5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship Classics, Vol. 3.

1. This DVD of UFC 3 is a historically great one because it marks the first UFC event to be won by someone other than Royce Gracie but also the only 8 man tournament to be won by an alternate. The matches are your classic old school UFC brawls for the most part, with the finesse of Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie throw in there.
   The fights are all good, starting with Emmanuel Yarbrough (600 lbs) vs Keith Hackney (200 lbs). This event also debuts Kimo, the first man to expose Royce's weaknesses in the octagon by pounding him so much in his match that after Royce beat him and moved in, Royce could not continue in the tournament. You will also see many entertaining personalities, which the UFC always supplied back then. Aside from Kimo and his manager, Joe Son, we also get Roland Payne who breaks bricks on his shins and Harold Howard, a Canadian Karateka who is not all their in the head.
   Buy this UFC event if you are a fan of the old school UFC or just want to compare it to the events of today. They are not the most technical matches but they are still very exciting.



2. Modern Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a hybrid sport where fighters train in both striking (usually a combination of techniques from boxing, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo) and grappling (Brazilian Jiujitsu and wrestling). A thick rulebook exists that prohibits such attacks as biting, hair pulling, eye gouging, hitting to the groan, kneeing/elbowing a "downed" opponent, etc... Even clothing is regulated, with padded gloves and mouthpieces required to minimize damage.
   
   That, however, is not how it used to be. In the "old days" of ultimate fighting, martial artists from completely different spheres of combat would come together in no-holds barred battles of complete domination. There were no weight limits, You might see a huge sumo wrestler battle a karate master or a boxer trying to punch out a ninja. You couldn't be disqualified for biting (though you could be fined), hair-pulling was legal, and punching to the groin happened all the time. During this "iron age" of MMA, fighters battled to answer the age-old question of which martial arts style was the most powerful - and "hybrid" martial artists were almost non-existant.
   
   UFC 3 is the epitomy of this age, and one of the best MMA tournaments you will ever watch. MMA legends like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock are at the top of their games during this event, and matches that would NEVER happen in modern times (such as the legendary sumo vs. kenpo karate fight where the cage is broken during a sumo-slam) are common-place. While the very last match is a bit of a let-down, almost every single one before it is high-intensity combat that will make your jaw drop. If you want to see what true ultimate fighting is all about, this is THE DVD to purchase.



3. Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson?
   Red Sox and White Sox winning the World Series in consecutive years?
   Phil Mickelson taking a third major?
   The band out on the field?
   
   Kids' stuff. You want bizarre, you want unpredictable, you want oh-my-god-what-the-hell-is-going-on...take a look at UFC 3.
   
   All the elements were in place for a titanic Royce Gracie/Ken Shamrock rematch in the final. Opposite brackets, each with beatable, untested opponents. Both principles rested and in good health. Either they'd face each other, or one would get toppled in an incredible upset, and we've have a brand new rivalry on our hands. It had to happen. Right?
   
   It starts out reasonably enough. Keith Hackney, a scrappy little bulldog from the mean streets of Chicago, takes on the gargantuan but immobile and clumsy Emmanuel Yarborough, with predictable results. Next, Shamrock grapples with veteran judo fighter Cristophe Leninger, who gives a valiant match. Then Canadian trash-talking pummeller Harold Howard trades punches with hometown hero Roland Payne, an action-packed slugfest with a suitably spectacular conclusion.
   
   And then things get weird.
   
   No one could've predicted this. But then, isn't that the beauty of sports? Who would've thought that the script would go off the rails so suddenly. And that Steve Jennum would have to step up to save the day. (Steve who? You'll see...)
   
   UFC was pitched as a completely real contest. In the third tournament, it was almost too much so. That's what makes it a must-see.



4. UFC Classics, Vol. 3 is the UFC that changed my mind about the Gracies. Watch and you'll see why.
   
   It was another great addition, filled with testosterone and mismatches. The first bout is scary, a 500 pound man vs. a 200 pound man. 'nuff said.
   
   Kimo vs. Gracie... Kimo became my hero in this DVD. I thought his "religious martyr" gimmick was risky, yet hilarious. Kicking butt for the Lord. Magic!
   
   And it seemed to work, as he pushed Gracie hard, bringing about the most disgraceful ending to a match every. It changed my mind about the Gracies. Watch and you'll see why I was immensely disappointed in someone who I respected (and still respect).
   
   Modern fans might not appreciate it with the evolution of the sport in the modern day. But in its time, it was spectacular.



5. UFC 3 comes to us from Charlotte, North Carolina and features the return of Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, and the debut of Kimo Leopoldo. Everyone anticipated a return bout of Gracie vs Shamrock in the Final, but alas injuries would not allow this to happen. UFC 3 also returns to the original format of 8 fighters in the 1st round, with the winners progressing onward. Once again, there is an interesting mix of fighters squared off against each other with their respective martial arts disciplines on display.
   
   1st Round Matchups:
   
   1. 6'8" 616 pd Emmanuel Yarbrough (Sumo) vs Keith Hackney (Kempo Kung Fu)
   
   2. Ken Shamrock (Shootfighting) vs Christophe Leininger (Judo)
   
   3. Roland Payne (Muy Thai) vs Harold Howard (Karate)
   
   4. Royce Gracie (Jiu-Jitsu) vs Kimo Leopoldo (Tae Kwon Do)
   
   The 1st round fights lasted a bit longer than some of the fights in the first 2 UFC's. The best fight for me was Gracie vs Kimo. Kimo was very tough, and Gracie's most difficult opponent to date. Also, once again we have a huge Sumo fighter taking on a karate expert, and the outcome is to be expected. As mentioned in other reviews, the Final is disappointing, as several fighters were injured in their fights, and unable to continue.
   
   Overall, this DVD does not have as great of fights as the 1st 2 UFC's, but it still provides plenty of knockouts and submissions for the UFC fan!

No comments about Discovery Channel: Extreme DVD Collection: Extreme Enginnering / Comet Collision / I Shouldn't Be Alive / XMA (Martial Arts) / Top Ten Tanks and Bombers.

No comments about Bichunmoo A.k.a. Outlive.

No comments about The Deadly Duo.

No comments about Elite Defense Systems: Pepper-D-Fense.

5 comments about Martial Arts Masters.

1. I had prepared a long and insightful review of this DVD set, but then my computer crashed and I lost it before I could post it. And I don't feel like typing it up all over again. So just buy this DVD set will you! Its better than you think.



2. the bruce lee part of this set is really just three movies that use clips of bruce so don't think your getting some of his best. that is the reason for the 4 star rating. the other movies are really fun martial arts movies with sonny chiba in them and they look good. so if you like these movies this is a really good set.



3. It also has Streetfighter's revenge and the horrible Sister Street Fighter. To top it off they throw great movies like Shogun's Ninja and Fist of Fury in(aka the Big Boss). Throw in a couple of the worst movies ever to go along with it and you have every reason in the world to buy this. IT IS CHEAP. Amazon has it for 10 bucks. BUY THIS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   Adn if you have seen True Romance, this is THE trilogy featured in that movie. You just don't get any better than Sonny ripping that guys throat out. And has anybody ever figured out why that guy fights Chiba in EVERY one of their movies?



4. Bruce Lee may be the photo on the cover, but there's only one Bruce Lee movie in this collection, Fists of Fury, and it looks like it was taken off an old print. You get vertical lines randomly appearing throughout the movie, and the sound won't work properly with a home theater system. You'd be better off just buying a watchable copy of Fists of Fury, and ignoring this.



5. Got this as a gift, so I can't complain too much. However, the one real Bruce Lee movie in the set I already had a copy of. Mostly this is a collection of Sonny Chiba movies of mixed quality.
   
   Some of the movies have been cropped to look like widescreen, but you can tell that they got cropped too much, cutting off part of words that were on the bottom of the screen and/or cutting off people's heads at the top of the screen. What's the point? They probably copied it from VCR and cropped it to fool people into thinking they are watching a digitally re-mastered movie. The cropping was particularly obvious on Shogun's Ninja, and Ninja Wars is obviously copied from VCR tape with a noisy sound track and occasional tracking lines. Honestly, I have duped better quality VCR copies on my home DVD recorder.
   
   The best quality is The Street Fighter, which also seems to be the movie that made Chiba famous, mainly because it is so shockingly violent. There are scenes where he punches holes into people or pulls out hunks of their flesh from sensitive parts of their bodies. Very nasty. In fact, I read somewhere else that when the movie was first released in the U.S. they gave it an X rating because it was so violent.
   
   Anyway, rule of thumb with these old martial arts movies seems to be that when you buy them in big collections you should not expect good quality. While it might sound good you are getting 14 hours of entertainment for small change, you should keep in mind that you always get what you paid for. So, set your expectations low with this collection.

No comments about Karo Parisyan-Judo for Mixed Martial Arts, 6 incredible volumes for learning effective throws for Grappling and UFC style fighting.

3 comments about Tai-Chi Life Training Program DVD.

1. The content on the DVD is OK, the presenters are affable BUT it is really a poorly produced DVD, a home job and it's hard to get past that.
   
   No lighting was used and the male instructor is mostly shadowed and his face is rarely clear.
   
   There are pure white posters and windows behind them which shimmer throughout the piece and are distracting (again, a lighting issue).
   
   There is NO menu for the DVD. You have to go through everything to get to what you want. You can click Next, but it takes you to undefined sections. A menu would have been nice.
   
   I'm not sure why the male instructor was wearing a tae kwon do uniform for a tai chi piece, but that's a minor nitpick...
   
   The ending cheer was kind of goofy but did make me smile...
   
   Again, content is OK, but too many production issues make it hard to use. It's more like a home movie or an in-school training DVD, not a professionally produced one.



2. I have attended Dr. Garrett's Tai Chi class for a number of months. I have have had great results attending the class. The class makes me feel that all of my cells have been oxygenated and I have lots of energy. I purchased the Tai Chi Life Training DVD and I am excited to have it in my home. Its easy for me to get into a relaxed--yet focused mental state while watching the DVD. It is wonderful for the days when I want to do the program at home. The DVD is very high quality--professionally done and it gives me a feeling of being connected to the instructors as I do these focused, deep breathing exercizes. I highly recommend this program to anyone wanting more energy, a positive outlook, and a relaxed,focused state of mind.
   Mary Ann Hardman



3. I recently received this DVD as a gift and I love it. It is a great way to do Tai-Chi in the home. I find the instructers enjoyable and the program easy to follow. I have found that on the days that I do Tai-Chi I am more relaxed and peaceful. I love it!!

3 comments about Tai Chi: Anywhere.

1. He explains all the motions very easy and clear, you for sure understand everything well. But i can't believe that the whole instruction is filmed in a little room in front of a couple of chairs and frames etc. in the back. Couldn't they pick a better place and a little more professional camera.
   But besides this the instruction is definitely very good and understandable...



2. Don't waste your money on this! I paid $25 for this piece of crap!!! It's dull, slow and very very boring, not to mention hard to follow. The sound quality was horrible too. David Carradine was on one of the PBS channels and I taped part of his demonstrations, what little segment I taped was a 100% better then the entired Dr. Tam DVD. Don't buy it!



3. I did not like this video at all it was the most expensive one I bought and I really was disapointed. I guess if you knew nothing at all about tai chi maybe you would appreciate it but I was not impressed at all.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship Vol. 1 - UFC Hits.

1. Back to the real old days, we see Royce Gracie against Kimo. That was a classic. We see the early days of Tank Abbott bashing people. We see Keith Hackney punch out a sumo wrestler. I used to watch every pay per view event back then. In what I consider the second generation of MMA stars, we see Don Frye belt some people out. He was really very good. Later on in the film we see some of the more modern stars.
   
   This film reminds me of the days when MMA stars weren't well rounded. The sport began as a showcase to determine which was the best martial art. The BJJ guys cleaned up. They cleaned up to such an extent that nowadays everyone knows BJJ, and there is no such thing as a one-dimensional fighter anymore.
   
   One fight I'm surprised is NOT on this collection is the most important MMA fight of the early days - when Royce Gracie triangle choked Dan Severn despite being about 100 pounds lighter.
   
   To this day, I love the Gracies. I even took classes with a black belt who received his belt from the Gracies, and I attended a tournament run by Renzo Gracie. Modern fans of MMA should realize that the point isn't that this or that star can defeat a Gracie in the ring. The point is that MMA "IS" the Gracies. No Gracies, no MMA. It was the brain child of the Gracies, and they wrote the book on it. So what if others took their teachings and can now beat them at their own game. How can one family be expected to produce the very toughest men in the world generation after generation? It's unreasonable to expect that.
   
   It is unfortunate that Rickson Gracie never fought in the UFC. My teacher told me that Rickson used to line up half a dozen Gracie relatives and beat them all easily, one after the other, like a chess master walking from table to table defeating a collection of players simultaneously.
   
   To get films of Rickson, the greatest of the Gracies, you need to check out the Pride tournaments. My guess is that Rickson in his prime would do very well against today's crop. I'd love to see him against Andrei Arlovski, Randy Couture, or Chuck Liddell. I wouldn't bet against Rickson. I'd make him the favorite to be the greatest martial artist of our time.



2. Simply put, you must own this if you are an MMA fan. Buy it... NOW!



3. This edition of UFC Hits takes us from UFC 1 all the way through to UFC 16, selecting choice fights from these events.
   
   Royce Gracie is dominant in the earliest events, employing tactics that people simply weren't prepared to defend against. Gracie then slowly gives way to new talent as it emerges. There are quite a few Tank Abbott fights included, also. We get to see some of his most memorable fights and knockouts - but we then get to see the "end" of the Tank Abbott era when he meets young Vitor Belfort. Belfort thrashes Abbott very easily, utilizing his amazing hand speed and power. With Belfort came a new, higher level of talent into the UFC.
   
   The Belfort/Couture fight is one of the best fights on the DVD (if not the very best). You will appreciate the fight regardless, but even moreso if you've seen their two more recent fights. These are two truly amazing mixed martial artists early in their UFC careers.
   
   We then see Frank Shamrock emerge toward the end of this DVD edition, at about the same time Tito Ortiz makes his debut (still a college student at the time). There is a bonus interview conducted inside the octagon with Shamrock and Ortiz, as they were soon to face-off. This fight is included on UFC Hits 2.
   
   This is a great collection of fights - there are about 40 fights totaling 2 hours of action. Classic knockouts, submissions and all-out battles... Highly recommended!



4. If you are a fan of the knockouts in UFC, than this is a must see. It is really fun for me to watch since I just picked up on MMA about 5 or 6 years ago. These are all from early UFC's and man is it fun to watch. It starts it off with a 400 pound guy going up against a 200 pound guy and 400 gets kicked in the face and his tooth goes flying a good 20 feet. It is a great opening to the rest of the fights since more than half of them end with a guy getting knocked unconcious or having blood streaming down his face. A few of the matches they don't show the whole fight and just show the action but most are so quick there is no need to shorten them.
   
   This is a must buy for any fan who doen't want to buy all of the old UFC DVD's and just wants to see great knockout fights like Don Frye vs. Tank Abbot, Royce Gracie vs. Kimo, Dan Severn's first match in the UFC, Mark Colemen vs. Maurice Smith, Keith Hackney vs. 600 pound guy, Keith Hackney showing us how to punch a guy in the balls as hard as he can...



5. This disc rocks. In reading the reviews here, I knew it would be good, probably more for its historical value than for its unfiltered excitement. I was only half right. It nails it on both. This disc is a Who's Who of UFC, introducing one great fighter after another. What's outstanding about this perspective is that alot of the clips are complete fights and not just the knockouts or subs. They show fights lasting just a few seconds to the Gracie/Kimo 5 minute battle to the best rounds of marathon fights. I can't say enough good things about this. There's no time for a bathroom break in this barrage. You will see early no-weight-class Davey/Goliath fights with Tank A. in 1000-seat arenas with a broken Octogon door to modern Vegas matches including IceMan, Ortiz and Randy C. Every vicious step down memory lane is worth watching in this hour and a half. Phenomenal on many levels.