Company: Stadion Publishing
Tape Name: Basic Instincts of Self Defense
Tape
Cost: $39.95
Length of Tape/Time: 1 ½ hours
Number of Moves/Techniques: Too
numerous to count
Return Policy: "Return anytime for refund!" (WOW !)
Experiences
in dealing with this company: Very good
The Instructor: Thomas Kurz ( and others
)
Company's Address: P.O. Box 447-N, Island Pond, VT., 05846
Company's Phone
Number: 800-873-7117
Web Page: http://www.stadion.com
E-Mail:
stadion@together.net
Main Grading Criteria
Production/Tape
Quality: 10
Instructors demonstrated skill level: 9
Comprehension Score:10
Degree
to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist:9
Score on delivery vs
hype:10
Wasted Time ( The higher the number, the less " fluff ") 9
Playback
Score/Watching it over-and-over again): 9
Would I purchase more of this company's
products: 10
Overall grade based on cost vs value: 9
Grand Total: 95 %
(Good, 3.75 stars)
Secondary Grading Criteria
Beginners:
Excellent
Intermediate: Excellent
Advanced: Good
Time to benefit: Training
time must be invested but well worthwhile
The need to buy additional tapes to
understand this one: None
Written Summary:
The premise of this
tape is that it will teach a viewer some fundamental self defense moves that are
based on one's natural reactions to an attack. Before I saw this video, I read this
premise and thought it sounded a bit far fetched. But it is not far fetched. Believe
me, this video delivers the goods. This is not one of those " learn to defeat
any attacker in only 15 minutes with only 3 simple moves " tapes. No, this is
real good self defense packed into a 1 ½ hour video and the instructors make it very
clear that some serious training time must be invested in these moves to make them
work. But I believe they will work. I know most of these moves ( or some derivative
of them ) and they are all fundamentally sound. All you gotta do is find a dedicated
work out partner who is willing to learn how to fall ( or hopefully already knows
how ) and get to work with this video.
I have only one criticism of the moves
shown in this video. Many of the techniques shown involve joint locks and takedowns.
In my training for street self defense, I was always taught to precede all throws,
takedowns, and jointlocks with sometype of strike or other distraction. This video
does not discuss that aspect of self defense at all. If you can learn to add preemptive
striking to the techniques shown in this video, you could really have something special.
Despite this criticism, I would still recommend this video tape to anyone. I particularly
recommend it to beginning and intermediate students who are unable to attend self
defense class on a regular basis. Get you a partner, buy some good mats ( the falls
in this video can be pretty rough ), and buy this video. I don't think you will be
disappointed.
