Company: Straight Blast Gym Productions
Tape Name: Holding Crossbody/Tape 2
Tape Cost: $44.95 or $299.00 for the 12 tape series.
Length of Tape: 50 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: 20
Return Policy: Unknown
Experiences in dealing with this company: Excellent
The Instructor: Bob Bass/Rick Williams
Address: 1812 Ne 43rd Ave Portland Oregon 97213
Company's Phone Number: 503-230-79248
Web Page: http://www.straightblastgym.com/
E-Mail: info@straightblastgym.com

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Primary Grading Criteria:

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

Grand Total: 99% (Excellent = 4.75 stars)

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Secondary Grading Criteria Series:

1. Beginners benefit: Excellent
2. Intermediate benefit: Excellent
3. Advanced benefit: Very Good
4. Time to benefit: Some Immediate, greatest benefit with practice
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None although Tape 1 would be a benefit. Would recommend the entire series for the most benefit.

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Written Summary:

For an over view of the entire 12 tape series please see Passing the Guard Tape #1 (Review #279). Tape 2 deals with holding cross body and falls naturally into place after seeing Tape 1 on How to Pass the Guard. This video, as all the tapes in this series, teaches very much from a conceptual point of view rather than just having a set number of techniques which are shown on video with no real explanation as to how they really work. The video thoroughly breaks down how to control someone on the ground from the cross body position by controlling your opponent’s four points (or as many of these as you can) namely his 2 shoulders and 2 hips. Mr. Bass and Mr. Williams explain that by taking away as many of these points as you can, a person can effectively control their opponent. This is a fundamental premises in BJJ, control your opponent and then go for submission, otherwise if one just attempts an submission without first gaining control he may fail at his submission attempt and lose position. What makes this such as great tape is that Mr. Bass and Mr. Williams also show how to react to what your opponent does. For example how to nullify your opponents arm when he pushes against you while attempting to create space to put you back in the Guard. Also shown is the importance of changing your weight from cross body to the broken scarf hold or the top and bottom position when your opponent attempts to escape. If a person just tries to hold position without reacting to his opponents movements he will surely fail and get put back in the guard or rolled.

This tape also covers a number of submissions from this position and how to do the SET UP for the move. The set up to these moves are so important, without the set up you will have a very hard time getting the techniques to work on anyone but a total beginner. This is one of the things that really separates an above average tape from the average one. The video goes into a series of gi assisted chokes namely a cuff choke, several variations of a scarf choke, leg assisted gi choke and an armbar from the broken scarf hold. Also covered is the counter to the umpa. The video finishes with a bit of comic relief showing a blooper with Bob and Rick messing up their lines.

Excellent video!