crucible

[Bhassler]

I reread my post and I meant to say that the video LOOKS like it is aimed at the wanna-bes and bunker-dwellers. Apparently a couple of key words got lost in the editing.

The cool rock guitar and flashy text is Paladin's post-production doing. Honestly, though, it's not a bit more hyperbolic than most every martial arts DVD these days.

This speaks to the point I was trying to make in reference to dtactics comments about presumption. The marketing production makes it look just like all the other trash that's marketed as "unbeatable secret guerrilla combat double-agent fighting techniques" that are out there-- I get that it's not, but your sentiments are based on first hand knowledge, not what's presented in the video. The original post was about what was in the video, and there's no reason in particular anyone would know about this guy unless they were already in the field and had met him or some of his students.

[Ian]

FWIW, his DVDs are excellent. I'd rate them higher than almost any other MA/SD DVDs out there. Well worth the money.

[Chris McKinley]

Bhassler,

Yeah, you're right about the commonality of the flashy presentation. That's why I specifically recommended that folks interested should ask the top guys in the field what they think of him. That should speak volumes, while my voice is only one.

As to the presentation, though, let me ask a non-rhetorical question. How should the videos be presented, alternative to how they are now? Presumably, you'd want something similarly exciting because nobody's gonna take seriously something the presenter himself can't get excited about. But if it's too flashy, too wanna-be, or whathaveyou, what, for you, would represent an improvement in the presentation?

In the interests of complete transparency, I ask this out of selfish interest in that I, too, may be offering a DVD of my material sometime next year possibly and I don't wish to misrepresent myself nor to come across as appealing to wanna-be's, etc. I would very much appreciate the honest feedback.

[Areios]

that push to the throath in the guard with both hand... i'm a noob in bjj but that's an invite for an armbar.

[Chris McKinley]

ROFL. What do the Chinese say? Oh yeah. Be careful what you wish for. I may be contacting Haggard's publishing company on Monday.

[Bhassler]

Bhassler,

Yeah, you're right about the commonality of the flashy presentation. That's why I specifically recommended that folks interested should ask the top guys in the field what they think of him. That should speak volumes, while my voice is only one.

As to the presentation, though, let me ask a non-rhetorical question. How should the videos be presented, alternative to how they are now? Presumably, you'd want something similarly exciting because nobody's gonna take seriously something the presenter himself can't get excited about. But if it's too flashy, too wanna-be, or whathaveyou, what, for you, would represent an improvement in the presentation?

In the interests of complete transparency, I ask this out of selfish interest in that I, too, may be offering a DVD of my material sometime next year possibly and I don't wish to misrepresent myself nor to come across as appealing to wanna-be's, etc. I would very much appreciate the honest feedback.

Well, you definitely do need to grab people's attention, so something flashy and violent is definitely appropriate at the start, but the rest of the video needs to provide some context for all the stuff we see later. Some of the stuff shown in the current video would cross the line from self defense to assault for an ordinary civilian situation-- which again is appropriate for who it is aimed for, but those aren't the people who are going to be interested in learning from a DVD, anyways.

For myself, I would want to know what exactly it is you propose to teach (i.e. self-defense from a video is a bad idea, but you could definitely introduce training methodologies to help people improve their current stuff) and I would like to see something of how the material is taught and presented (so I want to check out your teaching AND your fighting). I do think if you're working in the context of worst-case RBSD some intense scenarios are warranted so people know what it is they are or should be training for as well. So a violent bit, a technical bit, and snip of teaching concepts/principles all wrapped up in a clear message of "this is what I'm teaching and why I'm teaching it" would really interest me in a potential DVD and reassure me that what's on there is of high quality and relevant.

[Chris McKinley]

Brian,

I appreciate your taking the time to give me real feedback, and I'd like to discuss some of it with you. RE: "...but the rest of the video needs to provide some context for all the stuff we see later.". I'm not quite sure what you mean here the way this is phrased. Would you please explain that one?

RE: "Some of the stuff shown in the current video would cross the line from self defense to assault for an ordinary civilian situation...". I was not really asking about the content of Kelly's video, nor even about mine, but about the presentation. You criticized the presentation of Kelly's video as appearing to appeal to the camo banjo crowd, so what I'm asking is, how would you change the 'wrapping paper', so to speak, so that it did not give you that vibe.

Now, since you did offer some feedback on content, let me touch on some of that. I've already been very clear on what kind of content I will be providing due to the purposefully somewhat limited scope of the project, but feedback is always good.

RE: "For myself, I would want to know what exactly it is you propose to teach...". I'm months away from even beginning to think about what might go on a DVD. Right now, I'm focusing on the class content.

RE: "i.e. self-defense from a video is a bad idea, but you could definitely introduce training methodologies to help people improve their current stuff". Self-defense is a purpose, not a tactic. Tactics can indeed be shown successfully on video. However, I very much do want to focus on how the material is successfully transposed from the format of ritualized forms to the format of reality-based exchange of combatives. It wouldn't mean as much to simply show that it can be done. I already know that from years of direct experience and don't require validation from my fellow posters on an internet forum. Besides, if others weren't then able to do similarly, it would really be nothing more than me just showing off.

The whole point of the project is to help other practitioners, both in and out of the neijia specifically, to be able to develop real ability to defend themselves by taking charge of their own training and learning to "unpack" the material in their art and train it for real functionality. My way isn't the only way; it's a way to do so. I'd be just as happy if people took my inspiration and found their own way to do it.

RE: "I do think if you're working in the context of worst-case RBSD some intense scenarios are warranted so people know what it is they are or should be training for as well.". The class is not really, at least at this point, intended to be a full-scale comprehensive RBSD training regimen, so I'm not sure if I'll be expanding the scope of the class to include that.

RE: "So a violent bit, a technical bit, and snip of teaching concepts/principles all wrapped up in a clear message of "this is what I'm teaching and why I'm teaching it" would really interest me in a potential DVD and reassure me that what's on there is of high quality and relevant.". Hopefully I'll be able to provide something similar to that then, although people on this forum already know why I'm teaching it.

As to high quality, I suppose that's a bit subjective. There are some here who will only define that term to mean if what I'm doing looks exactly and precisely like a typical form movement application. I've already made very clear that those kinds of apps are almost always horseshit that has nothing to do with the reality of a real assault. I will not be contributing to that charade personally. As to relevant, that I can feel confident about. The material content is supposed to be combatives, drawn primarily from Baguazhang. That part will be a given.

Anyway, thanks again for your time and your insight.