Company: Century Vision
Tape Name: 12 Shots To Escape Any Street Fight
Tape Cost: $15
Length of Tape/Time: 65 minutes (varies)
Number of Moves/Techniques: Varies
Return Policy: Defective only, no satisfaction guarantee
Experiences in dealing with this company: Great
The Instructor: Scott Rogers
Company's Address: 1000 Century Blvd, Midwest, OK, 73110
Company's Phone Number: 1-800-626-2787
Web Page: http://www.centurymartialarts.com/accessories/media
E-Mail: customerservice@centurymartialarts.com

Primary Grading Criteria:

1. Production/Tape Quality: 100
2. Instructors demonstrated skill level: 100
3. Comprehension Score/Immediate Understanding: 100
4. Degree to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 100
5. Score on delivery vs hype: 100
6. Degree to which we would recommend this product: 100
7. Wasted Time ( The higher the number,the less " fluff" /repetition ): 100
8. Playback Score/Watching it over-and-over again: 100
9. Would I purchase more of this company's products: 100
10. Overall grade based on cost vs. value: 100

Grand Total: 100% (Excellent)

Secondary Grading Criteria:

1. Beginners benefit: Excellent
2. Intermediate benefit: Excellent
3. Advanced benefit: Excellent
4. Time to benefit: Immediate, or a few weeks
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None

Written Summary:

Initially, I was very skeptical about this one due to the subtitle: "Practical Pressure Points and Self-Defense Strikes". The part that bothered me was the word "Practical" and its placement before "Pressure Points". Get my drift? We've seen other videos in the past here that covered Pressure Points, and I almost always thought none were "Practical". Mostly because while watching them, I would too many times say to myself: "Yeah right, a guy on the street is going to stand still long enough for you to do all that hocus-pocus on him!"

Call me somewhat negative by nature, but I like things that are quick, aren't complicated, and don't require things like "activating nerve centers", that then allow you to do something else.

Why is that a problem for me? I don't like the idea of praying to God your opponent waits-and-stands-still long enough for you to "activate" things, that then allow you to do something else that will work, before he decides to make hamburger out of your face! If fists and feet are coming in a non-stop flurry, it's a little impracticle to say to your attacker "Hey, can you please stop swinging at me long enough so I can have your arm and "activate" a couple of nerve centers on it?" Needless to say, this dvd was different and surprised me!

But let's backup so we can take it from the top. This is the first "Century Vision" product and Century DVD we've reviewed! I was extremely pleased with the production quality. I got a feeling while watching this Century looked at and recognized all of the former Panther production let-downs, and decided to address every single one of them!

Production wise, this dvd was jam-packed with content, there wasn't an ounce of excessive repetition with regard to the techniques shown, the techniques kept building on one another, thorough yet quick explanations were made on everything, the instructor even covered a couple of "what if's", and the dvd has a separate page that allows you to view and select any specific technique and jump right to it! This was in my opinion "Production Perfection"! To the Century Production Department I feel I must say "very well done, you nailed it....I hope you do them ALL this way"! And to everyone else out there that's either thought about making a dvd, or has one, I'd strongly suggest you buy this, so you know how it should be done. And when you get it, take notes and learn!

First off, I'm a HUGE fan of self-defense videos that more-or-less quickly teach someone a whole self-defense system! There's another company that specializes in these, but I would like to see more material like this. I think there's the people that want to learn traditional styles by video, those who want to learn weapons, those that want to learn NHB/CQC/Grappling, and then those who want self-defense! Now when I say self-defense, I'm not talking about the stuff you learn the first month in any dojo. That I would call "self-defense techniques"! What I'd like to see more of are quickly taught and very complete "self-defense systems", like what I saw on this dvd. Techniques are in my opinion typically complicated and something that you try to remember and consciously react too. A "system" I would better classify as something more of substance, yet often with smaller pieces that fit together and you understand, something you no longer have to think about what to do, because you get it and you're able to unconsciously react! I feel Rogers and Century achieved teaching a simple-yet-effective "self-defense system" in 65 minutes!

Regarding "self-defense systems", I personally think there are lots of adults that quit the martial arts, because what they really wanted to learn was self-defense, not how to become a "tournament sport fighter", and they don't have the patience to wait 2-5 yrs before becoming effective in what I feel most traditional martial arts schools mislabel as "self-defense". Too often I've walked into schools, talked to instructors, while quietly watching a small handful of adults who have stuck with it 6 months, 1 yr, 1.5 yrs, up to 2 yrs, yet couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag if they had too. And while I'm on this topic, I personally think it's wrong the way most schools wait until a student has been there 1-2 yrs, before they are taught knife and handgun defense. What if they face that before they've been taught it? Are they going to say, "Hold on a second, I haven't been taught this yet, I need to call my instructor and ask him what to do?" In my opinion, every student at every school should learn knife and handgun defense the first month! They've entrusted some instructor, for the time they've been there, to make them ready for that possiblity. Whose fault is it if before they become good in most traditional martial arts learning curves (2-3 yrs) they face a situation and fail? Is there an instructor anywhere out there that would really accept some amount of responsibility for that?

I almost think that there should be 2 levels of training for adults in traditional martial arts schools. Immediately teach them some sort of quick-and-thorough "self-defense system" like this one (and include knife/handgun defense), that they can have down pat in a few weeks or months, and then if they're still around you can start teaching them the traditional stuff, that you know takes longer to develop. Why is this a big deal? Because if you've ever had a school, you know that 95+% of adults QUIT within the first 6 months! And when that happens, wouldn't it be better for them to leave with some skill versus no skill?

For those instructors who are reading this and saying something to themselves like: "We teach the front bear hug, rear bear hug, wrist grab, double lapel grab, front hair pull, side choke, front choke, full nelson, and other stuff the first month anyone's here".....you're still not getting it!!! You're teaching "techniques" that ONLY apply to those type of attacks in the mind of a beginning adult! They still can't think-on-their-own yet, nor are they ready for something that doesn't go exactly "by the book", and it will be a year-or-more before most of them develop any signifcant speed/power for effective freestyle street capabilities. And the part you really aren't getting is this, most of your adult students will quit before they start becoming good! Get it? Thus a condensed "system" teaches them in the meantime, should they leave or stay, how to react to all types of situations. This dvd, or some similiar type of training, would fill in the gap that 99% of instructors miss with regard to their adult students, specifically, those with less than 1 yr of training!

OK, lets say a few of you are instructors out there that still don't believe or understand what I'm trying to say. Well, spend $15, buy this DVD (it is worth it), watch it, and whether or not you agree with the content and sharing it with others, think about the OVERALL CONCEPT of what it is trying to teach, then come up with something similar that teaches a student as much in 65 minutes. And if you can pull that off, meaning you come up with a "system" that teaches this much content in 65 minutes, there's alot of adults sending me emails EVERYDAY that would love to see a dvd of it! Heck, maybe Century would produce it for you!

Enough preaching about the things I think are wrong with the way most closed-minded instructors teach traditional martial arts to adults, when what they really want is self-defense!

Now to the content! Rogers shows:

Countering a grabbing attack (1-2 techniques that work for ALL of those type)
Countering a double grab
Distancing
Offensive Techniques (this section is the key that unlocks the door on this dvd!!!)
Knockouts and Revival Techniques
Rear Attacks (3 simple techniques)
Working from the Ground
Blocking/Striking Drills
Pushing Defenses (2 simple techniques if anyone pushes you)
Alley Shots (mock dark-alley-type attack sequences)
Instant Knockout Shots

Don't let the content list fool you, it actually covers much more! It's apparent that one of Rogers goals on this dvd is to show you as few techniques as possible, and while doing so, making sure they overlap and can be applied to a variety of different situations, so you don't feel overwhelmed with the typical traditional school frustration of "what do I do next". This is a simple self-defense system that appears effective for most situations. This dvd covers a concept and need that's obvious yet so often overlooked! Out of 300 tapes we've reviewed, only one other person has successfully put a complete "self-defense system" on one tape we liked this much, and that's Paul Vunak's Street Safe # 1 !

In the limited amount of time and space Rogers had on this, he emphasizes many concepts, some we've seen other places! Here are some of them: closest weapon to closest target, blending and flowing of techniques, how to build upon the techniques shown, and a more subtle technique I saw many years ago called "time on contact" (which Rogers calls "compression"). Rogers also covers what to do if one technique doesn't work, and much more. It's as if Rogers has handed us "The Cliff Notes" to an overwhelming Self-Defense Encyclopedia Set and said to us "Forget about having to remember tons of techniques, forget about it taking years to become effective in the street, we're going to show you how to be effective in a few days". Bravo Mr. Rogers!

This is the kind of stuff I like to see, as I feel it provides significant real value to not only the martial arts community, but anyone interested in self-defense!

And in a world of $45-$65 DVDs, this is an unbelievable bargain at $15. And if you're looking for a quick-and-effective self-defense system, run to your phone and order it before Century realizes they've got a winnner and ups-the-price! It's a definite "must have" item in my opinion.

EM

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