Company: SCARS
Tape Name: Breathing Dynamics and Combining Reactions
Tape Cost: Don't know
Length of Tape/Time: 35 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: Approximately 15
Return Policy: Don't Know
Experiences in dealing with this company: Didn't respond, at all, to 3 previous emails about being a review participant.
The Instructor: Jerry Lee Peterson
Company's Address: 5230 South 39th St., Phoenix, AZ. 85040
Company's Phone Number: 1.877.468.7540
Web Page: https://scars.com/
E-Mail: info@scars.com

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Main Grading Criteria

Production/Tape Quality: 7 (audio problems)
Instructors demonstrated skill level: 8
Comprehension Score: 8
Degree to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 7
Score on delivery vs hype: 7
Wasted Time (The lower the number, the less " fluff "): 10
Playback Score/Watching it over-and-over again): 8
Would I purchase more of this company's products: 7
Overall grade based on cost vs value: 8

Grand Total: 80 % (Poor = 0 stars)

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Secondary Grading Criteria

Beginners: Good
Intermediate: Fair
Advanced: Fair
Time to benefit: ?
The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: Possibly None

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Written Summary:

Many of you have requested we review some of the SCAR's tapes. And it's kind of interesting because prior to our fans/readers requests, we had been wanting, and asking, to review their tapes for quite some time now. Over the past 10 months we sent the folks at SCAR's 3 different email invitations, asking if they wanted to be participants in our reviews. Never once did they respond back.

Well thanks to one of our fans, we were recently sent one of their tapes. And I have a feeling SCAR's isn't going to be happy about that. The fan who sent it said "I found their style and techniques to be unorthodox and not very realistic", after having watched the tape, I personally felt the same way. I don't think I could've said it any better.

The tape we received was visually well produced, yet had some annoying audio problems. And if the audio problems weren't annoying enough, the "verbal jabs" Mr. Peterson took at the traditional martial arts community definitely were. In the first half of his tape, which dealt with breathing dynamics (a fancy word for his kiaping demonstrations), Mr. Peterson takes, what I felt was his first "verbal jab", by implying that a singular "kiap" sound, which probably most martial artists use, is wrong. He insists one should use 4 different kiaps/yells, based on their technique: 1). Yah: for a snapping quick straight ahead punch 2). Wah: for a hooking technique 3). Ho: for a downward punch to the bladder? 4). Duh: for a kick to the groin. He further states that each should have a different tone (low, medium, or high) depending on the height of the target. And he implies that, "you can't correctly punch/strike, if you're using the wrong sound". Mr. Peterson goes into some unvalidated explanation about ones "Core Balance System" how it's very important to "tighten muscle groups in a specific order", and how his different kiap sounds will help one achieve that order for maximum effeciency. Oooookaaaay! Then he takes what I felt was another "verbal jab" at the martial arts community by saying "chi's not going to work ...".

In the second half of the tape he covers something he calls: The Autokinematic and Autostatic Reaction Series. Which appeared to be a fancy way for saying: Your next strike should be based on the open target your previous strike just created. That's pretty basic, and I've found that many martial artists in our area are taught that early on in their training. Yet he cleary states and prefaces this section by saying: "By using these techniques you can put your own fighting system together in an hour, that will be better than styles that are 6000 years old". So what's Mr. Peterson saying? Is he implying that one can create in an hour, their own better fighting system, that's infinitely better than 6000 years of tradition? Come on, Mr. Peterson! Then shortly after this Mr. Peterson cuts loose with what I felt was another "verbal jab", this time aimed at the Monkey Kung Fu community, by pointing out what he feels are the flaws in one of their striking techniques.

Throughout the tape Mr. Peterson shows some basic techniques and concepts that most martial artists are taught early on. Nothing was in my personal opinion "earthshaking", and I personally have some serious doubts about various other ideas/concepts he introduces. In closing, I personally felt his techniques were, as our fan said, "unorthodox and unrealistic", and that, combined with what I felt were "verbal jabs", left me not feeling very good about this tape, Mr. Peterson's concepts, and .......