No comments about Modern Arnis- Blue Belt Arnis.

No comments about Modern Arnis- Green Belt Arnis.

No comments about Doce Pares Multi-Style System Eskrima - Kali - Arnis, Volume 1.

1 comments about Dan Inosanto Filipino Martial Arts DVD #1 kali escrima arnis.

1. The first volume in the six volume set. Being from Inosanto, it's a great set and one you can watch over and over, and you'll always learn something new. This volume covers the basics, stances, strikes, knife and stick principles, some of the history, and shows Danny's of course impeccable technique. The La Coste stick grappling techniques in the fifth or sixth video (can't recall which at this point) are worth the whole price of the set by themselves, not to mention all the other material. A must for any FMA practitioner.

4 comments about Devil's Island.

1. I saw this movie ca. 1995 in Oslo with Norwegian subtitles, the only Icelandic movie I know and a shame I haven't had the chance to see others. The movie depicts the relative wealth and attractiveness of American servicemen from Keflavik in the context of the extreme poverty of Icelanders living in an old quanset hut. The Icelanders can, of course, speak some English and the Americans can, also realistically, speak no Icelandic. Big, loud old American cars, rock and roll, and the desire to escape the crushing poverty. The film is memorable, and for another Icelandic viewpoint on the early drive toward globalization, read "The Atom Station" by Haldor Laxness.

   Icelandic is a beautiful language, essentially the Norwegian of a thousand years ago, the Viking era. I don't understand it but wish I did!




2. In the years after World War II the American military forces keep a base on an Icelandic island, however, they move it away from Reykjavik. The abandoned barracks are offered to the homeless of Iceland as they can seek shelter from the biting winters. The Devil's Island depicts the poor people in this area, where they live, and how they deal with daily struggles where hope of leaving seems like a wishful dream. Nonetheless, there are always ways of escaping the nagging pain of poverty, and those who escape the social environment are either hated or adored. Devil's Island is an interesting film about a situation that many never would have known of unless Fridrikkson directed this film, which offers a good cinematic experience.



3. Ultimately this is a kind of cautionary tale about embracing excesses to the point of self-destruction and also seeing the true goodness in people. As Americans begin leaving some WWII era barracks empty in post-war Iceland, Icelanders begin occupying them. Coming to terms with their new-found independence, Iceland looks to move forward... Some Icelanders embrace American ways and indeed Americans, even marrying them and moving to the US. In the story, two young men, Baddi and Danni are reared by their grandparents as their mother marries an American and moves to the States. The well-known Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur plays Baddi, the more gregarious of the two brothers. Danni, played by Sveinn Geirsson, is more reserved but more sensitive. Baddi eventually leaves to go to America, and when he returns with his "cool American clothes and car" he brings with him a certain appeal, otherness, likeability. He becomes instantly popular and the object of worship for the not so well off population of the barracks. A certain status is conferred upon him because he has attained a kind of worldliness the others can only dream about. Danni lives in Baddi's shadow, and for all of Baddi's endless talk of moving to America and achieving all these high falutin' dreams, Danni's quiet sensitivity and intensity pay off. Overlooked he might be, but he does achieve his dreams, while Baddi lets the excess he lives in go to his head, and he wastes his life becoming a lazy, violent, intimidating drunk. He also becomes rather jealous of Danni's success, but would never put in the hard work and perseverance Danni invested to make his dreams come true. The story does not have the happiest of endings, but it is nevertheless an interesting period piece with a kind of "lesson" and an excellent introduction/overview of Iceland during the inception of its independence.



4. This is a depressing, largely nonjudgmental film about a family which probably would be called trailer trash if they lived in America instead of Iceland. It's the Fifties, and Devil's Island is the name of a former U. S. military base near Reykjavik the Americans have abandoned. It has become the home of hundreds of poor Icelanders as families have moved into the decaying quonset huts. Cast-off lumber, sheets of tin, rocks and trash litter the place. It's too cold for mud, but pools of icy water collect along the dirt streets. There's not a speck of green anywhere.
   
   Among the families is a grim, elderly, harsh grandmother who believes she can predict the future, her unhappy, unshaven husband, their loose-living daughter with two sons and a daughter of her own. In time the grandparents see their daughter marry an American serviceman and move to Kansas City. They continue to live in the squalor of Devil's Island with their grandchildren. Time passes. Then one of the sons, Baddi (Baltasar Kormakus), a selfish grown delinquent with lots of attitude, flies off to visit his mother and her now well-off husband. He returns with a used red Cadillac with fins, a leather jacket, a greasy pompadour, dark glasses and with no respect for anyone except Elvis Presley. His brother, Dani (Sveian Geirsson), however, is shy, quiet and stays close to home. Baddi drinks, carouses and makes life hell for everyone. He usually brings his drunken buddies and their girls back home to continue to party. Dani eventually breaks away, learns to fly and begins to assert himself. By the end of the movie one major character is dead and not much about the family, the quality of their life or the trouble and unpleasantness that Baddi brings with him in everything he does has changed. Baddi doesn't appear to have learned anything except self-pity, and is probably going to slip even further into alcholism-fueled depression. The quonset huts now are being torn down and the families of Devil's Island are being moved into multi-floor concrete apartment boxes which look even more character-destroying than what they are replacing.
   
   This is a movie that is part black-comedy, but there's not much to smile at. Devil's Island is more often harsh than gentle, more often ironic than humorous. The look of the film is outstanding, but it places you in a physical environment you wouldn't want to visit much less live in. The redeeming qualities center around Dani, who manages to find a life after being overshadowed for years by his brother's braggadocio, and by the grandfather, Tomi, played by Gisli Halldorsson. The last shot of the movie is of Tomi walking away toward a job, whistling. There may not be much to whistle about in his life, but he finds something. I'm glad I watched the movie and I don't regret buying it, but I'm not sure how many times I'll return to it. The DVD transfer is very good.

No comments about Doce Pares - Multi Style System - Volume 1 - Kali, Arnis, Esgrima.

2 comments about Modern Arnis, Vol 2 by Remy Presas.

1. This is the 2nd volume in the 3 volume set by guru Presas. It continues the format of the other two volumes. In this video, he covers many of the basics, such as stances, the male and female triangle and angulation footwork, advancing and retreating, the abecedario or the 12 classical strokes or feeds and their blocks, block-check-counter, many jointlocks and stick grappling techniques, including some long combinations of locks and lock flow, throws and entries for throws, trapping, empty-hand, and more.
   
   The venue seems to be a big hotel meeting room on-stage, with his students filing out from behind the stage as he demonstrates various techniques. I don't know where or when it was videoed, but my perhaps uneducated guess is somewhere in the last 8-15 years. Those of you who know the set better than I will probably know that anyway. The pace is fairly brisk, so be aware of that and that it might be too much too fast for anyone other than an experienced student, although I don't think you would need to be an advanced student or black belt. There is a great deal of information in these three videos. Although this is not meant to be a systematic presentation of the system, you get a lot of material covering everything from empty hand to stick to joint locks to dumog (Filipino wrestling) to the knife. The videos are also closer to one hour long, compared to many of the his other videos where you pay more for only half an hour of material. I think these are a good value for the price. I also reviewed the first volume in this set, which has more detailed comments if you're interested.
   
   I have to mention that 25 years ago I had the opportunity to do a demonstration of kung fu chin na (jointlocks) for guru Presas with my master. He was very impressed with our demo, and in fact wrote a letter at my request to O'Hara publications to recommend a book be done on the subject. I was proud to be able to participate in that demo, and 10 years later, I took up the study of escrima and became a certified instructor in both kali and escrima myself. I've since collected many of guru Presas's videos and seminars, and they are always among my favorite and most treasured videos covering the Filipino martial arts.
   
   I also reviewed the first volume and there are somemore comments there if you're interested.



2. This is an oldie and a goodie, but the production quality is quite good. And there won't be a lot more where this came from, because this teacher has passed on. That's sad, because he had a lot to teach.
   
   This volume is a perfectly good standalone purchase, although you'll probably want to buy the others in this series after you see it. In this volume, Guro Presas demonstrates a ton of techniques and drills. Frankly, if you practiced nothing but the drills in this volume, you'd be in pretty good shape in a lot of situations. The drills present a series of useful blocks and checks and parries against the twelve angles of attack, and those have application to attacks with and without weapons.
   
   While the primary emphasis in this dvd is on stick work, it's clear that exactly the same techniques will work just fine with empty hands (or for that matter, with a yawara or fistload or with a knife or just about anything else at hand).
   
   The empty handed sequences and drills that are demonstrated are certainly worth the price of admission, and so are the structured competitive drills between his senior students.
   
   You should be aware that this is a discipline which is primarily designed for real combat. While it's obvious that sports applications can be designed around the techniques of arnis, this is a martial approach that is not greatly removed from applications in real fighting.
   
   It also looks like the sort of thing that could be picked up and added to the bag of tricks of an experienced martial artist in another discipline, and a useful addition for just about anybody.
   
   Oh, and it's pretty easy to tell when somebody is at a very, very high level of proficiency in marital arts. Remy Presas was at the highest level.

1 comments about Modern Arnis, Vol 3 by Remy Presas.

1. This is the 3rd volume in the three volume set by guru Presas. It continues the format of the previous two volumes. In this video, he covers more advanced techniques, including joint locks, stick drills, empty-hand, and knife techniques. It seems to be done in a big hotel meeting room on-stage, with his students filing out from behind the stage as he demonstrates various techniques. The pace is fairly brisk, so be aware of that and that it might be too much too fast for anyone other than an experienced student, although I don't think you would need to be an advanced student or black belt. There is a great deal of information in these three videos. Although this is not meant to be a systematic presentation of the system, you get a lot of material covering everything from empty hand to stick to joint locks to dumog (Filipino wrestling) to the knife. The videos are also closer to one hour long, compared to many of the his other videos where you pay more for only half an hour of material. I think these are a good value for the price. I also reviewed the first volume in this set, which has more detailed comments if you're interested.

4 comments about Modern Arnis, Vol 1 by Remy Presas.

1. GM Remy Presas is one of the greatest martial artists ever. He's probably the best to ever pick up rattan. I've had the honor and privilege of crossing sticks with him. His Modern Arnis is very easy to learn and can compliment any martial arts. Thus earning its title as "the art within your art." It would also serve as a good primary art.



2. I found this DVD marginally useful. Remy's technique is remarkable however his broken English and disjointed presentation did not make the DVD worth the price. If you took a portion and put it on a late night humor show it would be a reall success as he twists and turns his students joints while they twitch in pain.



3. This is the first of 3 videos by Presas done in a seminar format on stage. I found the material quite useful and helpful but I am a long time practitioner of the Filipino arts as well as a karate and kung fu instructor, and I knew a lot of the material but not all. But for a beginner this might be too much too fast, so be aware of that. Presas's students file out from behind the curtain as he works various stick, empty-hand, joint locks and even ground grappling methods. Although famed for his stick skills, one must remember that Presas was a champion dumog or Filipino wrestling exponent in the old country before he came over here, and some of the those grappling methods get demonstrated here.
   
   Besides showing many stick entries, especially to the number one feed, he also gives considerable attention to the upper twist lock, straight arm bar, several variations of gooseneck bent arm and wrist locks, and finger locks. His students also demonstrate this on stage. Also shown are the disarms for the different angles, sinawali or two stick drills, single stick technique, and also as I said quite a few ground pins and locks. Overall I thought it was a lot of information in fairly brief format, as he flows along at a fairly fast clip, so again, this might not be the best place to start for a beginner.
   
   An earlier reviewer complained about Presas's "broken English." His English isn't that bad and his meaning usually comes through loud and clear. English was not even Presas's second language; it was his third since his tribe didn't speak the main common Filipino language of Tagalog, and he does all right considering that. Besides, this is not a comparative lit lecture on the merits of Melville or Tolstoy; it's a video on Filipino martial arts, so who cares if his English isn't impeccable?
   
   I have to mention that I had the opportunity to do a square wu style tai chi chin na (joint locks and their reversals) demonstration with my teacher 20 years ago, which is an art rarely seen in the U.S. in pure form, and Presas said he was quite impressed with our demo. It was an honor to perform for Presas and the world lost a great martial artist and a selfless and dedicated instructor and man when he passed away all too soon a few years ago.



4. I feel ripped off. Within the 50 minutes duration, Remy repeats the same things over and over - as if we can't rewind or replay. He is terribly inarticulate. The sound quality is shockingly bad.

5 comments about The Viking Sagas.

1. Great movie, shot in beautiful Iceland, with many details from the Icelandic Sagas respected. Splendid photography, whichis expected from a movie by Chapman, being himself a wonderful DP.
   Anyone interested in the viking era will be wonderfully surprised by this little gem.



2. I can say without hesitation that The Viking Sagas is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I have sat through more than a few bad movies, and so let me insist that this claim is no hyperbolic gesture. It simply would not be enough to say that this is merely a bad movie. There are scores of terrible films out there with senseless plots, tepid action sequences and ham-handed direction - and many of them also feature German body-building champions in prominent roles.
   
   No, what sets The Viking Sagas apart as being truly, profoundly awful, is that it inspires ignorance, specifically, false understanding of a complex and often strange culture. A number of reviewers praise this film for its allegiance to the source material: they do so, I believe, in error. I have studied dozens of sagas, in English and Old Norse, and I have no idea what story this film is supposed to be based on. The screenwriter's folly is the actors' tragedy - the Icelandic cast is made complicit in the betrayal and debasement of a literary heritage with which they are no doubt closely familiar and rightfully proud. Creating a wholly new story would of course have been fair game if the writers had remained true to the spirit of the sagas, but this film owes much more to Star Wars than Sturluson. The reviewer who posits that the script is based on Laxdælasaga is too generous by far. He is correct that the names "Kjartan" and "Gudrun" were boosted from that story, but the similarities end there. Even more puzzling is how, with a cast of dozens of Icelanders, the pronunciations of the names Kjartan and Kjetil were so viciously butchered.
   
   One suspects that the director is at fault for these crimes and many more. Indeed, much blame ought to fall on Mr. Chapman, that swan of the cinema who brought us both "Space Jam" and "Kindergarten Cop." For being invisible behind the camera, however, he comes off as a more sympathetic figure than the film's blundering star, who appears as a crudely shaped tree stump dreadfully miscast as a speaking person. Special mention must also be made of whoever took it upon him- or herself to soften the lead's image by giving him a feathered hairdo. His bonny curls just scream "viking blood feud."
   
   I agree that there really ought to be a good viking movie, but The Viking Sagas is a step backward, not forward. Any reasonably clever filmmaker who will just take the time to read - read! - the sagas themselves and chat with someone who knows a thing or two about them will find a rich, untapped vein of narrative from which any number of compelling movies could be made. Until then, for anyone that was intrigued by this movie, you'll get a better sense of the viking age by watching a black metal music video - or checking out any one of the many excellent translations of the sags that are widely available. To be fair, this movie is not unremittingly awful. The costumes and sets were all quite good, and the weather - stormy, windy, and always overcast - was unmistakably Icelandic.



3. Are there any good Viking movies? I don't think so but this is certanly the best I've seen. It's not a viking raid film, it's about vikings feuding with other vikings. It wont change your life, It's just a story, and a great way to pass some lazy time.



4. A c-class movie that was made on a very tight budget.
   
   Story is very shallow "bad guys keep attacking and hero must fight them" stuff but has some memorable moments. Unfortunately both good and bad ones. I can't tell if this is based on actual icelandic sagas but you certainly don't have to have lived in the viking age to come up with this kind of standard material.
   
   The acting is surprisingly good with the notable exception of Ralf Moeller who quite frequently makes a complete idiot of himself. Embarassing. But the rest of the cast does a convincing job and pretty much compensates this. It's cool how everybody talks with strong icelandic accent.
   
   There are many fight scenes but the camera work in those is usually very clumsy. You get confused quickly and suspense is thus efficiently prevented.
   
   Music is rather uninspired. Standard orchestral score with some medieval flute tunes thrown in. Not really a good fit for the setting.
   
   Where the movie really shines is atmosphere. It was filmed entirely on location in Iceland and as a result offers some very beautiful imagery to please the eye. Also, a lot of work has obviously gone into the design of costumes, weapons, and sets. The recreation of viking-age clothes, buildings, swords, helmets and the like is in fact the most authentic I have ever seen in a movie of this kind. The love of detail that has gone into this aspect in my opinion add a lot of value to the movie if you care for that kind of thing. It also makes the movie stand out from films like "13th Warrior" where the production design is more inspired by Disneyland than by historical research.
   
   All in all, a movie worth watching but not a must-have unless you are a die-hard Ralf Moeller fan.



5. Being half Norwegian, I've been on a mission to find good Norse/Viking films for a while now and I gave this one a buy before trying because of that. Well, I struck out here as this is one of the worst excuses for a viking action film I've seen yet. To say it's only very loosely viking is being overly generous. There's really nothing here of factual viking history or heritage.
   
   The story is basic but it can be hard to follow as your thrown alot of names and aren't always given the time to know exactly who they're talking about. As the lead man, I thought Ralf Moeller was stiff and lifeless. Granted, he didn't have the best script and dialog to deal with but I think he's just not charasmatic enough for a hero role. None of the other actors impressed here at all and I found some of the casting highly questionable.
   
   There was nothing and no one here to care anything about no matter what happens. The bad guys were bad but not too bad. Moeller plays the hero who's destiny is to become a great warrior but he keeps getting his butt kicked throughout most of the film. His master/teacher is supposedly the greatest warrior in the land but is old, out of shape and in no way believeable. Moeller just seems to keep wanting to get it on with this one girl most of the time and they have some stupidly unpassionate love scenes that are only there to show unappreciated and gratuitous nudity. Then his master/teacher goes on a killing spree because he wanted Moellers chick even though he's old enough to be her grandfather. I mean, he slaughters a whole village full of people over it and everyone just forgives him for it like nothing happened. Mr.Miagi in the Karate Kid would never do that. Besides, isn't he supposed to be a good guy here? Uh, ok? The swordplay is basic and boring, the blood effects are cheesy and the only thing climactic about the ending was that it was ending. The only redeeming value here are the nice landscapes to look at. That's it.
   
   I won't bother reviewing the audio/video here as it's just not worth it.
   
   So for anyone else looking for a good Viking film, keep looking and let me know what you find. For anyone who likes old tyme sword fighting action flicks like Conan, Beastmaster and Gladiator, watch those instead. There's a reason why most people never heard of this film. Personally, I'm trying hard to forget it and I'm glad there are places to sell junk like this. Avoid.