What have been your best and worst purchases from Martialartsmart (Tigerclaw)?

[themeecer]

What has been your best and worst purchases from the owners of this site, www.martialartsmart.com (tigerclaw.com)?

Best: The Water Style Boxing video by Helen Liang
Why? Well beyong the obvious joy of getting to watch Helen, it gives the most value for your dollar. You are taught a very nice form from multiple angles with applications throughout the video. This is some solid material. I would jump at the chance to be allowed to train under her or her father. Her snake video is great as well, and it has even more applications.

Worst: Chuck Hansen's Nunchaku DVDs. Trying to not be that critical here, if this works for him and his students .. then great. I knew something was wrong when teaching his first form he makes the statement "at this point you spin, turning your back to the judges." Judges?!?!? Holy freakin crap!! There should have been a disclaimer on the DVDs that said there is no martial ability taught on these, simply techniques to help one compete in an XMA competition. Bleh!

[GeneChing]

You'll be happy to know that we are working on part two of Water Boxing with Helen Liang. In fact, I just spoke to Helen on the phone a few days ago to clear up some ambiguities I had about the form.

As for the Hansen videos, we had a lot of requests for a demo nunchuk video series. Chuck Hansen offered us a pre-packaged program.

I'm eager to read other resposnses to this thread.

[Shaolinlueb]

best thing i bought had to be the new sun moon wushu broad sword or the wushu kwan do.

worst is the monkey staff video. i believe we already had a thread about that

[themeecer]

Originally posted by GeneChing
You'll be happy to know that we are working on part two of Water Boxing with Helen Liang. In fact, I just spoke to Helen on the phone a few days ago to clear up some ambiguities I had about the form.

As for the Hansen videos, we had a lot of requests for a demo nunchuk video series. Chuck Hansen offered us a pre-packaged program.

I'm eager to read other resposnses to this thread.

I almost didn't include my negative item, and felt bad after I did. I also ordered a set of his chucks, which were superbly made. They were a little light for my tastes but for a demo set of chucks(if one does this sort of thing), I don't think his can be beat.

And now I am drooling over the 2nd Water Boxing video. Will it be another form, or more applications of the first form? The latter would be better since there appeared to be hundreds of applications in the form from the first video. But anything would be great. It is a shame her school is in Canada.

Edit: I found this in Liang's site:

There are two Liuhebafa routines: Liuhebafa Quan and Sanpan Shiershi routines. The Liuhebafa Quan consists of sixty-six postures including over five hundred martial applications. It is divided into two sections, and each section is practiced as a routine. The Sanpan Shiershi routine is a foundation training routine that include advancing, retreating, rising and lowering movements which are designed to develope reaction skills for combat.

I also went back to watch the water boxing video and saw that it is only 32 movememnts. I assume this is the first section of Liuhebafa Quan, since it is never stated. Does this possibly mean the second section will be taught? The Sanpan Shiershi routine sounds more like a precurser to the other two. Are you at liberty to discuss Gene?

[Fen]

The Best!!
I feel that the best thing is the Customer Service. ?Joan Chen? is the best! She has never did me wrong... I have always got what ordered, and in 3 to 4 days!!!

The Worst!!
Jeremy C. a.k.a SilumKid and Kacie ( the one in the pic of the sweet shirt hood up) not working there anymore.. I feel that you should pay them anything "with in $$$ reason $$$" to get them back!!! Joan If you all need Jeremy C. Phone # Just e-mail me or Call!!!

For the Magazine:
Good:
Getting Brother Gene C. to work there!

Worst:
Martha not working for you all.
And to much push on SSKF!! And the Masters and Sifus of China, and not enuff on the Masters and Sifus ( All Races not just Chinese) here in the USA! IMHO
There should be a Ying and Yang!!! Not just one!

~Jason

[Pork Chop]

The good...

Got some decent videos & dvds from there like Hero....
Got my cotton shin guards from there...


The bad...

Ordered a staff once and received a Da Mo wall scroll instead. When I called to complain i was supposed to mail back the wall scroll on my own dime and include the receipt. Some time had passed in there so I didn't have the receipt or something and ended up not even bothering.


The ugly...

*Some* of the TC2000 stuff is kinda err lame...
In general the gear seems to be aimed at a broad range of japanese & chinese stylists for the specific use of point sparring.
Aside from the vinyl TC2000 shinguards and the cotton Tiger Claw shinguards; there's not much there that I would consider for my own, personal regular training needs- although I'm probably not representative of their customer base.

[David Jamieson]

I have been satisfied with everything I've gotten from MAM.

I am even "more" than satisfied with the heavy ass kwan do.

no complaints...and if I had em, you'd be sure to hear em!

[Vash]

The Good:

The subscription:

The Bad:

Nada.

The Ugly:

The fact I've yet to actually order anything. I've not credit card, and it takes forever to get the check over there.

I will, however, be ordering the Eagle Claw (traditional) instructional here soon, so I'll post a review then.

[Brad]

My favorites: Helen Liang's snake form & the Wu, Chen, & Sun style competition form videos. I also liked Shi Guolin's Xiao Hong Quan.

My least favorite: Shaolin Wind Demon staff(Basically looked like an extra simplified modern wushu staff routine by a mediocre performer, to me).

[PHILBERT]

Best
Bestest

Worst
Luckily I only spent $10 on it so I wasn't too upset.

What I'd like to take out one night.

[cerebus]

What? The chest protector with the pink trim? Well, I guess if you have the pink trimmed uniform to go with it.....

[David Jamieson]

lol Philbert bought a clown video!

as an aside, I think it would be in the best interest of everybody if todd the clown stopped making wing chun videos. But that's just my opinion.

[Dale Dugas]

Decent books about Bagua are like legs on snakes most of the time. Great book!

Havent had any bad experiences with Martial Arts Mart as of yet.

In Boston,

Dale Dugas

[Meat Shake]

Hey meercer-
Did you quit shaolin-do?
Just an honest question.
(that and I cant possibly see the need to add anything else to the 19081092730860176208730817201 forms already taught....)

[themeecer]

Originally posted by Meat Shake
Hey meecer-
Did you quit shaolin-do?
Just an honest question.
(that and I cant possibly see the need to add anything else to the 19081092730860176208730817201 forms already taught....)

Um no. I would never do so. It has aided me well in the past 21 years and will continue to do so.

Can a person not buy videos just to have? Also I have read that Water Fist Boxing is a combination of Tai Chi, Pa Qua, and Hsing I ... and since I teach all three of them I feel a study of the combination of all three would be beneficial. What's more I don't have access to many of the forms taught out in our system. (Not saying I am adding this ... just studying it)

And if you want to go down that road start another thread so this one doesn't go off topic. I think this one will be a good way for us to make wise purchases in the future.