awaiting for master Rey's next book, I'm off to check a couple of things in my copy...
In one's quest for learning more about the endless aspects of combative behavior, it is probably safe to say that in the absence of personal contact and instruction, video format is the next best thing...if done properly, of course. However, over the past 30+ years my preference for the books has remained unwavering. Why?, you may ask. Well, while video certainly does better in depicting the technicalities of HOW and WHAT IF in various fighting scenarios, the good old books (and the new electronic ones, actually) are simply superior i discussing the deeper, and more universal, levels of human violence and all its domains. This is why my reviews of the martial art related literature has been focusing on such works, and this time we have another one that easily qualifies for my Top 10 list.
If you have had any interest for knife-related material within the scope of personal protection, the name of Tom Sotis should probably at least ring a bell. Namely, he is one of the pioneers in the field of developing and teaching "knifing" as the platform for the more general fighting skill. As the founder of AMOK! he has thought hundreds of seminars around the world and tested his material where very few others dared trying. Fortunately, besides seminars and training camps, his hands-on training methods are accessible for the general public through the AMOK! website, while its underlying philosophical foundations and experiences that had lead to its establishing are brilliantly presented in the book The Way of Tactics: a Manifesto of Invincibility.
The book is divided into three parts, each covering one of the intertwined building blocks of Sotis' methodology.
The first part is comprised of a couple dozen biographical episodes, which serve, as it seems to me, a two-fold purpose: providing the reader with contextual background from which the author's teachings have grown; and highlighting specific life lessons gained from those events, since they make the fabric of his higher, meta level material. Now, the fragments of author's life may not be as extreme as with some others, but he certainly did thread a path that not may people do, and it is obvious that his authority as a teacher/instructor/coach is as authentic as it gets, and you can take his word or trust his judgment on the subjects in the book.
The second part is what I found to be the most valuable portion, and which I keep re-reading often. Here, Sotis gives an extremely thorough and methodical presentation of the material indicated by the title on the cover. Many authors have offered their take on the importance of strategy and tactics in combat training (frequently using the two terms interchangeably), but none comes even close to this book. Unlike them, Sotis has a highly analytical approach to step-by-step exposition of the ideas he wants to convey, and manages to do it in a superbly clear and logical way. From the trainee's inner values as the ground for strategies, through tactics used for the accomplishment of what he calls (and describes in a precise fashion) the best possible outcome, the author takes the readers on the tour of dealing with possible conflicts in their pre-engagement, engagement and post-engagement phases. Along the way he provides excellent insights into the tools for assessment, protocols, preparation, managing fear, and a whole host of other precious lessons regarding mental and physical pillars in one's training.
Although the third part of the book is titled Application, it has nothing to do with photos showing physical movements, techniques etc. Instead, this is where we see how the material from the first two parts is processed and used in planning, organizing and running a training process in the functional manner. This also where Sotis gives his views on the common pitfalls of most martial training organizations and how he manages to avoid them within his own. It is important not only from the standpoint of practicality, but also from the perspective of supporting the arguments for the structures explained earlier and purported as the backbone of effective training.
I have to say, having followed Sotis' work to the best of my ability since his earliest appearance on the Internet in the late 1990s, my expectations of the book were VERY high, and yet, he has overcome them by a large margin. The bottom line is, if you are involved in fight training for any reason other than the ethnological study reasons or the quick money making, you cannot afford to skip this book. Yes, it is so important that if you only buy one instructional item over the next five years - make it this one!
I gotta say, although the spread of the Internet did not turn out to be exactly as I had hoped it would, 25 years ago, there are some aspects to it that I can't help loving. One of those is the democratization of instructional value. Do you remember, back in the 80's and early 90's, when martial art instructional videos were always beautifully produced, often overpriced and not-so-rarely worthless? Did it happen that you had to save some hard earned money to order a title based on an ad in a glossy mag, claiming it to be some sort of "super advanced, top-secret, elite level, ultimate system of..." just to find it to be a repackaged bunch of the same old stuff (or sometimes same old shit)? It sure happened to me more times than I care to remember.
Well, although there are still products of that nature lurking around, it is great to see that the availability of recording technology has lead to the proliferation of excellent instructional content, even if with less than stellar production. And I am thrilled to direct your attention to one such offering!
Marko Novakovic is a man from Split in Croatia, and he somehow caught my attention on Facebook for his no-nonsense approach to training, incessant quest to learn more, and unfaltering resolve to sweat and withstand pain and bruises in search of better methods. His training group bears the moniker Ronin, and it suits his inventive DIY mentality well - have no brand or style as master, seek the truth for yourself.
He's actually an upbeat guy with good sense of humor
Well, he has recently put out a course on combative knife handling, titled Basic Knifework - Sabre Grip, and it's a treat. To begin with, we are talking an actual course here: set of lessons that follow a logical path of instruction, aimed at developing solid skill with the knife. Novakovic briefly discusses the preliminary considerations (training gear and safety precautions), and then proceeds to take us through the works on grip, stance, main lines of attack, footwork, targets and ranges. Finally he brings it all together in a series of drills in long, medium and short ranges, shown as solo work and with a partner (with a help from his superbly supportive wife).
What really stood out for me in this package is Marko's awareness of an often overlooked gap in martial art training - going for artistic level too soon. Namely, he understands that a knife is a tool used to cut and stab, and as any other tool it takes effort to become good in its fundamental craft. And those fundamentals are rather universal, hence his emphasis on good mechanics of motion and athletic attributes. As such, the material taught is excellent for anybody wishing to introduce this portion to their training, regardless of previous background in combative disciplines (or lack thereof).
It is also refreshing to see an instructor who constantly displays adherence to all of the principles he had previously espoused. That is why he is able to strike a very good balance between spoken instruction and physical demonstration, which is a great feature for today's fast-paced lives and shortened attention spans - you will spend more time moving and training, less listening to him ranting. Many instructors still have problems discerning between writing a book and shooting a videos, but that is not the case here. If on Facebook, check out the short preview https://www.facebook.com/RoninFMAblog/videos/1654450058036329/
Oh, and with regards to one of those "yesteryear" disadvantages mentioned at the beginning...at just $15 this video course really is the prime choice for any guy or girl looking to add a functional set of skills to their training or self-defense skillset.
