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.

5 comments about This is Kendo Today.

1. A must see video. If you want to learn or improve your existing Kendo
   Techniques, you need to own this video. It has g helped me in ways I couldn?t even begin to describe here. Just watch it for youself and you will be amazed.



2. This is an interesting introduction to Kendo. I was interested in the martial art form. I cannot speak for the technical aspects of it, but if you are trying to get a basic picture of what Kendo is. This video is great for us that do not actually participate in this sport/art.
   
   The DVD is filmed on a camcorder and the sound sometimes reminds you of this fact. The best part of the video if you want to see real Kendo is the intro. I just wish more of this actual Kendo would have been added.



3. Very well presented, thorough and accessible.
   
   A great intro to Kendo with some very insightful advice.
   
   This item is also sold in a different cover on Amazon as 'This is Kendo - d' so don't make the mistake that I made of buying both!



4. It does a good job of going into what the sport of Kendo is today! I have no experience and I'm only just about to visit my first kendo class, but from what I have read (several books now) and have seen pictures of (both the intro to this video and in the books) this video is more focussed on the sport aspect of kendo than the art (justu-form) or martial way of this particular doctine of combat.
   
   Pros:
   -Decent summary of background and history.
   -Shows several sets of the same techniques or strikes.
   -Illustrates and explains armor and how to wear it.
   -Great overview of the sport of kendo.
   -Shows good examples of warm-ups and drills.
   
   Cons:
   -While for beginners, it doesn't show bowing techniques.
   -Doesn't show any kata at all.
   -Shows several "advanced techniques" which should be omitted.
   -Foot positioning is a bit different than what most books show.
   -Doesn't focuss on the "-jutsu" or traditional art-form.
   -Doesn't discuss how the "-do" (the way) relates to life.
   -focus is on the sport or "point-scoring" aspect of kendo.



5. Don't waste your money. Alexander is so inept and this dvd is so bad it can't help anyone. This is one of the worst kendo dvd / video out there!

2 comments about This Is Kendo-d.

1. This is an excellent DVD, but beware that it is actually 'This is Kendo Today' - identical to the other DVD for sale here at Amazon - I made the mistake of buying both...
   
   Having said that - this is one of the best Martial Arts Instructional DVDs I have seen.



2. The content of the instructional DVD is very good. George Alexander goes through the etiquette, forms, basic drills, and even some sparring. Great information for someone to get a better understanding of kendo before making the decision to start classes.
   
   That said, the quality of the presentation is poor. The sound quality is bad, the scenes have poor lighting, and the presenter stumbles through the scripted portions. Frankly, this DVD looks like it was made with the same care and attention to detail that one would apply to filming a child's birthday party.

No comments about Kendo.

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.

No comments about Secret Life of the Ninja.

2 comments about Kumdo: Sword Art.

1. This is the only kumdo dvd I've seen. It's Quality is great and I enjoyed watching it. It also had the parts of the jukdo(shinai) in korean witch is fairly hard to find. Everything is for kendo, finely something for kumdo.



2. Turtle press offers 3 DVDs of Korean sword Martial arts, two modern arts (Kumdo and Haedong Kumdo Haedong Kumdo: Korean Sword Martial Art) and Ancient Korean Sword and Weapon Arts Korean Sword and Weapon Arts DVD. This DVD demonstrates the contemporary art of kumdo,
   
   The cover of this DVD, which looks like a person in Japanese kendo protective gear, is an accurate indication of the content of this DVD. This DVD is an introduction to the Korean version of kendo, which is called kumdo in Korean. This a sport uses a 4 foot long split bamboo stick, as opposed to a real metal sword. This video begins with a brief discussion of kendo's Korean roots. The rest of the video is an orientation to a Korean kumdo class. Students see how to bow, to sit, to meditate, and how to move on the floor. Students don heavy protective gear, learn to strike with a four foot long split bamboo "sword". Strikes to the heavily protected head, wrists and trunk are demonstrated. The moves are swift, forward and back motions, in sharp contrast to the circular motions of the Korean sword arts that use real metal swords, as shown in the publisher's other DVDs Haedong Kumdo Haedong Kumdo: Korean Sword Martial Art and Ancient Korean Sword and Korean Arts Korean Sword and Weapon Arts DVD. Kumdo is a sport for exercise and personal development, rather than for practical military application. Unlike the other DVDs, there are no form demonstrations.
   
   This DVD is more interesting than many martial arts instructional videos. Its purpose is different. This is an introduction to kumdo for people considering that sport. For people considering kumdo, its serves its pupose well as it would help potential students decide if they would like to sign up for a class. For those who have already decided they prefer a martial art with steel swords and practical defense applications, one of the other two videos would probably be more in line with your goals.

No comments about Kendo 2 DVD box set.

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.

5 comments about Budo: The Art of Killing.

1. Although a little dated and occasionally slow paced, this is
   a wonderful overview of Japanese martial arts and the martial spirit.



2. I was hoping to get more history on the Samuri but it was basically a documentary on how people are trained in the various martial arts. It wasn't material I hadn't seen before. I would have kids see it.



3. This video is a surprise. The subtitle is completely misleading. The video is an interesting mix of martial arts techniques, the Japanese culture and the relationship to nature. More than any video that I have ever seen, this one capture how much that nature and culture inspired the implementation of Japanese martial arts.
   
   The video gives a broad stroke coverage of most of the best known Japanese martial arts such as Kendo, Karate, Kobudo, Judo, Aikido and Sumo, however it also endeavors to explain how apparently different styles do find a level of integration. This video is definately not a "how to" type of presentation. Instead, it opts to broaden the viewer's understanding of how tightly integrated the Japanese martial arts are to the Japanese cultural mindset. This includes men, women and even children.
   
   I showed this video to my martial arts class, and I asked them to study it, take notes and we then discussed it at the end of the showing. My students, also men, women and children, got it right away. They all saw the connection between mental training and physical discpline. They were both awed and inspired by the physical skills demonstrated. Finally, they immediately understood what it means to be committed to the training.
   
   I should mention that the one sequence that got to everyone, including me when I first saw the video, was the one that includes the locomotive. To explain further would rob the viewer of an amazing visual experience.
   
   All in all, I highly recommend this video to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of not only Japanese martial arts, but of all martial arts. The only weak area that I saw was in some of the flow. It seems a bit jumbled at times. Nevertheless, we can probably consider the video as moving on the road to perfection, but not yet achieving it--just like the subject matter.



4. If you are into MMA & the fighting arts of Japan. Then This DVD is for you! Everything about this film documentary is top notch. I mean EVERYTHING! Buy this. It's about the best I've seen & at a very decent price!



5. Great movie showing in good form the different styles of martial arts of Japan. The slow motion katana slicing action, and the karate master chopping the tops off of glass bottles and splitting an apple with his fingers is.. pure.. awesomeness. The only reason this gets a four out of five is due to the fact that it isn't in HD/Bluray format.