Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is a pretty good introduction to karate as a workout, November 24, 2008
I've just looked through the written material and watched the dvd.
This is a perfectly good dvd for a number of purposes.
On the one hand, if you're looking for a Christmas present for a kid who likes karate, this won't be far off. On the other hand, karate enthusiasts are sometimes totally focussed on their own particular styles, and hate anything that's not in exactly that style. Especially if they're young.
Another use for this dvd/book combo is as an overview. If you're thinking of taking karate, and you wonder what it's all about, this is a useful overview of a bunch of techniques.
The production values are very good, by the way. Good audio, good camera (it doesn't move much, but the camera angle is fine, and the picture is clear). There are occasional closeups of a foot position or hand position, when that is appropriate.
The materials I have don't set out a clear martial arts bibliography for the author/demonstrator (essentially, the materials say he's been studying since he was a kid). Usually, this sort of dvd tells you the instructor, his style, and the specific instructors who trained him.
Frankly, that's not terribly important for most purposes for which you'll use this dvd.
There's another purpose for this dvd, and it's what I was looking for; I can use this as a sort of warmup, aerobic, basic technique dvd. I can pop it in, and just follow along until I get warmed up and out of breath.
Essentially, I plan to use this dvd as a sort of a tai-bo substitute. That is, for me this'll be an exercise video instead of an overview video.
There are a lot of different karate styles. Most people aren't able to tell the difference between them because the legit styles all use the same basic techniques, and the major differences show up in emphasis and differences in techniques. Some styles use higher stances, some lower.
The demonstrator appears to be a student of a Mas Oyama student (Kyokushinkai), and his style is close enough to the style I've studied that I can mindlessly follow along and get a pretty good workout.
Is it perfect? Well, no, but little in this world is perfect. But as an overview of basic karate techniques, or a sort of mostly aerobic exercises/karate exercises/stretching/warmup video, it's better than a lot that's on the market.
In fact, it's the best I've seen, but while I plan to use this for my off days as a workout, I'm still looking for a dvd that's specifically a workout using good quality karate technique.
This is pretty close, and it's cheap as dirt, so I'm giving it four stars.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent dvd and a deal at this price., January 18, 2009
There other reviews for this title on Amazon.uk that give a good overview of this title as well. I do not have the book, but actually bought this dvd as part of a dvd/card set that was marketed in Australia. The dvd is the same though. As others have mentioned, what is presented is basically a syllabus for Kyokushin karate. There is not a wealth of Kyokushin material out there, so this is a welcome addition.
The workout on the dvd is excellent, after a nice warm-up, one does a lot of reps of a wide variety of strikes and punches and kicks including some not typically seen (spleen strikes anyone?) in most dvds. The workout is about 90 minutes in length and it will open your pores. At the end of the strikes and kicks, there is a nice brief conditioning section where one does thirty knuckle push ups, thirty crunches and thirty squats, this is followed by a brief breathing exercise and meditation/stance training in a cat stance.
This dvd hits all the right buttons. It looks like it was shot outside in tropical Queensland and the lush foliage background is easier on the eyes than the usual bland sound stage of other dvds. Another great advantage of this dvd is that it teaches one how to say all the strikes and kicks in Japanese. Often traditional Kyokushin classes use the Japanese terminology, so this is an excellent way to acquire it. This is the best morning workout one can buy as it does it all. I am NOT a morning person and, while I could in theory do all this on my own, I need the motivation of someone telling me what to do next, otherwise I end up standing in the middle of my living room floor scratching myself, waiting for the coffee to brew. If 90 minutes is too long for your morning workout, you can just do the warmups and hand strikes and conditioning, and do the kicks and the next day. Perfect way to wake up the body for the day.
I am giving it five stars due to the huge variety of Kyokushin strikes and kicks in a straight ahead workout that a guy can do without feeling like a sissy if his mates come over while doing his exercise dvd. No lycra or cutesy fitness models, just an impossibly buff Aussie bloke in a gi pushing you to do your best. The price is also excellent, if you compare it to many of the other martial arts dvds being peddled. Buy this dvd.
Osu.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Stimulating Introduction to Karate, June 29, 2009
I bought this because I knew almost nothing about karate, there was little cash risk, and I thought it would supplement my (even cheaper) karate flash cards, which weren't too satisfactory. This DVD is probably one of the best investments, all things considered, I have ever made regarding any topic. It is at once a work of art (you won't believe the "dojo"), interesting (regarding the warmups and the karate techniques demonstrated), and useful (for working out, at least). I find following along with Mark and doing the things he demonstrates on one foot to be quite challenging and fun at my advanced states of age and blubber. In fact, I bought another copy, one to give to a deserving warrior candidate, probably a grand-offspring. I am not quite ready for a makiwara, but I can posture much more convincingly than with just the flash cards, and I am toying with the idea of visiting a dojo when I get firmed up a bit. If you are a total but interested novice, Mark Richardson's DVD is a great source of information without having to wade through mystical history, hype, and other "bologna". I don't believe Mark mentions which style he demonstrates, I had no idea, and I thank the other reviewers for their remarks about this.
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by Graham Bryant
by Masatoshi Nakayama
