Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Digital Sound, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: byob prod
• DVD Release Date: April 1, 2004
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002CK8JE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,696 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Be Your Own Bodyguard is a self-defense course is like no other. Learn, hands-on, practical and effective self-defense techniques. This course covers the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of self-defense including avoiding confrontations and simple / effective techniques to gain an advantage if you are attacked.

The enhanced DVD features picture in picture technology to guide you through training as well as an interactive menu, that lets you chose which lessons you would like to learn.

The course takes place in real life scenarios: on the street, out and about, at the car, at home, etc. You will learn from Robert Cabral, a police tactics instructor and personal security specialist with more than 20 years of experience. There are no complicated martial art techniques to learn and no need to find someone dressed in a "big rubber suit". This course is about practical and effective techniques that most anyone can learn and apply. The course also covers practical safety topics, steps anyone can take to protect themselves in their personal lives. Understanding how frustrating it can be to try to learn something by watching an expert, in this, the Women’s Course, Robert found a woman with no previous experience in self-defense or martial arts and guides her along, as she learns—so do you.

There are two courses, one for men and one for women. The courses are quite different and it is recommended that you select the appropriate course.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be Your Own Bodyguard for Women-Self Defense, March 25, 2006

By 

T. M. Bappe "Bapster" (Ontario, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Be Your Own Bodyguard for Women - Self Defense (DVD)

I am a martial artist of over 21 years. I am an instructor in Combat Hapkido and have studied various styles. I own several instructional videos on different Martial Arts and Self Defense Instruction. One rater wondered if they had bought a good video or not because it was her first one. I'll assure you that this is a good video. For the most part the quality is great as is the filming.

I was impressed with this DVD course. I liked the format. I liked the idea that he used an inexperienced woman in this DVD. Although I do know it takes more than just watching a video to learn Self Defense, (mainly practicing techniques and preventative measures) I still believe that there was a lot of very good informative material in this video. 99% of Self Defense is awareness and prevention (not putting yourself in a bad situation if you can avoid it) and you'll see this in this video. He teaches many important lessons that all women and men should know. The weapons in the purse was a great addition, (other weapons are all over your house). After watching this video, maybe you will begin to see the world a little differently. If you do, then a large part of the Self Defense battle will be won, (awareness). What is going on around you! You're important, watch out for your safety!

I watched this with my wife, she liked it. She was saying things like, "If that happened to me, I'd do this." Well, it got her thinking. That is what is important, thinking!!!

Great things are stressed in this video, important things that all women should know. The price of this DVD is reasonable. It is my feeling that if I buy an instructional video and I have learned even one thing that I could use one day then it was worth every penny. If you know absolutely nothing about Self Defense then you will get something out of this DVD that you can use. You're money will not be wasted, I promise.

Why a four rating? I was hoping to see her shown some of the striking techniques on a target of some sort. I know how important it is to actually practice techniques if you do ever have to use them. You would have seen a great difference in her striking the assailant. It is one thing to strike someone that is standing relatively still, but another to strike someone actively trying to hurt you. This may take practice. This is still a great DVD with sound advice beyond striking. Buy it!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 stars for Technical Production 5 Stars for content..., February 10, 2006

By 

Kay F Gibbs (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Be Your Own Bodyguard for Women - Self Defense (DVD)

Robert Cabral does a great job at covering most of the potential situations that can occur, showing you how to protect yourself if you are attacked. He also offers helpful tips on what not to do and how to protect your personal information. After you see about 30 minutes of the DVD and you see how big the trainer is compared to Cabral, you start to realize that if you were ever attacked by someone his size, you would hardly stand a chance of getting away unless you are willing to really hurt your attacker and Cabral does stress this in the DVD. He shows the participant how to overcome those barriers, but that is more mental programming. When I decided to buy it I thought this DVD might be about the mental aspects as opposed to the physical aspects of self protection, it is rather a combination. I really liked the part where Cabral goes through the participants handbag, showing her various items she can use to ward off an attacker and again this all boils down to letting go of the fear of using those things to hurt someone if you have to. Having used an untrained participant helps you to see how you might react in any of the situations presented and not how you think you might react. This is a +++++. Maybe women should get the men's version also.

The biggest complaint I have about this DVD is the technical aspects. The lighting at the beginning is terrible. Many of the scenes in the first few minutes are washed out and you can barely see what's going on. By washed out I mean that the camera lighting was too bright and it washed out the scene quite a bit. At one point you can't tell the participants blue shirt from the glaring white light, as in too much lighting. It gets better after about 5 minutes but there are a few scenes further into the DVD with the same problem. There is also a scene where the camera man is filming through what appears to be a car window and it must have just rained or something as the glass is spotted and doesn't exactly obscure the section but makes it difficult to focus on what they are doing. It doesn't seem they edited the production at all after it was completed. Adjusting my set didn't help and having paid $26.00 I expected much better. This was obviously a low budget production.

While the content is more than adequate for teaching you what not to do and how to get away from an attacker, it lacks in the technical quality you get from a movie on DVD. I can't recommend an alternative as this is the first of its kind I have purchased. I'm considering returning it, however I would like to emphasize again that the content and its presentation is very well done and extremely helpful and why I hestitate. I could get something much worse.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Learned So Much-- 5 Stars, February 26, 2006

By 

Carmen CH "Carmen" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Your Own Bodyguard for Women - Self Defense (DVD)

I imagine like most women, I was reluctant, at first, to watch a DVD on Self Defense, but I did so at the recommendation of a friend of mine who had purchased this video. Roberts approach to teaching is quite different from what I expected. I felt at ease and was able to understand what he meant in his descriptions and explanations. I thought it was very interesting that the person he taught in the course was a beginner too, and I was able to follow along and see the mistakes that she made, and that I would make and how Robert corrected them. A good thing with this course was the way it explains everything, there is a small screen that appears inside the lessons that guides you along and explains everything; I thought this was a very good idea. The lessons went through so much that watching it once is just not enough. The video covers self defense techniques (hands on), as well as preventative measures that I have employed around my house and there is a great section where Robert goes through the woman's purse and explains how to use common items as self defense weapons.

Another good feature about the DVD is that there are menus that allow me to watch only the techniques or jump from lesson to lesson as I wish. I've watched the DVD several times, and the one time I did have a question I e-mailed the course and Robert himself e-mailed me back directly the answer to my question. NOW THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE! Bravo Robert, I'm telling all my friends about this video.

I've watched the DVD several times, and the one time I did have a question I e-mailed the course and Robert himself e-mailed me back directly the answer to my question. NOW THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE! Bravo Robert, I'm telling all my friends about this video.