Copyright
© Copyright 2006-2010 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Turtle Press Tang Soo Do DVDs
As any keen Tang Soo Do student will tell you, there is very little available in the way of study material available compared to the likes of arts such as Shotokan karate or Tae Kwon Do. I should know – I’m just such a student. There’s not very much available in book or DVD format that isn’t associated or affiliated with one school or another, and most long-term students will have an almost identical set of learning material they’ve picked up over the years. As you can probably imagine, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Turtle Press have a couple of DVDs aimed squarely at the Tang Soo Do student, and neither of them endorsing, representing or even showing the logo of a big school or organisation.
The two volumes are based entirely around the standard Tang Soo Do forms, or ‘hyung’, and are separated into Gup and Dan level forms. Gup grades are the beginner grades, in the same way that Kyu and Kup are in similar arts, and the first DVD takes the viewer through the most important forms for these first few years of training;
- Kicho Hyung (1-3)
- Pyung Ahn (1-5)
- Bassai
It’s great to have video references for these forms as they are very important and form the building blocks of so much of the art. Each video is very clear and obviously professionally produced, and has the advantage of being shot from multiple angles, which is great for new students who aren’t sure where their weight should be, or how the transitions between moves should look from behind or from the side for example. The Instructor, Master Song Young Kil, does a nice breakdown after the first run through a form, taking it step by step and explaining each technique as it’s performed, and where the kihap (spirit shout – think kiai karate fans) points are.
The Second DVD moves on to the Dan grade or Black Belt forms. These are the more complex hyung, and while some schools may teach slightly different ones, most will probably teach the majority of the following;
- Naihanchi Cho Dan
- Naihanchi Ee Dan
- Naihanchi Sam Dan
- Sip Soo
- Jin Do
- Kong San Goon
- Yon Bee
- Ji On
The DVD follows the same format, each form being shown multiple times and from different angles, and it’s a great reference for those advanced enough to draw some learning from them. This goes for students of non-Korean karate arts too, as the forms above are also famously Okinawan/Japanese in origin, just with different names (e.g. Naihanchi = Tekki, Kong San Goon = Kusanku, Sip Soo = Jitte). Obviously the performances and in some cases the moves may vary between some styles, but this leads me on nicely to the main problem I have with the DVDs.
The first thing that struck me when I sat down to watch these DVDs was "That’s not how we do it", and I dare say the vast majority of people who watch this will think the same thing. This is simply because different schools teach things in different ways, and the forms themselves change as the years go by, according to who is teaching and what subtle changes they might make. As early in as Kicho Hyung Ee Bu – the second most very basic form – I started noticing completely different moves. This isn’t so much a critical word against the demonstrator as a warning to new students or to those about to take up Tang Soo Do who might think that there’s only one way to perform a form, and that Master Song Young Kil is showing you it. The back of the DVD box mentions that he’s a master of Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido also, and I think it shows in some of the techniques.
On the whole these DVDs are excellent study aids, the forms are broken down nicely and the multiple views are very handy. Even the ‘pattern’ the form makes is shown on the screen. Just be aware that your school will almost certainly teach some of them differently, and that some of the more subtle touches such as proper stance, ideal weight distribution and the transitions between moves are only briefly touched upon. Given the fact that they’re so well produced, and taking into account the negative points raised above, I’m going to award the Turtle Press Tang Soo Do DVDs a BBM Review rating of….
Tang Soo Do Forms Vol. 1 – Gup Grades
Tang Soo Do Forms Vol. 2 – Dan Grades
As per BBM’s review below, there’s still a chance to win some Turtle Press Goodies. Just leave a comment on this review, no matter how big or small for your chance to win. What are you waiting for? Get replying!
Matt Hughes Ultimate Fitness System
Those of you who follow the MMA showcase that is the UFC will be well aware of the name Matt Hughes. For those not in the know, he’s a 9-time Welterweight World Champion in the aforementioned organisation. He didn’t get there through luck, and it’s obvious to anyone who’s seen him that he’s a strong, fit and very motivated individual. It’s for these very reasons that I was very pleased to be given the opportunity to review his new Plyomix Ultimate Fitness System.
The Ultimate Fitness System is available as a five-part video download from iAmplify.com, with each video focusing on a different aspect of the training. These break down as being Core, Impact, Intensity, Power and an extra fifth video, Mental Edge which features an interview with Matt and an insight into his own training, background and mental preparation. As the names of the sections suggest, each video puts specific focus on an workout area, which is really useful as it means you can create your own routine and schedule and work it in around whatever other training you might already do. For me, this happens to be my own Martial Arts training, and training in a kick/punch system I was pleased to see some good speed and endurance drills based around sparring movements.
Each training video lasts for around an hour, and is well produced and presented. There are three people demonstrating at any one time, with input from Matt waiting in the wings as and when required. Each member of the team does essentially the same exercises, but at a varying level of intensity or difficulty. It’s a really nice touch and means that you don’t have to attempt to keep up with someone seemingly super-human, and at the opposite end of the scale there’s no need to limit your workout by matching what someone of a lower level of strength or fitness is doing. They also act as good goals for anyone wanting to push themselves, as you can start off following the lowest intensity, and as you get fitter and stronger move up to the next level.
It’s advertised as a complete fitness system, and for once it’s actually true. Everything you’d expect to be there is present such as cardio work, strength and endurance work, fast-twitch muscle building and flexibility, but it’s good to see the other important facets of a good training session, namely warm-ups and stretching. Both are sometimes breezed over with little attention in other video instructionals, but these videos provide a good realistic amount of both. Anyone who’s ever had a muscle pull or tear can probably vouch for the importance of stretching and getting warm. Whenever ‘props’ are required – such as a jump rope or hand weights – it’s clearly stated on the screen, and a nice touch is the inclusion of alternatives should they not be available (no hand weights? how about cans of soup?).
Despite all the good things I’ve already said, there’s still one thing which separates the Matt Hughes Ultimate Fitness System from its competition, and that’s the format in which it’s presented. Instead of DVDs, the videos are downloaded directly from the iAmplify site. Each is around 100MB in size, and they’re in MPEG-4 (.mp4) format. What that means to you and me is that they can easily be downloaded to a personal media player (iPod Video for example) and taken with you. Do you ever find that at home it’s really tricky to find the time to claim the living room for yourself for an hour to work out? Or maybe you have kids and find it literally impossible to clear enough toys from the room to get the space for it? Pop the videos onto your media player (or laptop) and head out somewhere else. It might only be as far as the garden, or maybe a gym or local hall, but you can take your workout with you.
I consider myself moderately fit for my age and weight, training 3 or 4 times a week in martial arts will do that for you, and I have to say that having tried these out I can vouch for just how much of a workout you get. They certainly aren’t "walk in the park" easy, and could take someone with a low level of fitness a few weeks to build up to get through the full hour without stopping, but if you’re already reasonably active or have good perseverance this can really add to your fitness and strength. It’s professionally presented, well organised and enjoyable.
You can purchase and download the Matt Hughes Ultimate Fitness System directly from the site, and by way of a special offer we’ve teamed up with iAmplify to get a special discount for BBM Review readers! Simply click the following link.
Learn More about PlyoMix Ultimate Fitness System by Matt Hughes
As far as workout video systems go, this has to rank among the best. The very unfit may struggle at first, but as a supplement to existing training or incorporating all of the parts as a standalone routine it’s very good at what it does. Just be prepared to work hard! TSDAdam awards the Matt Hughes Ultimate Fitness System…
Ikigai108’s Review
While watching the UFC, have you ever had that brief moment where you contemplate how you would stack up against a fighter like Matt Hughes? I think it’s pretty common. Next time that little voice pops into your head, remind yourself of this – Matt Hughes is one of the most physically fit athletes in the world and is, essentially, a destroyer of men.
I realized that pretty quickly while watching the Plyomix Ultimate Fitness System, presented by iAmplify. This system is designed to be a full body workout, ideal for anyone wanting to get in shape (but especially for those training in the martial arts). This series is presented as downloadable videos from iAmplify and comes in five main categories: power, core, intensity, impact, and mental edge. I’d like to break down my impression of each section, then give an overall review of the system.
POWER
The Power video is very similar to some existing workout tapes you might have seen. It involves a stepbox, jumprope, and a few other trademark devices of the workout industry. The Matt Hughes team takes you through a good warmup routine and then runs through a series of cardio intensive drills. However, unlike normal step programs, activities like pushups are thrown in from time to time to work on strength as well as endurance. Matt Hughes acts as the coach, helping keep each team member motivated.
CORE
The Core video is pretty darn wicked. This focuses on core strength around the abdomen/pelvic area (or hara, as the japanese martial arts like to call it). There are a wide variety of crunches and leg lifting exercises that make you feel the burn very quickly. One exercise called alternate straight leg pedaling kills me. The Hughes team faired much better than I did. If you need an ab work – this is the place to be.
INTENSITY
Intensity has a definite fighter’s slant. This workout uses resistance training and heavy bag striking (on the ground). I personally enjoyed this one due to it’s easy translation into fighting but also because the workouts were not dull in any way. One sign of a good system is keeping participants interested, and I think Intensity is a success in that realm.
IMPACT
Impact is where weight lifting and bench work comes into play. It’s not heavy weight lifting; instead, they use light-moderate weight and incorporate it into their workout. The Hughes team uses free hand weights, 5-15 pounds or so, and lead you through a series of squats and bench exercises. Impact offers a balanced combination of weight training and cardio, so people not looking to do 200 pound bench presses can still enjoy and participate.
MENTAL EDGE
This is a nice addition in the form of an interview with Matt Hughes. Anyone purchasing the videos will enjoy it, but MMA fans will especially appreciate it. The interview takes place in front of a pond on the farm where Matt grew up. He talks about his childhood and how his rural lifestyle instilled in him an excellent work ethic that has really helped bring success in professional fighting. He also talks about how he implements his workout program and some other useful pointers for preparing for a fight.
OVERALL
The exercises presented on this video are very good. This is a workout program designed to fit beginner, intermediate, and advanced users. That being said, there are a few things I’d like to comment on. First and foremost, the Matt Hughes team does 95% of the working out, with only small demonstrations by Matt himself. I would have enjoyed seeing Matt demonstrate what a real UFC fighter looks like going through the workout. I think most martial artists would agree that watching an expert can be as helpful as listening to their advice. Matt’s tips as the "coach" were indeed helpful, but not critical. There could have been someone else acting as motivator, or perhaps Matt doing a voice-over with advice as everyone worked out. I felt the biggest thing lacking in Matt Hughes’ system was Matt Hughes.
One other little pet peeve – The main aerobic instructor, Jennifer, made some excessive SSHH-ing noises. SHH, SHH, SHH. I found it a bit distracting. Also, this is not a good breathing habit to get into for martial artists because it indicates breathing from high in the lungs instead of low out of the diaphragm. I know it can’t all be diaphragm breathing when working out, but excessive SHH breathing should be avoided.
On the positive side, excellent tips and suggestions were flashed on the screen throughout the videos. Each video lets you know what to expect and what you will need in a clear and organized fashion.
I enjoyed the Plyomix Ultimate Fitness System by Matt Hughes. I think it has some really useful qualities. However, it wasn’t a homerun for me. Therefore, the result for Ikigai108 is…
Learn More about PlyoMix Ultimate Fitness System by Matt Hughes
SuTree.com
By now there’s a good chance the more web-savvy of you will have heard of "Web 2.0". It’s a bit of a buzzword really, but one of the main things that defines Web 2.0 is the fact that it’s the users who make the sites what they are, not the authors. Think of sites like youtube, flickr or wikipedia and you’ll start to see what I mean. These days content is king, and people are keen to learn and absorb information.
It’s with this in mind that Joseph Maaravi founded sutree.com, an online video sharing and learning resource. The principle of sutree is simple; if you want to learn, chances are there’s a video to teach you what you want to know. Or maybe you fancy yourself as something of an expert on a subject and want to share your knowledge? Both are welcome and encouraged. Think of it as a knowledge community, similar to instructables.com but with video rather than photographs.
Video tutorials are indexed and tagged and sorted into categories, so it’s simple to find what you’re looking for. A few clicks later and you can be watching your video either streamed directly from the site, or by linking to the original source – wherever on the web it might be. Videos are aggregated from many of the larger, more well-known sites as well as some smaller ones you might not be familiar with.
It’s an addictive site and one which it’s very easy to spend a lot of time on. You may go there looking for something in particular, but end up watching many more videos than you’d intended, and more often than not, on subjects you had no particular interest in before. I can testify to that first-hand, in the process of writing this review I’ve been sidetracked several times and ended up losing the odd half-hour here and there. I may have gone there looking for a bit of martial arts information, but ended up learning how to light a fire with a can of drink and a chocolate bar (seriously!).
With it being a community-based site, there are plenty of options for social interaction. Commenting and rating of existing content is simple, as is adding new content. In fact the more prolific contributers will find they can have videos automatically added via RSS feeds. There are widgets available for your own blogs and sites to find related videos for visitors, and there’s a unique option to ‘wrap’ links. In a festive example, supposing you know someone due to host a family dinner, but nervous at the prospect due to their abysmal skills in the kitchen. Just ‘wrap’ them up a bunch of links perhaps showing them how to cook the perfect turkey, how to do the same for the vegetables. Maybe they’ll be serving cocktails, let’s find an example of how to mix a Long Island Iced Tea. Heck, while we’re at it, why not show them how to make a table centerpiece while we’re at it. The wrapping option means you can send one neat bundle of links to videos with everything someone might need to know contained within.
With a little over 11,000 videos indexed at the time of writing, and with that number growing every day, there’s a good chance you’re going to find out what you want to know. Even if you don’t, a search soon shows you the members who have some expertise in that field, so a friendly message may have you pointed in the right direction. There are even online courses available to take. The only downside I found as a user was the redirection to external content providers sometimes felt a little disjointed. It’s a small quibble for something as valuable as sutree though, and as such comes highly recommended.
For its ease of use, wealth of collated knowledge and just being such a good idea, TSDAdam gives sutree.com a BBM Review rating of….
Stardust
New to DVD this holiday season is the release of Stardust, the adventure fantasy film from director Matthew Vaughn.
The basic plot of the film sees a young man making a promise to the girl he loves to return a falling star to prove his devotion. The only catch is that it’s landed on the other side of "the wall", a wall which legend has it borders our world from a magical one. The adventure begins, and it doesn’t mess about in doing so, you’re thrown in head-first and in doing so have no choice other than to be absorbed and utterly engrossed.
For many readers here, the cast will be a mix of the very famous (Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes), and a mix of unknowns. Our British readers will recognise a great many more of the faces from various TV series and comedies on our side of The Pond. This mix is one of the key draws to the film in my own opinion, some of the major characters are played by actors many people will be unfamiliar with, and this unfamiliarity coupled with some excellent performances mean that the viewer isn’t pre-loaded with what kind of character to expect from the actor. I doubt there’s anyone who would have expected Robert De Niro to play the character he does in this film!
It’s a beautiful film to look at, both worlds in it are wonderfully realised and totally believable. The visual effects are kept to a minimum where possible, but obviously with it being a fantasy film, expect some lavish creativity. In many ways this is a real throwback in terms of the ways this genre of film is made nowadays, those of you old enough to remember when such fantasy gems as The Princess Bride, Krull or Legend came out will be over the moon. Stardust is a proper family film, there’s plenty in there to keep all generations laughing, albeit not for the same reasons some of the time. For those with little ones worried about violence or gore of any kind, there’s really nothing to speak of. Perhaps just one scene where some witches ‘read’ the entrails of an animal, but even then we don’t witness the act and there’s no blood involved. The only time blood is spilled in the whole film, it happens to be royal blood, and fittingly enough is blue. Some scenes could still be deemed a little scary for the very young though.
Fans of the book by Neil Gaiman need not worry, this film really does the original story justice, and carry it off in a very polished manner. Claire Danes manages a very believable English accent throughout the two hours, Robert De Niro will have you laughing with his non-typecast role and Sir Ian McKellen has the perfect story-telling voice to play the narrator. Ricky Gervais pops his head up and despite basically just playing "Ricky Gervais" is a welcome addition. The perfect film for those cold, dark winter evenings, huddled up on the sofa, remembering how charming a well-made fantasy tale can be.
Tsdadam gives Stardust a BBM Review rating of….
Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, and a bit scary for the very young, but fantastic entertainment.
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
It’s hard to believe that it’s now ten years since Nintendo’s seminal Super Mario 64 was released for the N64 console, but it’s true. Since then we’ve only seen one true 3D Mario game, the mediocre (by Nintendo’s own lofty standards) Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube, so it’s about time the rotund plumber had another outing, this time on Nintendo’s elusive Wii.
There were some concerns raised by ardent Mario fans when Galaxy was announced and shown (especially after the relatively lacklustre Sunshine) that it would turn out to be just another by-the-numbers Mario game, offering nothing new or inventive and failing to re-capture that magic that Mario 64 introduced us to. I can safely and without hesitation say that these concerns have all been recognised and addressed. In fact more than just addressed, more like smashed into a thousand tiny pieces on the rocks of so many average 3D platformers that came before it.
The basic premise sees our moustachioed hero setting about rescuing the princess from the grip of – yep, you guessed it – Bowser. He’s only gone and stolen her castle and everything in it (including the princess herself), and then in a fit of grandeur decided to conquer Space itself! Mario’s task involves setting free the stars held captive by Bowser and his cronies and restoring everything to the way it should be. How he goes about this is through a myriad of 3D platforming levels, only this time the worlds he’s bouncing and spinning his way through are tiny! Cunning use of gravity and rocketing through space are par for the course for this outing then, and it’s done so well. The level design is, as you’d expect from a Miyamoto headed title, sublime, and coupled with brilliantly realised Wii-specific controls, handles like a dream. Some developers have been guilty of shoe-horning the motion-sensing, pointing, tilting controls in to their games, but it’s obvious that this is clearly a case of doing the reverse and making the game around the controls. The nunchuck’s joystick controls direction, the A button on the remote jumps and pretty much everything else is explained, intuitive and in keeping with the Mario pedigree.
Coins, which have long fuelled the collecting habits of players in past Mario games, are still present but the kleptomaniacs amongst you have something new to harvest now – Star Bits. The brightly coloured gems have various uses throughout the game and are in abundance, freed usually by defeating enemies or breaking open items of scenery. They’re harvested using the remote’s pointer, and for those of you who are parents of two and are dreading the "It’s my go now. No it’s not! Yes it is! Muuuuuuuuuum!" festive arguments, worry not! The game offers the opportunity for a second player to control an on-screen pointer of their own to help out with collecting the star bits and shooting them at enemies.
It’s hard to review the game in any depth without giving away a lot of the story, and that’s the last thing I want to do. It’s a game that deserves to be played and enjoyed by everybody, regardless of demographic grouping. The sound is utterly fantastic, the presentation is bright and clear and it plays beautifully. Super Mario Galaxy is an absolute masterclass in how to make a fun, family-friendly game. It has bucketfuls of charm, is sufficiently big enough to satisfy those with more time to devote to 100% completion, and is enough to restore even the biggest sceptic’s faith in Nintendo. Their only problem now is how to top it. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another ten years to find out how they do it.
Buy it now through the BBM Review Store.
TSDAdam gives Super Mario Galaxy a thoroughly deserved rating of…..
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Getting Rave Reviews
BlogHer Review
Go Shopping
Macho Warrior Sparring Gear Set
$69.99And see the rest of our Sparring Gear
at MartialArtsSupplies.com
Martial Arts Pagoda
