Customer Reviews

Cane for Self-defense DVD

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This DVD actually starts off decently with simple techniques. Where Oster begins to fall down is in teaching set sequences rather than teaching to apply and combine the simple techniques according to how the attacker is positioned. This dogmatic approach ill-serves the novice and wastes the time of anyone else watching. The kata is likewise as stupid and pointless, but hey, aren't they all?

Oster does make a good case for avoiding the wide-crooked, "weaponized" canes such as those by CaneMasters, but overlooks three obvious advantages: 1) narrow-crooked canes are usually easier to find, 2) are usually far less expensive, and 3) look nonthreatening, something CaneMasters' canes, with fangs, eyes, "raking points," shaft grips (if these served a useful purpose, they'd be on regular canes!), yin-yang-based logos, and other such nonsense do not.

He does teach effective power generation with the cane, but wastes time on pain compliance techniques. Someone attacking you will either be drunk, drugged, deranged, or determined; any person falling into those categories will either be highly resistant to pain or temporarily impervious to it. Use of pain compliance techniques only serves to put the defender at needless risk. Instead, go for structural compliance--if he can no longer stand, he can no longer fight.

The final section of the DVD, the so-called advanced techniques, are for idiots who've willingly drunk the Kool-Aid--they're completely useless. They go beyond the structured and unrealistic intermediate techniques previously shown by leaps and bounds. Worst of all is a sequence detailing cane use against an attacker with a handgun: instead of closing distance just enough to hit the attacker, a disarm is taught that has the defender closing well in--negating what little advantage the cane has--and taking the gun from an unresisting opponent. The defender then leaps further into Fantasyland by tucking the pistol under an armpit and "covering" the attacker with the cane. What this is supposed to accomplish is left to the viewer's imagination.

Oster should take a tip from Alain Burrese's "Hapkido Cane" DVD set--when Burrese teaches similarly impractical techniques, he tells the viewer that they are for demonstration only, not something someone should try to use for real. One other thing--Oster's recommending that the rubber tip be glued onto the cane makes sense if it's only used for practice. In the real world, the tips wear out--supergluing them in place makes replacing them difficult at best.

If you are Bruce Lee, you don't need this DVD. If you are me, however, you will get a lot out of this DVD. I have back injuries and shoulder problems- the cane is a great adjunct for me. This DVD is well made and very decent.

As a basic DVD, it gets 5 stars.

This dvd arrived on time and as described. The content is excellent and useful to martial artists as well as people who need a cane to get around. It is thoughtful and clearly demonstrates the technigues for excercise and self defenst

I find some of the techniques in this DVD helpful. However MOST are impractical to anyone who actually needs a cane for support. The Kata is totally useless if you rely on a cane for mobility. He does not cover distance, Most of the techniques are shown at the same distance as if using hand techniques. If you are going to use a weapon, get the most out of it! He also does not practice economy of movement. The side headlock technique shows a strike to the legs to "soften a male opponent" prior to a groin strike. A groin strike does not need a "shock technique". & NEVER release your weapon if you truly need it for support!! & On the handgun technique dont stop the technique short to do another technique, continue it another 6 inches & disarm the attacker as soon as possible. I did learn some good techniques in this DVD, BUT it is not for beginners. You must be able to sort through what is useful & what is simply filler on a DVD.

This video is very good and I learned many things from it. But I think it is too advanced for people who know nothing about using a cane to protect themselfves. Just my opinion.