Here's a review of 5 tapes I've bought over the last few years from Chas Clements and Steve Gartin. I'll do my best to follow any messages posted here, although email is probably the best way to reach me. As I noted in the subject line, this is a long message so thanks for looking. Cheers, Benjamin [Benjamin lives in Australia and posted this message on rec.martial-arts under a thread entitled "Review of Kuntao Silat Videos (Long) ] =======================================================
As I've been enjoying the benefits of these fine gentlemen's tapes for a few years now, I thought I'd demonstrate a little civil gratitude and step up and put in my two cents in support of their fine work. I admit to being a whole hearted supporter of their endeavours, but it's because I spent time, money and effort in the search.
I understand that not a lot has changed and that they're still attracting their fair share of critics and detractors. I find it unusual to say the least that people can be so critical without doing anything to research their criticism. Buying one of their videotapes would be a very simple and cheap way of doing so. I would not be surprised if the gentlemen in question would send you a tape at cost if you were genuine in reviewing their activities. I say this as someone who lives very far from these men. Individuals who live in the same country, let alone the same state, rapidly lose credibility if they don't make a genuine effort. Certainly their lives and even their homes are open to the genuine student.
If some of the boobs who flame them here actually went to the trouble of having a look at them, they'd probably end up eating their own words. Then again, maybe not. Worms don't have the eyes to see a real man. Because that's what you're dealing with here. They're the real deal. I've been to seminars with individuals considered to be world class martial artists, top of the range. These guys are this good, and are often better than far more famous individuals with better developed skills at self promotion than bone breaking.
I've found Chas Clements and Steve Gartin to be paragons of moral virtue. I would ask you to read that sentence again and really pay attention to my words. I mean every one of them with no substitution or deletion. They have unfailingly demonstrated the highest standards of conduct, matched only by their wisdom and experience, neither of which was arrived at without personal loss. They have been equally generous with this wealth of knowledge. Nothing will be held from you except where it could impair your learning. Knowing too much can be a bad thing. The conscious mind is often not the target of teaching in real combat arts.
Chas in particular has been generous with his time and advice. I've found him to be prompt and unusually honest in business dealings. The only time he delayed mailing an item was when he was quite seriously unwell. On one occasion he sent me the wrong tape. When I informed him and offered to return the tape before he sent out the proper one he insisted I keep the extra tape while he mailed out the original order entirely at his own expense.
You don't meet too many people like this in a life. Take notice and treasure it while you have the opportunity to do so.
General thoughts
As good as these tapes are, they are not for everybody. If you compete to win trophies, participate in one step, light or no contact sparring, or practice for maximum aesthetic appeal....these tapes are not for you.
If on the other hand you train in classic or reality oriented martial arts, or if your interest is restricted solely to health, then you'll find a mine of riches. Like a mine, the rewards are proportional to how hard you look, and how hard you're prepared to work.
You'll probably get the most out of these tapes if you have a background in a solid Shaolin or neijia school, more common SE Asian arts and the odd koryu. It also helps if you're body isn't too beat up, although these tapes show action from all sorts of folk, ranging from super conditioned athletic types to mobility-impaired older people. Reasonable physical condition enables you to undertake a wider variety of the choreography and tactics presented but is not required for getting your money's worth.
Note that these are not tapes produced by one of the big outfits like Paladin or Panther. As they say, though, they are produced by and for serious martial artists. So don't expect multiple angles (except when the cameraman gets up and moves it), voice overs and the like.
In general I've found the tapes by senior Western students to be a little easier to understand than those produced by their Eastern teachers. Pak Vic has been the exception This is not to say that they are not worthwhile - just that you have to a dig a little deeper to get to the treasure. It's worth the effort.
A little about me
My father was a heavyweight boxer from a poor area near the docks in Liverpool, England. My formal martial training began at age 18 with a Japanese koryu. After seven years in this system, I left to pick up the study of the neijia. My main experience in this area has been old Yang style taiji with one of Erle Montaigue's senior students. I've also picked up some entry level pakua and hsingi, and some capoeira Angola, along the way. I'm currently a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine although I used to be a professional in the IT industry. I have some familiarity with Astanga yoga, various schools of meditation and chi kung. I don't claim to be an expert or an authority, but following Musashi I hope I have some small skill in learning to discern value even in small things. I may not be the biggest ass kicker on the block, but I have kept my eyes open and paid attention over the years. I like to think it's given me some perspective.
With a couple of exceptions I've managed to avoid serious assault. Companions and training partners with less luck, more testosterone, or more confrontational occupations, have furnished me with ample opportunity to compare notes on real world problems and ramifications. These have ranged from psych nurses, police officers (including undercover narcotics officers), soldiers with close quarter combat experience, corrections officers, security personnel and some gentlemen from the wrong side of the tracks who shall remain anonymous.
Knife Seminar 1
The first tape I bought from these fine gents. Not a bad choice, although for a first exposure Djuru Satu is probably better. This is a seminar delivered by Willem de Thouars to the students (I believe) of a TKD or hapkido school. Consequently, close quarters armed combat is probably not their forte although their dedication and willingness is absolutely commendable. Steve Gartin is presumably behind the camera. Most of the material is about defending empty handed against the knife. As Uncle Bill explains, knife on knife encounters in the real world are rare. Most knife assaults occur from ambush, or at least from a position of some surprise. You also have to have your own knife handy. If not, then it's hand or stick or chair or whatever to knife. You get the idea. A variety of common attacks culled from Bill's training and experience are shown and defended against.
But sticking a knife into an unsuspecting target isn't what you came here for. You signed on to learn how to prevent yourself from getting stuck. So where's the good stuff?
Happily, there's a lot of it. The responses range from the simple to the sophisticated (but still elegant). Variations and subtleties of the different approaches are shown. A little discernment will identify a number of possible drills. There is a lot to be picked up here, but the best rewards do not come through casual viewing. You are not being spoon-fed. A careful and discerning eye will reveal (and reward you with) much. Particularly worthwhile are the instances where Bill's careful positioning and bodily alignment results in a display of surprising power.
Uncle Bill may take some getting used to if you're not familiar with older people from different cultures. His accent and mindset may take a while to get used to. If that's the case ignore the audio and watch his body. You'll learn more. Bill's physical movement ranges from 20 yr old athlete to rickety old fella. This can be disconcerting if you don't know what you're watching. You're seeing a man who's paid for his excellence with the integrity of his own body. You're also seeing the deep body awareness and mind control resulting from that excellence lifting him to heights of physical performance he should not be capable of given his physical limitations.
Djuru Satu
One of the tapes (along with HMK and the Warm Up Set) which the guys use as a comprehensive introduction to their arts. If you haven't seen any silat before, this is the place to start. I had already seen Stevan Plinck's Paladin tape (which you should also get, along with his two new privately published tapes) so I had some idea of what was going on.
To my mind, one of the most important things about studying this tape is that you see so many different practices and styles of practice arising out of the one form. Why? Why is this important? If you want to have a think about it or are uninterested in my thoughts, then skip the next paragraph.
The first and most important thing about seeing the same choreography being done in so many ways is that it should be obvious that the specific movements themselves are not the most important thing. The principles are. Even if you don't intellectually understand this, then by repetition your nasty little reptile brain will. Then your body will follow.
So what do you get: you get Djuru Satu as chi kung; subtleties of the form; many different applications; you get to see it done by masters, senior teachers, both senior and junior students; see it done with a knife (if you're smarter than me, you might see the knife change hands); see it done different ways.
I feel I need to expand on the subtleties and applications. Subtleties re the things that will save your life in a tight spot. If this doesn't mean much to you then read on ahead. To me a subtlety is what they call secrets in other arts. It's that little additional layer of detail that magnifies the effect or efficiency of a tactic or motion. It's what keeps you from being gutted by a 220 lbs biker hiding in a closet with a big Bowie knife when you're executing a search warrant (as happened to an old training buddy of mine). It's the art of getting out of the path of that blade, then putting enough hurt on the man behind it that he is no longer a threat to you, your friends, or your family.
The applications are many and varied. They range from the obvious to the "You know, I don't think I ever would have thought of that" cases. They are all, universally, concise, efficient and effective. A number of them are so surprising I was left thinking "Yep, if they pulled that one on me, I'd be dead now". Sobering and salutary.
All in all, this is the most exhaustive approach to a training method that I think I've ever seen (only Erle Montaigue to my knowledge does more, but he's got a family to feed. I also think they'd send me to sleep if I wasn't watching them with a training group). The only thing more surprising is that Guru Gartin has so much, I hear he's planning to release a second volume. Bring it on brother!
Heartless Monkey Knife
I thought I knew a bit about a knife. I did, but a lot of it wasn't one tenth as good as this. As being a very appropriate weapon for this time and my place (as compared to a sword, crossbow or musket) I'd put quite a bit of time and energy into knife training. Please, it wasn't the ninja command death dealer in the shadows sort of thing. Just good solid knife training.
Then I watched this tape and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was the really real thing. These guys had a depth and range of knife lore that far surpassed anything in my prior experience. I wasn't a newbie or a moron. It's just that these guys and what they have is so good.
What you get: some more defenses against the blade (FWIW, I liked these better than Knife 1); various principles or attitudes towards knife fighting; a range of grips and tactics; discussion of various knife types; discussion of anatomical targets and considerations when cutting; manipulation of the knife; defending against a knife attack empty handed, then deploying and using your own knife.
A real stand out on this tape is the two knife kembangan performed by Steve Gartin. Startling as it is, it segues into an empty hand performance that spans Shaolin, hsingi, pakua, and a few silat styles. That's what I noticed. Maybe you'll pick up more.
Unless you're Dan Inosanto, you'll probably find something new and interesting here.
Warm-up Set
Speaking of Dan Inosanto, this tape is basically a compilation put together by Bill De Thouars and his seniors as a demo for him. The tape starts off with Uncle Bill going through his background in somewhat exhaustive detail. This is important in the context: Bill is giving hormat and adat to his teachers.
Bill gets the ball rolling by demonstrating one of the 200 or so forms he knows. This is one of the first he learnt, a quite karate looking kick/punch kuntao form. The really tasty spin to this basic looking set consists of the sophisticated applications Bill derives from it. He also demonstrates some Tjimande, a kuntao knife form, some bagua, as well as a number of applications derived from the forms displayed. The seniors in the form of Steve Gartin and Chas Clements also have their turn in the spotlight.
For me, it's the performances of the students that particularly impress. It's been said that to judge the strength of a teacher, look at his senior students. These practitioners are very strong indeed. A groundfighting form, a kuntao tiger form, a longer combined kuntao/silat form, push hands, all with their accompanying applications are put on exhibition. A number of drills are shown, and a number more could be derived from scrutiny of the material presented.
Legwork Seminar 1
Another Bill de Thouars seminar, this time a big group at a karate school. As the name implies this tape focuses on lower body maneuvers. A lot is covered here. Silat and kuntao have lots of ways of putting you on your butt.
There are numerous examples, applications, and drills. Sources range from the very Indonesian to pakua circle walking. There is a long chi kung set towards the end, and a senior student demos a couple of forms.
Overall, there's a lot on this tape. It's a long one, about two hours. The only flaw is that while Bill is explaining things to the class the audio is a bit low, making it hard to make it out just what is being said. I guess it's time to just look where their feet are. I understand that Steve Gartin has done a new legwork tape so that's probably the way to go.
