Company: Straight Blast Gym Productions
Tape Name: Tape 6 Attacking from the Guard Part 1 & Tape 7 Attacking from the Guard Part 2
Tape Cost: $44.95 or $299.00 for the 12 tape series.
Length of Tape: Tape 6: 46 minutes & Tape 7: 48 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: Tape 6: 20 techniques & Tape 7: 19 techniques
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: 9
9. Would I purchase more of this company's product: 10
10. Overall grade based on cost vs. Value: 10

Grand Total: 98% (Excellent = 4.5 stars)

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Secondary Grading Criteria Series:

1. Beginners benefit: Excellent
2. Intermediate benefit: Very Good
3. Advanced benefit: Fair for Tape 1 (very good for tape 2)
4. Time to benefit: Some Immediate, greatest benefit with practice
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None, although the entire series would benefit one the most.

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Written Summary:

For an overview of the entire 12 tape series please see Passing the Guard Tape #1 (Review #279). Tapes 6 and 7 deal with attacking from the guard. Tape 6 does not contain a lot of new techniques that have not been seen before on video. There are some new moves on this tape that I haven’t seen but not a lot. I did however learn several new details to some of the moves that I already knew. There are no sparring sessions in this video and there were also fewer interviews than on previous tapes hence more techniques were shown. This video is more for the beginning student but would also be of some benefit to the intermediate student. There is not much in this video for the Advanced student. Tape 7 however has much more for the advanced student than Tape 6. The 2 tapes together are a detailed look at attacking from the guard.

Tape 6 starts off with the closed guard. The video begins with some of the basics on this subject. Good detail is given on how to control your opponents body by using your legs to keep them off balance thus preventing them from passing. Also covered is how to control your opponents head and arm and leg thus taking away his base which can lead into a roll. Other techniques shown are as follows:

- a bicep choke. Nothing new but well explained.

- how to combine the previously shown sweep together with the above bicep choke.

- very thorough explanation on obtaining the armlock from the guard. This is an excellent section which shows several different ways on how to set the armlock up. Also shown are some of the different ways your opponent may react to your armbar and how to properly deal with his reaction. Overall a detailed look at this area.

- leg assisted choke from the armlock

- set up from the armbar to the mount

- Sweeps (basic)

- Simple sweep to the armbar with either of your opponents arms

- armlock by locking your opponents shoulder with your leg

- when opponent pulls their arm out into the triangle choke

- Putting your hooks inside your opponents legs to roll them. Two variations depending on which side your opponents head is on. I haven’t seen these on any other video’s. Nice move.

Overall a excellent video especially for the beginning student. Lots of good details which show the basics of attacking from the guard.

Tape 7 has more advanced material on it then on the previous tape and continues with a look at the closed guard. The tape then moves into a detailed look at the open guard. I have not seen a video to date that offers as much detail on how to deal with the open guard. This video also includes about 6 minutes of class sparring footage.

Here is what you will find on this video:

- two on one arm control into a triangle

- one arm control to an arm lock

- what to do if you go for a sweep and your opponent collapses your leg or bases with their hand.

Very good information.

The majority of this tape deals with the open guard and contains the following:

- importance of keeping your legs moving in a circular motion when your opponent is trying to control the legs to pass.

- how to break your opponents grip on your pant leg into a reversal which leads into a muscle lock. Very good technique.

- how to reverse ending up in the mount.

- how to reverse when you sit up (4 variations)

- what to do if you sit up and person gets knee on stomach to reversal.

- how to lift your opponent up with your legs and turn them over to mount

- how to defend if your opponent pushes your legs aside and steps towards you with their far foot.. This first technique was good and involves turning back into your opponent. A good plausible technique. The second variation deals with when your opponent steps in with their near foot. I felt this technique would be hard to pull off. It involves do a 360 degree turn on your back when the opponent steps in. IMO any experienced fighter would be all over the person defending before he completed the turn.

- how to set someone up when they attempt to pass your open guard into a muscle lock. Nice set up.

Another very good video by Straight Blast Gym!