Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2796594 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05
• Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews

Wish it was longer
I wish this tape were about two hours longer. No guys in white pyjamas or bubbas in commo BDUs teaching you the same stupid techniques. Steve moves like a true knife fighter with speed, precision and purpose. There are no wasted moves or lunatic disarming techniques. Once he has trapped his attacker, broken their base and taken them to ground, then he can disarm them if necessary. Yes the techniques are over-kill but it is up to you to determine where you draw the line. If you think that its ok to simply punch or kick a guy who has a knife and then stand back to see what he does next, then you are confusing self defense with suicide. I also wish this was on DVD instead of VHS. I'd buy the next two volumes if there were any.

Excellent introduction to little-known information...
This video is an incredible introduction to the knife fighting techniques of Indonesian silat as taught by the de Thouars brothers, and the barehanded kuntao techniques that translate from those using the knife. Techniques presented are practical and applicable, without the flowery wasted moves typical of many systems of self defense; this is a raw, to the point and no nonsense system of protecting yourself using the fighting principles of silat and kuntao. A must for any martial artist's video library!

Effective, but overkill for civilian self defense purposes.
What Steve Gartin teaches in this video is effective, but goes way past what is necessary for self-defense. If you're looking to learn a little about the Silat and Kuntao approaches to using a knife, this is a good video, but if you're looking for practical self defense, please consider that in the eyes of the law, the things in this video are total overkill. The most important thing in a self defense situation is to stop the attack, and remove yourself from the situation. However, most of the techniques shown go way beyond stopping the attack, to the point of manslaughter.

The material is effective, but you have to know when to stop so that you don't go from being the defender to the aggressor, or you may find yourself in prison.