Ryu
04-27-2004, 07:38 AM
This was the first of Demi Barbito's material that I was able to get my hands on even though I had followed his website and articles for some time. The overall production quality and instruction in this DVD is way above average and I'd recommend it to those interested in a more realistic bent towards weapons and impact weapons. The review is as follows.
Popping the DVD into my machine, the first thing I noticed was the very high production quality of the visuals, audio, and technical aspects which becomes apparent in the first few seconds of the opening intro. The technical production of this DVD (which, if I'm not mistaken, is done by Demi himself!) is very impressive, and provides for a very clear and concise video that is easy to follow, navigate, and understand. Demi speaks clearly and comes across as someone who is very knowledgable and professional in this field. There are times when he seems to speak a little fast, almost as if he is being hurried, but this rarely becomes a problem and clears up as the DVD progresses. Demi opens up with an explanation of impact weapons and the basics of the single stick. He demonstrates (with much skill) different drills that lead into basic, intermediate, and advanced stick sparring. Demi makes it clear that the CSPT's first priority in Self-Preservation is to escape the situation. You're not there to "stick fight," You're there to do what you can in order to open up an avenue of escape for yourself.
Further into the DVD, Demi covers double stick and the various angles, concepts, and fighting strategies one can use with them. One of the interesting things to note is that Demi's stickfighting is geared much more on practicality and landing the shots, and less on "fanciness" or "flash" type stick routines. The only "stick counters" found are those that can be performed on a fully resistant opponent.
While this first half of the DVD was very informative, it was later on in the DVD where I felt that this material really shined. Not covered in any other MA or Self Defense tape I've seen, Demi focuses on heavy impact weapons such as the baseball bat and explains how angles are effected by the weight of the bat or club, etc. Drills are given on how to use a baseball bat effectively in live situations, and sparring takes place later on. I felt this was a very realistic scenario, and one that people might find themselves in more often then a Filipino double stick fight. (I'm reminded of a friend I once had that kept a baseball bat by his door as a security measure...)
Demi goes on to cover the SureFire Light next on the DVD and presents a very educational and interesting lesson on tactical impact devices that many in the MA world probably haven't been exposed to before. The CSPT has a reputation for delving deeper into Self Preservation training than most other MA schools, and respectably, Demi's teaching style, strategies, and presentation remind me more of a Police Tactics Seminar then any kind of traditional martial art or even a majority of the JKD schools out there. Definitely material that civilians can use in real situations involving assault, home invasion, mugging, rather than "duels" fought in the dojo. The DVD includes information and contact information about all the equipment used in the DVD which I found very helpful. The DVD ends with a bonus lesson on Home Defense and Emergency Preparedness. Demi goes into territory that I haven't seen covered in any other MA video, but I feel is essential to basic safety needs of homes and individuals. Demi covers first aid, emergency food supply strategies, and introduces some items that he feels have an edge on Emergency Preparation. One of these is a very interesting product called Quick Clot which is used to stop serious to severe bleeding. Demi concludes by giving an explanation of these items, as well as gun safety and tactical lighting with firearms.
All in all, the DVD was extremely high quality and contains info that I feel every martial artist should know. It was nice to see such down to earth, "safety as first priority" type instruction, and it shows that Demi and the CSPT are making major headway in the MA and JKD field.
Reviewed by
"Ryu"
Popping the DVD into my machine, the first thing I noticed was the very high production quality of the visuals, audio, and technical aspects which becomes apparent in the first few seconds of the opening intro. The technical production of this DVD (which, if I'm not mistaken, is done by Demi himself!) is very impressive, and provides for a very clear and concise video that is easy to follow, navigate, and understand. Demi speaks clearly and comes across as someone who is very knowledgable and professional in this field. There are times when he seems to speak a little fast, almost as if he is being hurried, but this rarely becomes a problem and clears up as the DVD progresses. Demi opens up with an explanation of impact weapons and the basics of the single stick. He demonstrates (with much skill) different drills that lead into basic, intermediate, and advanced stick sparring. Demi makes it clear that the CSPT's first priority in Self-Preservation is to escape the situation. You're not there to "stick fight," You're there to do what you can in order to open up an avenue of escape for yourself.
Further into the DVD, Demi covers double stick and the various angles, concepts, and fighting strategies one can use with them. One of the interesting things to note is that Demi's stickfighting is geared much more on practicality and landing the shots, and less on "fanciness" or "flash" type stick routines. The only "stick counters" found are those that can be performed on a fully resistant opponent.
While this first half of the DVD was very informative, it was later on in the DVD where I felt that this material really shined. Not covered in any other MA or Self Defense tape I've seen, Demi focuses on heavy impact weapons such as the baseball bat and explains how angles are effected by the weight of the bat or club, etc. Drills are given on how to use a baseball bat effectively in live situations, and sparring takes place later on. I felt this was a very realistic scenario, and one that people might find themselves in more often then a Filipino double stick fight. (I'm reminded of a friend I once had that kept a baseball bat by his door as a security measure...)
Demi goes on to cover the SureFire Light next on the DVD and presents a very educational and interesting lesson on tactical impact devices that many in the MA world probably haven't been exposed to before. The CSPT has a reputation for delving deeper into Self Preservation training than most other MA schools, and respectably, Demi's teaching style, strategies, and presentation remind me more of a Police Tactics Seminar then any kind of traditional martial art or even a majority of the JKD schools out there. Definitely material that civilians can use in real situations involving assault, home invasion, mugging, rather than "duels" fought in the dojo. The DVD includes information and contact information about all the equipment used in the DVD which I found very helpful. The DVD ends with a bonus lesson on Home Defense and Emergency Preparedness. Demi goes into territory that I haven't seen covered in any other MA video, but I feel is essential to basic safety needs of homes and individuals. Demi covers first aid, emergency food supply strategies, and introduces some items that he feels have an edge on Emergency Preparation. One of these is a very interesting product called Quick Clot which is used to stop serious to severe bleeding. Demi concludes by giving an explanation of these items, as well as gun safety and tactical lighting with firearms.
All in all, the DVD was extremely high quality and contains info that I feel every martial artist should know. It was nice to see such down to earth, "safety as first priority" type instruction, and it shows that Demi and the CSPT are making major headway in the MA and JKD field.
Reviewed by
"Ryu"