Customer Reviews

Shorin Ryu Karate-Once A Secret (Tsunami) [VHS]

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2 star:		(1)
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As a Matsubayashi Ryu practitioner, I was very disappointed. This video was a disappointment in the overall performance by Eihachi Ota. The kata were performed at what appears to be half speed, as I'm sure Mr. Ota's skill is much better than what he presented. The draw of these videos is that practioners want to see the "advanced" practioners demonstrating what years of training and experience should look like when performing kata. It's hard to imagine who the target audience was for the kumite techniques demonstrated, as these also appeared amateurish, especially for a martial artist of Ota's caliber. There was no dialogue or explanation from the demonstrator, and the energy was just lacking. The performance does not compare to Morio Higaona's in "Power Training", a much better produced video (also a Tsunami production). The weapons segment in "Once a Secret" was better, with Eihachi Ota demonstrating great dexterity and proficiency in the use of the kama. Overall, more time and energy could have been devoted to the video as a whole by the protagonist.

I have read several reviews and would like to say that the Tsunami videos are the finest quality on the market today. Also, Sensei Ota is clearly one of the finest practitioners in the world. This is a wonderful introductory video presentation!