Product Details

• Format: NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Tapeworm
• VHS Release Date: November 29, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B00005YAQ8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #678,623 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent video and instruction, August 28, 2005

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Kalasag Kuntao Silat 1: Fundamentals [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the first volume in Roberto Torres' 4-tape series on Kalasag Kuntau Silat, which is a blend of several styles of Filipino Kuntao and several styles of Indonesian Silat that he learned from different teachers. My comments relate to this volume and also the other three volumes in the set.

This first video covers the basics and fundamentals, including footwork, stances, striking and kicking, blocking and parrying, angulation, entries and follow-ups. Literally dozens of techniques and combinations are shown. Guru Torres has a low-key and personable style of teaching and comes across as a committed and competent instructor in the art. Several of his students also assist with the demonstrations, and they are a credit to their teacher as they move well themselves.

It's been a while since I watched the tape, so I can't recall if he previews any of the other topics shown on the other tapes, such as jurus or grappling and weapons, but the set as a whole contains all 18 jurus or sayas or hand forms and applications, and there are also volumes on takedowns and grappling and weapons.

In the remaining videos in the set Torres shows many additional applied techniques and also demonstrates how the system is used against multiple attackers. Many knife techniques are also shown along with a very cool long knife form.

Guro Torres shows literally hundreds of techniques, combinations, drills, and variations in this detailed series. The style would be easily integrable into other systems of Silat or Kuntau such as Sera or Serak, Tjimande, Tjikalong, Bukti-Negara, Suci-Hati, or other similar arts. But Guru Torres's art certainly stands alone as a fine contribution to the art by itself.

Here are the titles for the complete set, which if you can, you'll want to pick up in addition to this volume:

Tape 1: Fundamentals

Tape 2: Sayas (Forms)

Tape 3: Sandatas (Weapons)

Tape 4: Buno (Grappling)

Overall, an excellent set and instructional series from Guru Torres and a fine contribution to the still relatively small but growing number of videos and books on Silat that have appeared over the last 10 to 15 years.