Company: Comtech
Tape Name: Comtech Structured Lockflow
Tape Cost: $30
Length of Tape/Time: about 45 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: Varies
Return Policy: ?
Experiences in dealing with this company: Great
The Instructor: James Keating
Company's Address: POB 142, Walla Walla, WA, 99362
Company's Phone Number: 541-938-3451
Web Page: http://www.jamesakeating.com/C1.html
E-Mail: comtech@bmi.net
Primary Grading Criteria:
1. Production/Tape Quality: 70
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 ): 90
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: 96% (Very Good = 4.75 Stars out of 5 Stars)
Secondary Grading Criteria:
1. Beginners benefit: Very Good
2. Intermediate benefit: Very Good
3. Advanced benefit: Very Good
4. Time to benefit: A few days to a few weeks
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None
Written Summary:
There was an interesting bit of concept deja-vu while watching this. At the beginning of the tape Keating more-or-less says that using locks to subdue someone is alot more humane than more aggressive or injurous type techniques. Anyone who read the comments on our previous review will understand the "deja-vu" I'm referring too?
At the beginning of the video, before Keating gets into the actual instruction of his arm/wrist locks, he demonstrates how all the ones he'll show come from basically one-of-two positions. I felt that explanation really makes the lightbulb go off later, as Keating later in the video shows how to mix the order up, and those 2 positions are the basis for understanding how you can! Compare my explanation of this to a movie, where you see the ending at the very beginning of the movie, and then the rest of the movie leads back up to the end!
The tapes title "Structured Lockflow" covers flowing in-and-out of about 10 different wrist/arm locks. Keating goes through a building type process of adding each additional lock to the previous one. After he's done with all 10, Keating goes into mixing them up so you don't have to follow the original order/pattern. Along the way Keating addresses things like "what if this lock doesn't work" and then shows us another one. He brings up a point I'm sure many anti-lock people have heard. Keating clearly states "there are people who say locks don't work", after which he emphasizes "softening a person up for them", quickly flowing into a different one, and he also shows a very unique spiraling/circular technique on certain locks, that losens up a persons resistance and helps you get your lock. Keating earned alot of extra credit here for covering many "what ifs". As you've probably guessed from our other reviews, we're big fans of video instructors addressing the "what ifs" regarding their own techniques!
Keating goes a little bit into the use of hubud type trapping drills on this tape. While doing this he explains how the use of them helps you get your lock on an opponent whose arms are moving. And it certainly makes alot of sense to practice getting your locks "ballistically" vs "statically"! He also states that these hubud type drill will help develop your speed/timing to apply various locks.
Verdict? We got us a winner here folks! Note to Mr. Keating - "How about a sequel?"
