...A Review of Keith Pascal's Book on Punching...

[Sharp Phil]

...appears here (http://PhilElmore.com/martial/punchpapers.htm) on my web page. If you're at all curious about how to make your own punches more powerful or more useful, how to deal with boxers (or integrate the best of what they do into what you do), or how to enhance your training to become a better striker, you will find this text useful.

For other reviews and articles, including other Pascal texts (among several authors and topics), click here (http://PhilElmore.com/martial/martial.htm).

[tri2bmt]

C'mon you hillbilly, tell us all the hidden secrets this punch man has. What the **** is the point of telling us this, giving a review and then not giving us any of his secrets? You suck.
You probably wrote the paper and don't want anybody to know it so you can sing praises about it and convince us to buy it.
**** you.:mad:

[rogue]

I get Keiths weekly newsletter, and sorry to say I've yet to see anything truely enlightening in it. I received his Bodyguard Training (How to move someone through a crowd) report and it was shall we say underwhelming, in a nutshell look for the gaps in a crowd something any weekend denizen of the mall knows. Maybe I've been around too long but he's not up to a Marc MacYoung, Peyton Quinn or even the postings that Darren Lauer does here. I guess the JKD fans of Keith will now decend upon me like locusts, but I'm just giving my opinion.

[Sharp Phil]

Rogue,

I was actually pretty turned off by Pascal's marketing site when I first saw it. The topic came up in e-budo's Bad Budo section, and I was set to tear into him as some sort of over-the-top fraud.

Then Alain Burrese (a friend of MacYoung's, and someone I've spoken to online -- I reviewed one of his books and quite liked it) popped in to vouch for Keith. Keith and I got to talking through e-mail, and he eventually sent me his wristlocks text with the understanding that I would review it. Good or bad; he put his work on the line not knowing what I would think, and he couldn't have stopped me from posting the review one way or another.

It came with that Bodyguarding bonus, which I, too, did not find particularly earth-shattering. But the Wristlocks text was good (if rough in spots -- the whole review is on my web page). I liked it enough to encourage Keith to send me other texts to review, including his book on teaching and this one punching. While I still don't care for the marketing plugs and sales hype he prefers, there is genuine substance to his work, and much of benefit.

The e-zine contains some stuff that's just kind of there and other material that makes good, common sense. I don't recall seeing anything truly amazing, but niether have I seen anything that was bad. It's definitely worth taking the time to read, if only that.

Essentially, I started out not liking Keith (based on little more than gut reaction) and ended up enjoying his work. That's why I figured I would share these reviews.

As for sharing the "secrets" that asterisk-boy seems to want to see, it wouldn't really be ethical of me to start throwing around the content of an e-book for which you're supposed to pay, any more than it would be right for me to scan all the pages of a hardcopy book and post them on my webpage as part of a review of that book.

Hope this helps.

[rogue]

His marketing doesn't bother me Phil and I think it speaks well of his intentions by sending you review copies. I also agree that I have yet to read anything that I consider bad in his newsletter, the information in it just wasn't anything special. After seeing the reaction on e-budo to a slightly critical post of Keith I expected a bit more.
Then I haven't read any of his books, but based upon what I've read by Keith, and the reviews on Amazon by the usual JKD suspects (that's a joke folks ;) ) I'm still hesitent to purchase them.

Now if he wants me to review some of his books I'd be happy to recieve them and give an honest review here.

Phil, Without giving away the contents of the book what does he add to the subject of wrist locks that hasn't already been done?

[Sharp Phil]

There's nothing in the wristlocks book that you won't find somewhere else; the difference is that it's all there in one convenient volume, whereas you'd have to go hunting through several books on Aikido, Chin Na, and other arts to find the techniques elsewhere. I have a hardcopy of the book, and it's a nice little reference text. The illustrations are (for the most part) clear and easy to understand, and Keith's presentation is friendly and engaging.

[Badger]

I really miss "Razor's Redoubt".

Great "seeing" you again.


Badger

[rogue]

Thanks Phil. Does Keith say where he got his training?

[Sharp Phil]

Thanks, Badger. I don't run a forum now but I do maintain an e-mail list. Just follow the link from my web page.

Rogue -- He's trained with someone named Steve Golden for a couple of decades. There's an interview here (http://www.martialdirect.com/profiles/pascal.htm).