Company: ESPY-TV
Tape Name Vee Arnis Jitsu, Street Self Defense Concepts, Volume
2
Tape Cost: $39.95
Length of Tape/Time: Approximately 1 hour
Number of
Moves/Techniques: Concept Tape
Return Policy: Return On Defective Or Damaged
Merchandise Only
Experiences in dealing with this company: This company is terrific.
The
Instructor: David James
Company's Address: 611 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y., 10012
Company's
Phone Number: 212-673-0899
Web Page: http://www.espytv.com
E-Mail:
order@espytv.com
Main Grading Criteria
Production/Tape
Quality: 10
Instructors demonstrated skill level: 10
Comprehension Score: 9
Degree
to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 9
Degree to which we
would recommend this product: 10
Score on delivery vs hype: 10
Wasted Time
(The lower the number, the less " fluff "): 9
Playback Score/Watching
it over-and-over again): 10
Would I purchase more of this company's products:
10
Overall grade based on cost vs value: 10
Grand Total: 97 % ( Excellent
= 4.25 Stars ) Original Grade = 96%
Secondary Grading Criteria
Beginners:
Excellent
Intermediate: Excellent
Advanced: Excellent
Time to benefit: Immediate
The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None
Written Summary:
This final
tape in the Vee Arnis Jitsu series from ESPY deals exclusively with edged weapon
defense from an empty hand perspective. Shihan James pulls no punches on this video.
To paraphrase Shihan James, " If anyone tells you that you are going to defend
yourself against a knife and not get cut, then that man does not know what he is
talking about ". Yes, you will get cut. BUT according to Shihan James, you do
have the ability to determine where you will take that cut. This is the basis of
the effective empty hand edged weapon defensive training of Vee Arnis Jitsu.
This
tape teaches knife defense in a logical and progressive series of drills. The drills
to teach proper footwork are taught first followed by circular motion drills, blocking
drills, against the wall drills, low line kicking drills, touch and go striking drills
and sensitivity drills. By the end of the tape, all of these attributes are being
drilled at once and the viewer is left with a very effective program of training
to defend against an edged weapons assault. This tape is not a series of knife defensive
techniques but rather is an overall training program. This is probably the best video
tape I have ever seen on learning to defend yourself against a knife attack. There
are other good videos on this subject but this one is the most comprehensive as well
as the most common sense approach that I have seen on video to date.
The
training drills on this tape are not pretty. Shihan James stresses that point again-and-again
on this video. These drills are hard work but well worth the time invested. As Shihan
James says, " There is no such thing as effortless self defense ". I don't
think it can be said better than that. This tape is at the top of my personal list
of knife training videos. I highly recommend it to any and all martial artists, regardless
of style or rank.
CJ
