No comments about Beginner's Kendo-Iaido DVD.

1 comments about Iaido Vol.1.

1. If you are looking for a DVD on Iaido, this is a poor choice. There is little or no step-by-step description of technique. Not a good choice for beginners. If you have some experience with sword techniques you might be able to pick up a few pointers.
   I am speaking from 17 years experience in the martial arts, both as a student and instructor.
   The quality of the video is poor and was difficult to run on my Windows XP machine. Windows Media Player 11.0 wouldn't run it. I had to use Roxio Creator 10 player.
   All-in-all, a poor choice for instruction in the art of Iaido.

No comments about Iaido Vol.2 Sen No Sen, Go no Sen.

No comments about Iaido Vol.3 Advanced and Special Training.

2 comments about Complete Introduction to Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido DVD with Didier Boyet.

1. Good DVD, but I did not feel it is worth the selling price. The DVD primarily concentrates on 12 basic striking movements starting from the seated position. There is a bonus feature from one of his seminars. This feature was helpful because he gives additional tips on the movements and points out common mistakes. I would have preferred sections of his live seminar edited into the main instructional section. One has to refer to both the seminar and the instructional section to gather all the information provided in the DVD.



2. Just starting out in iaido, I found this to be just what I was looking for. Boyet explains all the nuances of why the grip is the way it is, why the foot placement etc. All of the little details I haven't picked up on in class were explained here. The seminar section was also a nice feature that shows him teaching a group of students and walking around to make corrections to their form. I'm not sure if advanced students would get a lot out of this dvd, but for beginners like me, I think it will help a lot.

4 comments about Classical Iaido.

1. This footage is all about live blade Kendo, not iaido. They made a mistake on the cover. However, the footage is still very interesting and fascinating to watch if you are into Kendo with a live blade. Also, the quality of the film is poor, but then again, where else can you get vintage footage of masters in Japan practicing live blade kendo.



2. I loved this DVD it was terrific and very well done. The Japanese Instructors who did this should be applauded for their efforts.



3. As already stated, this is KENDO kata and has nothing what so ever to do with Iaido. The opening title even displays "Japanese (Nihon) Kendo Kata" as the video starts.
   Kendo kata are not performed with live or even practice blades, they are performed with bokuto. Having said this, the content is a fine demonstration of proper and improper techniques for Kendo kata.
   The video itself is a poorly made copy from a VHS tape. No one looking for Kendo kata videos would think to buy this. Those looking for Iaido videos will feel "ripped off" if they do.
   RisingSunProductions is either ignorant of what they are releasing or fraudulant. Seek Iaido instruction elsewhere. Do not buy this DVD.



4. Once again Don Warnner of Rising Sun Productions DECEIVES the buyer,
   the cover states iaido and shows a prominent Sensei of Toyama Ryu, Seiji Ueki Sensei all over the cover and disc itself,BUT NOWHERE AND ,I REPEAT NOWHERE DOES UEKI SENSEI APPEAR IN THIS VIDEO ,OR IS THER ANY INSTRUCTION IN CLASICAL IAIDO !!,This is just poor management of a company and an effort to deceive to make sales, very sad indeed.In my opinion mr. Warnner is a man of no Budo and misrepresents to make a buck! THIS IS JUST A COPY OF NIHON KENDO KATA !!! BUY THAT INSTEAD !!!Although the video itself is great for the material it contains , it should have been marketed acurately, VERY SAD don VERY sad!>>>>>

2 comments about Cutting Through the Mystery Japanese Military Iai-Batto-Do Swordsmanship Toyama Ryu Iaido.

1. In this work, the authors describe in detail the swordsmanship of the Toyama Ryu, which was the official sword curriculum of the Japanese Military up until WWII. As the title suggests, they present the material very directly without mystification, which makes it a very practical guide especially when read along side the DVD version of the same name (availble through Actionflex.com). There is much in the way of insightful advice throughout. The pictures demonstrating the techniques are a little grainy (why my rating is 4 rather than 5 stars), but clear enough to understand. Overall, a very good guide to this very practical style of Japanese swordsmanship.



2. I have just recently purchased this DVD and find that it is a very well explained and set out DVD for anyone who has no access to a teacher of Toyama Ryu and wishes to learn on their own. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is the fact that some of the filming is a little bit hazy. But overall a good well set out DVD.

3 comments about Beginner's Guide To Kendo And Iaido vol.2.

1. A really good training dvd ..it has given me lots of great kendo moves and defences that I can practice ... a very worthwhile investment..



2. This dvd was much better than Vol. 1 which suffered from audio difficulties. I found the demonstrations to be very well executed and explained in great detail.
   
   This dvd would be an excellent aid to augment regular instruction and training



3. I can tell that this is junk. He's not wearing a kendo keikogi. He was not wearing one in the first volume either. His saya is flat against his stomach. How was he supposed to draw his sword? Did he draw it correctly, and then move his saya to the front? What is his left hand doing? Is he going to catch the opponent's sword before it slices through his head? What's he supposed to do with all his weight on his rear foot? Why is his grip on the sword so square? What is he going to strike. Is he going to push the back of the sword with his left forearm? I never saw a corduroy hakama in Japan. Must be really old. I never heard any real kendo sensei call himself a master. I have seen sensei give really cursory instruction to foreigners. I have seen foreigners pass tests that they had no business taking. So, just because a foreigner claims that they were taught by Japanese sensei, that means absolutely nothing to me. It sounds like he doesn't speak Japanese or else he would use the correct term instead of "take away". There are no secret waza in kendo. I have known Japanese sensei teaching foreigners kamae from a manga as a joke. Maybe that's what happened here.
   
   Anyway, this looks like junk kendo. If you want to learn, go to a non-profit dojo. It's cheap, and you'll meet nice people. For the price of this DVD, your whole family can just about get a month's worth of instruction.

2 comments about Iaido- The Art of Fast Draw! - Japanese Swordsmanship Vol. 2.

1. This DVD gives great insight into the art of Iaido. I learned a lot about the kata. It also details the two man fighting kata which I really enjoyed. This dvd finishes with a really great instructional portion on how to really cut with a sword. A lot of bang for the buck. Excellent quality production.



2. As a practicing Iaido student, I found the layout clear and easy to understand. A beginner would find their way through it no trouble. I particulaly liked the emphasis in all examples on the safety aspects of working with live blades. The Bokken work also needs to be controlled as these weapons can do considerable damage if miss-used. Very happy with the disk.

5 comments about Beginners Guide to Kendo and Iaido - d.

1. The right DVD to start off your training in Kendo/Iaido. These DVD teaches you all the proper and right techniques for a beginner in this martial art.



2. Hmmm ... where to begin. While the author may be a successful martial artist, it is painfully obvious from watching this video that he has NO knowledge of kendo at all, and very little of iaido. The movements and techniques that he espouses as correct are so sloppy as to be almost unrecognizeable. His movements and precision are laughable. Combine this with the terrible quality of the video, and it wasn't even good enough to enjoy for its comedic value, although I did laugh out loud several times.
   
   Definitely a waste of time and money for anyone that is truly interested in the Japanese sword arts.



3. While I can't speak for his skill in other martial arts, I know for a fact that this man knows next to nothing about kendo. His technique is sloppy at best and all of his movements are laughable. He may have had some training but it is obvious that, at the most, he attended a handful of practices, thought he "mastered" kendo, and decided to produce this film and make money off of it. Please, do yourself a favor and do not waste your time on this man or this DVD.



4. Just by looking at the cover, I can tell that this person knows nothing about kendo. If this is for beginners, then he shouldn't even be bothering with joudan no kamae. Besides, it's all wrong. When you hold a bokken, the left hand doesn't grip the end of the handle. Basic joudan no kamae is done with the body essentially square to the opponent. His right hand is in a useless position. His left hand is too far from his forehead. It is also too low; his hand is blocking part of his field of view. In basic kendo, both hands are supposed to grip the sword evenly. You control the swing of the sword with your pinkies and the ring fingers. Because his right shoulder is so far back, his right hand is gripping with his index and middle fingers. If I attack from the direction of the camera, he'll have to shift his body around so he can use both hands to swing. Or he'll have to try a kata te waza, which is not a beginner's waza. And I can tell you right now, he would miss. His left wrist would turn out, and his blade would veer off to my right.
   
   Don't waste your time with this. You can't really learn much from a video without real, personal instruction. Until just recently, all the sanctioned kendo dojo in the U.S. were non-profit organizations. I don't know why it changed. But in any case, the really good sensei are volunteers. So, the fees are very minimal. If you're really determined to learn correct kendo, you'll find a sensei who will teach in Japanese. Kendo is not something you master in a year. Even people who have been doing it for 20 years are called beginners. Just my opinion.



5. Although I have not seen this video in it's entirety, I have seen excerpts of Mr. Wilson's "kendo". It's obvious for any knowledgeable person that he has had little or no formal training in kendo. This is my opinion based on 25 years of practicing kendo.
   
   If you must have training videos, e-bogu sells some that are made by Taro Ariga, a well-known international competitor. But really I'd recommend you find a dojo if kendo interests you.