Company: I.K.K.I.
Tape Name: IKKI Yellow Belt Self Defense Techniques (Tape 1)
Tape Cost: $29.95
Length of Tape: 1 hour
Number of Moves/Techniques: 10
Return Policy: damage and defects
Experiences in dealing with this company: Excellent
The Instructors: Steve Spry
Company's Address: 6731 Westminster Blvd, Ste 101-B Westminster, CA, 92683
Company's Phone Number: 1-800-954-7779
Web Page: http://stevespry.com/#!/merchandise
E-mail: makua@stevespry

Primary Grading Criteria:

1. Production/Tape Quality: 10
2. Instructors demonstrated skill level: 10
3. Comprehension Score/Immediate Understaning: 9
4. Degree to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 9
5. Score on delivery vs. Hype: 10
6. Degree to which we would recommend this product: 9
7. Wasted time (The higher the number, the less "fluff"/repetition: 8
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: 95% (3.75 stars = Good)

Secondary Grading Criteria Series:

1. Beginners benefit: Good
2. Intermediate benefit: Excellent
3. Advanced benefit: Excellent
4. Time to benefit: immediate on most
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None

Written Summary:

This is the 2nd tape we've reviewed in Steve Spry's 39 tape American Kenpo series. As I implied in our previous review of Spry's materials, I'm not a big fan of beginning or intermediate martial arts students, earning their black belts impersonally via video. Why? Because I don't believe a person can learn, without some previous martial arts knowledge, how to precisely do basic punches, kicks and blocks. Even intermediate students, in my opinion, are still developing these skills and I feel need hands-on supervision in how to make these technques the best they can be. As to how I feel about all this when it comes to advanced students, I have no problem with them pursuing another style, or earning rank this way. And why's that? Because when it comes right down to it, in many styles a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick. Yes there are some variations, but I've typically found them to be minor enough that advanced students of most styles should be able to catch on to them by video. I also believe advanced students, most of which have probably helped instruct, will have a much better chance of catching their own errors and correcting them, then beginners or intermediates will. Now if it's an extreme circumstance, such as a beginning or intermediate student living 100 miles from any martial arts school, and there are no other options for them to obtain martial arts instruction, then I feel videos are certainly better than nothing. For these type of beginners, I can understand how a series like this might fit some of their needs. But again, I think they should proceed with caution, especially when contemplating earning rank this way, and I would strongly suggest to them that when possible, they travel however far they need to periodically, to some school or instructor, and have their basics evaluated. Sorry but I REALLY FELT I needed to stress all this, and preface it in this review, before I tell you about this tape. I want everyone to completely understand where I'm coming from, especially since the series comes with the label that through it one can earn their black belt through video testing.

OK, now that we got that out of the way, let's get into it. This video takes a person through the first 10 self defense requirements of Spry's IKKI, which are required for yellow belt. As I've said before, Kenpo Self Defense techniques are very much like what TKD'ers call "one steps". Spry takes a person through the following American Kenpo Self Defense techniques:

1. Delayed Sword
2. Alternating Maces
3. Sword of Destruction
4. Deflecting Hammer
5. Capturing Twigs
6. Grasp of Death
7. Checking the Storm
8. Mace of Aggression
9. Attacking Mace
10. Sword and Hammer

As in his previous tape, I found Spry to be extremely charismatic and fun to watch. He has an incredible ability to immediately capture a persons undivided attention. Spry was extremely thorough in his explanation of each technique. One of the things I really liked was Spry's emphasis about adding on a finishing move to the end of each technique.

What did I not like? The excessive repetition. I counted some techniques being shown as many as 8 times. My overall opinion? Even with the excessive repetition I thought this was a very good tape.

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