PDA

View Full Version : Review of new video



Demitrius Barbito
04-19-2000, 08:24 PM
Functionalize or Die!Â*
by Demi BarbitoÂ*
Â*Â*
Review by Rene HinojosaÂ*Â* 04/19/00

Demi Barbito has just released a newÂ*Â* video entitled, "Functionalize or Die!"
His latest effort centers on Tactical applications: getting your techniques to actually work against uncooperative opponents.
The tape starts of with Demi explaining an exercise that involves a knife wielding attacker versus two victims and terms it " An Exercise in Futility" simply because it is really, "... an Exercise in Fatality!"Â* The scenario has been set up so there is no way for the defender to win and the victims will probably die.Â* Demi stresses the attributes that are developed, the psychological and emotional control, and a feel for this type of experience. Two people enter and one is stabbed and the other person has to deal with that encounter because there is no way out, and the phone is their only lifeline to call for help.
This scenario is truly "Close Quarter Combat" because the victim is forced to deal with their assailant in a way that calls on their self-preservation instinct.Â* What follows next is actually quite disturbing because one person fell victim within a split second after being "assassinated" with the knife and no doubt bled to death. TheÂ* remaining victim was stabbed/slashed so many times that he too just joined his acquaintance at the morgue. It is quite obvious that there is no where to hide or run for thre victims and they are forced to rely on their training to at least survive.Â* The tape continues with this same drill and in one instance the remaining victim actually managed to drop the assailant to the ground, with some vicious shots and attempted to call for help using the phone. The survivor "suffered" multiple stab and slash wounds that he too is in a life or death predicament if medical attention is not available immediately.Â*The exercise continuesÂ* and this time the victim took the fight to the ground, grappling with the assailant and recieved severe cuts and stabbings for his efforts.Â* The fifth attempt was totally unprecedented, the victim actually took the assailant to the ground, disarmed him and managed to take the victims life with a "throat slash"!Â* Wow!Â*
Demi steers the tape into Rapid Assault tactics made famous by Paul Vunak.Â* Demi's states that the "attacker need vanquish, the defender need only survive" so the students are looking for best options or quick kills.Â* In this drill, students of various builds and skill levels are pitted together and head butts, elbows, knees, and straight blasts are the order of the day.Â*
A lecture by Demi follows late in the tape where he elaborates on Critical Distance. Critical Distance - something that takes awhile to develop a feel for, to be able to do critical distance one has to be in a "zone". In other words the mental preparation that follows before the fight.Â* Demi emphasizes to turn this zone on and off throughout the fight. When in the zone one has to feel the critical distance and he uses an analogy to get this point across: If there was a rattlesnake in a corner and is sitting there with its tail rattling, it is relatively harmless at this point, but the moment it is approached within a certain distance it attacks.Â*
Next Demi gives an effective down of the five ways of attacks and and adds his own touch and variations.Â*Very in depth and logically presented.Â*
As the video draws to a finish, Demi shifts the emphasis to adding a firearm into the Rapid Assault Tactics scheme of things. I believe this is a video first and what the viewer sees next is truly incredible.Â* The fight deviates from one where a gun is used and it mutates into a knife fight, empty hands, and back to any other combination of the above.Â*
I truly enjoyed this video because it breaks new ground into things that have not been addressed by other instructors, who may perceive themselves to be in the know in reference to tactical applications of the knife.Â* This video serves as a warning, or an awakening, to people who train a certain way that may not mirror a true self-preservation situation.Â* The statement or message in this video is one in which if you are not training against an uncooperative opponent your training is moot. Hats off to Demi, his students, and Scott for a well thought out video with fresh, serious content throughout. This tape certainly raises questions within ourselves as instructors because it causes us to ask whether our material is flexible in unpredictable situations and whether our training methods are realistic enough.Â*
For further inquiries about obtaining this video please contact Demi at: Demi@thegrid.net
website - http://www.thegrid.net/pfs/

------------------
Demi Barbito
Head Instructor
PFS of SLO
www.thegrid.net/pfs (http://www.thegrid.net/pfs)