No comments about Secrets of Stretching: Exercises for the Lower Body (Instructional Dvd).

5 comments about The Fearless Hyena.

1. I don't know what a lot of people are talking about. This DVD from Columbia Tristar is the best there is for this movie. It has the original Cantonese dialouge (along with a separate English dub) with English subs. The picture is fine too. It's good enough for an old movie like this one. It's not like you can't see what's going on in the film. I like it.
   
   The movie itself has GREAT choreography, especially Jackie Chan versus the sword guy at the school and Jackie Chan versus the three swordsmen. Fast paced and BREATHTAKING!



2. If you want UNCUT ORIGINAL version, ALWAYS look for ORIGINAL LICENSED Production. NOT US Release. Its a foreign film, it should not be US version to begin with~! HELLO!!!?? Why settle for LESS with US Version where they edit and cut so many excellent scenes especially with Jackie's Fighting Scenes. And US Release ruins the speed and sound as well. I have been collecting Jackie Chan's movies both HK and US Release Version for quite some time now. I found HK Version to be MUCH MORE in enjoyable, and HIGHER in Quality. American Market always like to "Americanize" and "Control". Regional Code Regulation thing is one of the example to CONTROL the Market. Why not let everyone enjoy the same HK Original Release move the same way ENTIRE WORLD enjoys it ?? No one makes Hollywood American movies to "French version" or "Chinese Version" ~! This what Americans are doing~! Well, enjoy the cheap "American version" then~! LOL



3. First of all i dont know why so many ppl complain about the quality and extras,please this is a movie from 1979!! Thanx God we have it on DVD of course i would love to have a 3 disc edition but who cares, The movie is great and very funny, in one scene you can see Jackie as a chinese girl fighting a big guy because he got a job as a man who fights every Kung fu teacher that wants to bother his boss.
   The story is great Jackie lives with his grandpa and he teach him Kung Fu but soon his grandpa is found by an old enemy who wants to kill him and one day the evil master finds the Grandpa's house and kill him gettind advantage of the grandpa's sickness...Jackie tries to help him but he is stopped by and old man who tells him not to fight these master at the moment or he will be dead too...
   Soon the old man became his master and put him in HARD training so Jackie can defeat the evil master...and KIll him
   The fights are spectacular theres a bit of all here.
   ENJOY AND LEARN!!



4. Jackie Chan had just established his Hong Kong popularity with Seasonal Pictures Snake in Eagles Shadow and the sublime Drunken Master. With the success of those films Lo Wei, who lent him out to Seasonal, let Jackie have complete control over his next picture. Fearless Hyena would be Jackie's directorial debut - though he would be working with a much smaller budget than his Seasonal experience. He would also stunt coordinate and write this film too. This movie would out gross the stellar receipts of Drunken Master and help earn Jackie 6000 HK dollars (his pay was 3000 per film; though he made over 50000 on Drunken Master). This measly pay helped exacerbate the rift between him and Lo Wei which led to his departure and the infamous sequel.
   
   Jackie reprises his goofy student role that he played in Drunken Master. This time he is Shing Lung, a talented but capricious student and grandson of Chen Ping Fe (the ubiquitous James Tien). Lung would rather gamble or goof off then study his forms. Little does he know that his Grandfather is marked for death by Yen Ting Hua (the underrated Yam Sai-kwoon aka Yen Shi Kwan) who is trying to destroy the Sien Yi clan founded by Hiu Fei (I just love keeping track of these names, I do not know why). Though Shing is forbidden to teach (or show) the Kung Fu his grandfather teaches him he (of course) does it anyways.
   
   Shing tries to make his grandfather proud by getting a job selling coffins. The coffin dealer played by Dean Shek is an unscrupulous merchant who even sells secondhand coffins. This cameo plays to the strengths of Dean and is quite an interesting and hilarious scene. Hapless Shing blows this opportunity by trapping Dean in one of his favorite coffins. He runs away and while walking the public he is confronted by three ruffians (Great Bear, Stony Egg and Ironhead) he beat up earlier. They want him to teach them Kung Fu.
   
   Shing meets their Master Ti Cha who is in charge of the Everything Clan who has no actual skills except for scheming. Ti offers Lung a position and lots of money to help there school learn effective fighting techniques. Ti uses him in the old ploy as a lowly laborer to fight heads of other schools (so if the lowly laborer is that good, just imagine how good Master Ti is.) This leads to several excellent fight scenes that are incredibly fun to watch. I especially like when Shing fights the Lu Ying and the Willow Sword (using the Pink Panther theme as background music) as a cross-eyed beggar. He then fights a large albeit slow man as a woman (yes, Jackie in Drag and no he is not cute).
   
   Shing then makes a huge mistake by naming the facility under the Sien Yi name. Now the rest of the film is very predictable with the ultimate showdown between Shing Lung and Yen Ting Hua. The way it is handled though is quite sagacious. The training scenes are Jackie at his masochistic best. With him pulling huge sacks, doing amazing upside-down sit-ups with his new trainer the Unicorn having a sadistic gleam in his eyes. Shing is even taught Emotional Kung Fu (which Jackie made up for this film) using Joy, Anger, Sorrow and Happiness to focus on one's enemy "emotional" weak spot.
   
   One of my favorite scenes is the Dueling Chopsticks scene in which the Unicorn prevents Shing from eating by using his chopsticks (of course.) Unfortunately it has influenced me to be quite annoying and apply this whenever applicable.
   
   I would not rate this film as highly as Drunken Master. There are problems with the plot that takes too much from Drunken Master. However, I feel that this is an unheralded martial arts piece that is funny and exciting with excellent ideas and stunt choreography by Jackie Chan. This is also a must see if you want to watch Jackie in drag.



5. This is a fun and action packed martial arts film with long and exciting fight scenes with humor. This is a classic not to be missed! Once again, Chan is a mischievious youth who is being trained by his grandfather in the martial arts. When his grandfather is killed, Chan seeks revenge against a rather formidable opponent.
   
   The last fight scene is stunning! Humor, different techniques, and good camera work make this a 5 star film!

2 comments about Iaido- The Art of Fast Draw! - Japanese Swordsmanship Vol. 2.

1. This DVD gives great insight into the art of Iaido. I learned a lot about the kata. It also details the two man fighting kata which I really enjoyed. This dvd finishes with a really great instructional portion on how to really cut with a sword. A lot of bang for the buck. Excellent quality production.



2. As a practicing Iaido student, I found the layout clear and easy to understand. A beginner would find their way through it no trouble. I particulaly liked the emphasis in all examples on the safety aspects of working with live blades. The Bokken work also needs to be controlled as these weapons can do considerable damage if miss-used. Very happy with the disk.

5 comments about Pride Fighting Championships: Body Blow.

1. Fedor Emilianenko is now considered the best fighter in the world. Here we get to see him win his first championship fight. It is a very one-sided fight against champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Fedor gets on top and bashes him in the face with power and accuracy, while Nogueira tries to apply submission holds. This fight is good because the fighters are both excellent, but it isn't competitive, and lacks drama. Nogueira is a great one, but not against Fedor today.
   
   Carlos Newton is one of the best grapplers of our time, because of his sophisticated technique and his speed and mobility. He has beaten some of the best. He is matched against a great striker named Anderson Silva. We don't really get to see Newton do his thing. He makes the mistake of slugging with a slugger. We do get to see Silva do his thing.
   
   Kazushi Sakuraba is one of the best mixed martial artists ever. He has beaten opponents even more impressive than the ones Carlos Newton has beaten. Here he is coming off injuries and losses. He's healthy again. He completely dominates his opponent Nino Elvis Schembri, Elvis because of the sideburns. But when Schembri connects with a knee to the head, all of a sudden Sakuraba finds himself in a fight.
   
   Kevin Randleman and his dyed crewcut are matched against Quinton Rampage Jackson. These are two of the world's top black fighters. It's great to see the respect between these two. Randleman predicts a knockout one way or the other, and he's right, though a lot of time is spent maneuvering in the corner. The winner challenges the champ, Wanderlei Silva, who is in the first row watching. Silva answers the challenge, and it looks like a fight is about to break out in the ring after the fight.
   
   Dan Henderson, a top level fighter, is matched against Shungo Ohyama, someone I am not familiar with. Henderson hits too hard and has too much experience for Shungo. This is a mismatch, a showcase for Henderson.
   
   Akira Shoji fights Alexander Stiebling. Alex is a good one too, and taller than Shoji. Alex hits harder, until Shoji lands a shot that shakes him badly. The announcers are firmly on the side of one of the fighters, but two of the judges rule for the other, so we have a judging problem here. I agree with the announcers, and I find the judging suspicious. Not sure what fight they were watching or if it was really on the up and up. I hate to think that maybe it wasn't.
   
   The best pre-fight interview on the show is Stiebling. He explains that his former nickname was The Brazilian Killer, since he was 6-0 against good Brazilians, but then he lost on a cut to a Brazilian, and now his nickname is The Fighting Al Bundy because after a fight he sits on the couch, sticks his hands in his pants, and watches tv.
   
   The announcers are very good. The color guy, Bas Rutten, is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, a fact that viewers may not realize when they see him joking around. Bas in his prime could have given any one of these guys a fight, and may well have defeated all of them on the card except perhaps Fedor. And he isn't very much past his prime.



2. Pride 25: Body Blow is one of the best PPVs held by Pride. It contains enough surprise knockouts to appeal to any MMA fan, casual or loyal.
   
   The fight card is as follows (scored on a scale of 0-10):
   
   - Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs Kazuhiro Kakamura (6/10)
   FYI: He's the twin brother, not the champ.
   
   - Akira Shoji vs Alex Stiebling (6/10)
   It wouldn't be a Pride event without Japan's favorite underdog Shoji.
   
   - Anderson Silva vs Carlos Newton (8/10)
   Don't let this one catch you off guard.
   
   - Dan Henderson vs Shungo Oyama (9/10)
   Best-paced match of the night.
   
   - Kazushi Sakuraba vs Antonio Shembri (7/10)
   Sakuraba's personality makes an otherwise predictable fight into a comedic meltdown.
   
   CO-MAIN EVENTS:
   - Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs Kevin Randleman (8/10)
   The winner of this match has a minor physical encounter with Wanderlei Silva. Great match and great showdown after the fight.
   
   - Fedor Emelianenko vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (7/10)
   This match gets more credit than it should. Granted, it was an important championship bout, but the commentators were really exaggerating the entertainment aspect of the fight.
   
   BONUS MATCH:
   - Alexander Otsuka vs Kenichi Yamamoto (0/10)
   
   The Special Features are nothing special. It includes a brief backstage clip before the event. The rest are stale photo galleries and biographies. The bonus match comprises of two fighters (Otsuka has lost his last 3 matches/Yamamoto has lost his last 5 matches) who're at the end of their careers.
   
   I don't know what Pride was feeding the fighters at this PPV, but Body Blow is a knockout fan's dream come true. Special Features aside, the event is always ranked among the top 10 Pride shows. Don't let this one pass you by.



3. PRIDE or PRIDE Fighting Championships is the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world. It is based in Japan and currently promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE). Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997, promoted by Kakutougi Revolution Spirits (KRS). It is the most popular MMA organization in the world based on the number of event attendees: the PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 event had over 67,000 people in the audience. The audience record is 91,107 people on the PRIDE and K-1 co-production Shockwave/Dynamite, held in August 2002. It is considered to be the premiere MMA organization on the planet.
   
   PRIDE 25: Body Blow is one of the greatest events PRIDE has ever held before. Playing host to 19,739 fans, this was a historic night that no MMA fan will ever forget. Here is a spoiler-free rundown of the fight card:
   
   ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA vs KAZUHIRO NAKAMURA - 8/10
   - The younger brother of the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion, Rogerio Nogueira, takes on a Yoshida Dojo protege in Kazuhiro Nakamura. This is a pretty good fight with an impressive showing by both men.
   
   AKIRA SHOJI vs ALEX STEIBLING - 10/10
   - What a war! Neither fighter is considered great but you'd never know it by watching these two guys throw down. Just when you think one man has the victory within grasp, his opponent turns it around. Repeat this cycle for three rounds.
   
   ANDERSON SILVA vs CARLOS NEWTON - 9/10
   - A highly anticipated fight between two of the world's top fighters. The end result is a very devastating KO.
   
   DAN HENDERSON vs SHUNGO OYAMA - 9/10
   - What looks like a mismatch on paper turns out to be much more than that. On paper, Dan Henderson is the heavy favorite but Shungo Oyama doesn't back down.
   
   ANTONIO SCHEMBRI vs KAZUSHI SAKURABA - 9/10
   - The greatest fighter in MMA history, Kazushi Sakuraba, returns to the ring to face off against an upstart newcomer in Antonio Schembri. Did Sakuraba easily dispatch of his opponent as everyone expected, or did Schembri pull off an unexpected performance? You'll have to watch to find out.
   
   QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON vs KEVIN RANDLEMAN - 8.5/10
   - Two of the world's top five 205lbs fighters do battle in a #1 contender's bout for the PRIDE MW Championship. Both men have very similar styles and this results in a very entertaining fight. The post-fight aftermath is almost as good as the fight.
   
   ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA vs FEDOR EMELIANEKO - 10/10
   - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the World Heavyweight Champion and the best fighter in the world, defends his title in the main event. His opponent; the unstoppable Russian cyborg known as Fedor. The ensuing encounter results in one of the greatest performances ever put forth by an MMA fighter.
   
   Overall, a remarkable PRIDE event. This is a night that will be looked back upon 50 years from now. The DVD contains some decent bonus features including an extra fight, a photo gallery, and a few behind-the-scenes featurettes.



4. March 16, 2003
   Yokohama Arena, Japan
   
   This was, by far, one of the best Pride Fighting events I have ever seen. It is in fact one of the best mixed martial arts shows that has ever taken place. The matchups are outstanding and the performances delivered by the fighters are amazing. From beginning to end, this is a thrilling and historic event.
   
   Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura:
   Nogueira is much larger than Nakamura. Nakamura, however, scores with an early takedown of Nogueira. This fight becomes a very tactical battle, as Nakamura proves to be far tougher than expected. The fight gets slightly less interesting as it wears on, but it all ends with a submission for some final excitement in the battle.
   
   Alex Steibling vs. Akira Shoji:
   There is some intense action in the 1st round. Shoji drops Steibling - Steibling regains composure and takes over to dominate and win the round. In the 2nd round, Steibling stalks Shoji. After three great rounds of action, the fight ends in a shockingly incorrect decision. Great fight! Great drama!
   
   Carlos Newton vs. Anderson Silva:
   This was the earliest fight I'd seen Anderson Silva in. I was very excited to see him go up against a talented fighter like Carlos "The Ronin" Newton. Newton takes Silva down early and controls the flow of things on the ground. He doesn't necessarily do any damage to Silva, yet he dictates the pace somewhat. The referee stands them up and Silva is yellow-carded and penalized for inactivity. Perhaps someone took the term "inactivity" as an insult because the fight ends with a crushing strike within a second of being stood up. Silva dresses up like Michael Jackson after the fight and does a dance in the ring. He is entertaining on top of being an amazing talent in mixed martial arts.
   
   Dan Henderson vs. Shungo Ohyama:
   Henderson is coming off of a stirring performance in a loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He had gained even more fans and popularity due to that fight. Here, against Ohyama, Henderson lands some good shots right away. Ohyama makes a good fight of it, however. It ends in very exciting fashion. This is an outstanding bout.
   
   Nino Schembri vs. Kazushi Sakuraba:
   Sakuraba, with his huge celebrity status in Japan, entertains the crowd on the way toward the ring. Once inside the ring, he dominates what appears to be a terribly outclassed Nino Schembri. Three knees change all that and deliver one of the biggest upsets in all of Pride fighting. The crowd doesn't even know how to reach to what they see. More great drama in an already stellar night of fights.
   
   Next up is the co-main event!
   Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Kevin "The Monster" Rendleman:
   I was dying to see this fight... Both of these men fight with high intensity and skill. A bout between them would no doubt include some "fireworks". There is no animosity between them, yet they must face-off to determine who will go on to fight Wanderlei Silva. I was expecting a great fight, leaning toward Jackson in terms of ability to win the fight. He's just more entertaining that Randleman, in my opinion.
   
   The fight turns out to be high energy indeed. It stalemates for a few minutes, as neither man is able to take the other man down. During the battle for positioning and a takedown, Jackson does land some very solid knees to the mid-section of Kevin Randleman. Not to give it all away, one man drops the other and attacks to finish it with ground and pound... Awesome ending to the fight! The winner then has a confrontation in the ring after calling out Wanderlei Silva. Silva charges the ring and pushes the now top contender, claiming the belt is HIS. This will be the next great Pride fight and I can't wait to see it.
   
   The main event of the evening...
   Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Emelianenko Fedor:
   This is a dream-fight for Pride fighting fans. You rarely get to see two fighters who are this good go at it. These are two true warriors of the finest ilk and they are about to do battle to see who will reign over the heavyweight division. I am a HUGE UFC fan, but I must admit that for HEAVYWEIGHT fighters, you have to look to Pride for the top talent in the world. There is a huge buildup to what should be a landmark heavyweight bout...
   
   The fight goes to the ground and Fedor is able to employ his strong ground and pound to slowly batter Nogueira as we have never seen him be battered before. Nogueira continually makes submission attempts, constantly trying to position himself for the quick win, but Fedor is always able to pull out of danger with what appears to be minimal effort. Fedor appears, in this fight, to be a force unlike we have seen before in mixed martial arts. He lands a monster shot from the top position on the ground that causes some concern for Nogueira. Nogueira reverses the position... Fedor reverses it right back to his favor. It's back and forth at points, but largely one-sided overall. It goes to a unanimous decision.
   
   This is an excellent Pride Fighting show. The DVD includes plenty of behind-the-scenes footage in a few featurettes. This is required viewing for fans of mixed martial arts. Truly awesome.



5. This DVD is worth buying for the Rampage/Randleman fight alone! It does not matter if you are a newby to the sport, or a hardcore fan... you need to have this event in your collection.

No comments about Richard Bustillo IMB Jeet Kune Do Academy DVD #4 Hand/Arm Trapping.

5 comments about The Official Kubotan.

1. When I first found this DVD, I thought a demonstration from the inventor himself was great. The techniques shown I felt were very useful. The instructor is a well known and well respected part of the martial arts community and it was great to see him in action. The production value I found was less than stellar. I found it was more instructive to turn the sound off during the demos, the poor sound quality was distracting me from the lessons shown. Despite the low production value, I found this video is a must have for anyone who has the Kubotan.



2. After reading a lot of criticism here and there about the kubotan, I have come to believe that most peoples' idea of self defense is the complete incapacitation of someone attacking you. That's a risky mindset. In contrast, most practical self defense involves simply disrupting and stunning the opponent, then running away to get help. This video contains techniques that do just that. However, the instructor does not mention the necessity of running away following each technique, which is vital to the practicality of the defense. If you just stand there after the strike is complete, you're asking for the assailant to come at you harder. True, hitting someone with your keys will never stop him dead, but many of the techniques that the instructor shows will certainly disrupt him and allow you to get free of his grip and run. Using the kubotan to strike bony targets like the knuckles, wrists, nose, or to strike pressure points is very effective, as is simply gripping it to keep your fist tight for a punch. But it's more or less an enhancement to already existing martial arts or self defense skill, not a replacement for it.
   
   One problem that I think arises is that the techniques and applications may not be clear to someone who has no martial arts experience. If the video dealt more with the basics such as gripping the weapon and using the hips, it might make more sense to someone who has perhaps never encountered those concepts in a martial arts context before. Simply flailing the keys won't do anything. The same goes for things like joint locks. The kubotan is an excellent tool for enhancing locks, but grappling of any kind requires a lot of practice to get that touch.
   
   The best self defense, of course, is never having to fight in the first place. But if you are placed in a situation where you have no choice, the techniques shown here can definitely help you disrupt your attacker and run to safety. However, it is not a quick fix for self defense. Carrying a kubotan does not mean you're necessarily safe from any encounter. It is an enhancement to your defense, to be sure, but I think you really need at least some grounding in martial arts or self defense in general to make it a truly efficient defensive tool.



3. We need to remember that what Kubota shows are sterile model techniques conducted as a sample or demonstration. In a street situation, anything goes. The Kubotan only serves as an aid to your hand, a tool to enhance your fighting style. It is ultimately up to the bearer to make it as effective as possible. Nevertheless, the Kubotan like it's predecessor the Yawara or other hand sticks like the koppo are incredibly effective when used properly.
   That being said, I have carried the AUTHENTIC version of the Kubotan for over 20 years with satisfaction and have used it twice. In one incident I hammered the screw eye end of the stick into the temple and ribs of the attacker, severely shaking him up. In the second incident, I actually used a flailing technique and double whipped the the bunch of keys right into the eye and mouth of the attacker and blinded him. He also suffered a split bloody lip. I didn't swing the keys, I whipped it, Escrima style. I really don't understand the argument about the attacker getting mad at you for flailing keys at him. Does it really matter whether or not the attacker gets mad or not? No matter what you do, he's certainly not going to be happy that's for sure.



4. I ordered this DVD so the spouse and I could learn how to best use our kubotans. The DVD I received had a label that matched the photo on the DVD box, but would not play in any of my three DVD players. My computer reported it was a blank CD-ROM. On the plus side, Amazon made it easy to return the product and the refund was prompt. I'd rather have a DVD that worked.



5. Waste of time. Waited in great anticipation, totally feel taken. Not worth the investment, taught nothing new. Better off checking out stick fighting and finding yawara stick techniques.

No comments about Jet Fighter Collection: Jet Li.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 46 - Super Natural.

1. Matt Serra and Jeff Curran are both BJJ black belts. Serra trains with Renzo Gracie in New York. Serra is simply too strong for Curran and dominates the fight from first to last, though Curran does what he can and shows some skill.
   
   Josh Thompson is taller than Hermes Franco and far more dangerous and aggressive for the first two rounds. It looks almost like a mismatch. But Franco redeems himself in the third round, winning that round clearly.
   
   Georges St Pierre is a big strong Canadian with a sculpted physique, against Karo Parisyan, a judo champion and protege of Judo Gene LeBell. Karo pulls techniques out of nowhere. He doesn't make any of them stick though, and the decision goes to the stronger fighter.
   
   Lee Murray on his back grabs Jorge Rivera's arm and keeps trying to cash it in for either an arm bar or a triangle choke. It appears that he has the triangle, but his post-fight interview and the tape show that he ends up pressing the arm down and winning that way.
   
   Frank Mir is more skillful than his tall and wild opponent Wes Sims, but Mir tires terribly in the second round. Despite being well ahead, it appears that Mir is lucky to pull out a victory with a knee to his opponent's face. He needs to be in better shape with greater endurance. He gets almost as gassed as Tank Abbott.
   
   BJ Penn hands champion Matt Hughes an unexpected loss. Hughes looks surprisingly bad in this fight. When Penn gets his back and chokes him out, it looks like Hughes is just as happy to be out of the fight and rid of the championship belt. Penn is extremely emotional after the fight.
   
   BJ Penn's instructor Renato Verissimo amazingly hands Carlos Newton a beating. I never expected that. Verissimo is far superior as a grappler, and that is an awesome compliment to him because Newton put on some fantastic grappling exhibitions against top competition. If you get into your time machine you see that Verissimo later fights Matt Hughes, the man Verissimo's student BJ Penn defeated. Hughes wins against the teacher.
   
   Vitor Belfort wins the championship in an upset victory over Randy Couture, but it is the result of a freak eye cut in the early seconds of the fight. It isn't even a good solid punch that does the damage. It is a glancing blow that somehow seriously damages Couture's lower eyelid so much that the doctor has to end the fight immediately and recommend a quick operation.
   
   I like Joe Rogan as an announcer but I don't like the other guy, the non-fighter. He is the UFC regular commentator, and I am always tempted to turn down the sound rather than listen to him.
   
   I also don't like Buffer at all, the guy who enters the ring to announce the names of the fighters. I am so done with him. I wish they would get someone else. He is an annoyance, and I actually do turn off the sound when he comes on. For some reason I like Buffer's father enough, when he calls the names of boxers, but the UFC Buffer really irritates me. That's one tradition I really wish they would drop already.
   
   The UFC likes to claim that they are the greatest mixed martial arts organization in the world, but they are only second best, and maybe there is something they can do about it. Don't blame me for being the bearer of bad tidings. I am not the one who made them second best. They did that themselves. It is obvious. The Pride Fighting Championship in Japan is clearly a better organization that attracts a higher calibre of fighter. Perhaps the UFC has chosen to offer lower purses, and has therefore chosen to be a junior league, much like the National League has been lately in baseball. Pride FC is definitely the American League of MMA. Pride has Fedor Emelianenko, the best fighter in the world today.
   
   The sport is frustrating because there is no World Series. It's like boxing with its WBA, WBC and IBF. There is no undisputed world champion in any weight division, and that is a real shame. It is a major fiasco. How can a UFC fan be satisfied knowing that Fedor Emelianenko can kick the butt of every single UFC fighter.



2. UFC 46, Super Natural.
   Date: January 31, 2004
   Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas
   
   In a preliminary bout, we see the debut of Georges St. Pierre, who would quickly become a star in the UFC. He debuts against Karo Parisyan and puts on an elbow clinic. Parisyan is a great fighter, but it was good to see him dominated like this. He annoys me.
   
   Lee Murray then fights Jorge Rivera. Rivera was looking pretty good in the UFC, but you would never know it by seeing this fight.
   
   Wes Sims v. Frank Mir. Sims is a 6'10" beast, yet Mir's technical skills are simply superior to Sims'. Not a bad fight to watch and it ends in exciting fashion.
   
   Next up was one of my all-time favorite UFC fighters, Matt Hughes. He faces off with BJ Penn. They don't seem to respect each other very much, but after one of the greatest upsets in UFC history is pulled off, the mood changes significantly in the octagon.
   
   Carlos Newton then makes his return to the UFC against Renato Verissimo. Verissimo is truly impressive in this bout - controlling the powerful Newton through most of the fight. This one goes to a decision.
   
   MAIN EVENT: Quite anti-climatic, as the fight must be ended almost immediately due to an accidental eyelid slice suffered by Randy Couture.
   
   As always, there are good behind-the-scenes bonus features included on the DVD. Don't let the letdown of the main event turn you away, there are some really good fights at this UFC event.



3. The only reason anybody wanted to watch UFC 46 in the first place was for the main event between Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture. Instead what you get is a fight that is stopped within moments due to a cut from a glove seem. Pathetic. You can tell that all these guys in the ufc have very little skill compared to the guys in Pride and sometimes are akin to fat barroom brawlers.
   
   Pride FC is the top organization in the world. Sadly, the UFC is far behind.



4. Just terrible and not worth the money. The fights are horrible and the fighters have very little skill. Puchase PRIDE instead where the best fighters in the WORLD come to fight.



5. JEFF CURRAN vs. MATT SERRA-The overpowering Serra doesn't have too much trouble with Curran who shows good overall skills but can just never do any real damage to Serra. An OK fight.
   
   JOSH THOMPSON vs. HERMAS FRANCA-I didn't think Franca would dare stand up but he did the whole first round and it was very exciting. He rethinks this after the start of round 2 but he and Thompson are able to squirm out of all of the various holds they are in. Conditioning comes into play and I don't think Franca knew what he was getting in to. Then right as you think that Franca shows he was playing possum just like he does in every fight and starts throwing like crazy. Extremely close and entertaining all 3 rounds.
   
   GEORGES ST. PIERRE vs. KARO PARISYAN-talk about a dream match up. You know going in that it's not going to be too exciting, unless St. Pierre would knock him out early. Well Karo is way too good for that. He dares not to stand up and just looks to submit the whole fight. It does get exciting though because of the fact that Karo is so much better at submissions and St. Pierre has to fight hard to get out of some kimuras. It would have been nice if this was a title fight and could have gone 5 rounds. Still a decent match.
   
   LEE MURRAY vs. JORGE RIVERA-Rivera's second match in the UFC and he shows that he has no ground game. Well at least he didn't get a chance to show it.
   
   WES SIMS vs. FRANK MIR-the first round is hilarious with Wes Sims just getting hurt very badly the whole time. It gets very brutal at the end of the first round. It may have made it even more funny since Sims decided to get disqualified in their last fight by stomping on Mir's head. One thing is for sure though, when you let Sims hit you it always hurts. The guy is just a freakish monster. Mir is powerful enough to do what he wants but still has some problems. Nice TKO ending, especially if you saw the first fight.
   
   B.J. PENN vs. MATT HUGHES-HUghes must have majorly underestimated Penn because he just gets manhandled.
   
   RENATO VERISSIMO vs. CARLOS NEWTON-I was not very excited to watch this fight but it is sort of fun to see Newton continue to get annihilated in the UFC.
   
   VITOR BELFORT vs. RANDY COUTURE-this is the reason the DVD only gets 2 stars. Title matches rarely live up to being great and this may be the worst ever. Couture gets scratched in the eye 20 seconds in and they call the fight.

2 comments about WING CHUN SIU NIM TAO - THE FOUNDATION.

1. If you studying the orginal Yip Man Wing Chun, WT, or EBMAS WT. This is an excellent DVD for the basic understanding and Siu Nim Toa.



2. Let me first say that this dvd is a compliation of 2 vhs tapes so the $30 price tag is not totally unwarranted. However I thought the material was geared towards instruction when in fact it is just a seminar and demonstration of drills on the first form but does not even attempt to teach you the form. In fact when showing the complete form the camera angle changes quickly if as to not give one a complete view of the form so one could just practice what one could make out. In addition I don't know how fair it is to claim that many instructors contributed to the dvd when only one instructor and his student are present but the instructor did study with the other masters. But it is not like they are presented here nor is any distinction made as to one master's view versus another master.
   
   I don't feel like I wasted my money because in the future I hope to learn the form and the information provided was quite useful but only if you know the form already.

5 comments about Belly Twins: Indi-Hop.

1. I thought the dvd was fun, and energetic, it definitely got me sweating, I liked the Bellytwins so I thought I'd give it a try, like mose people said, this is NOT a bellydance dvd...I have a lot of bellydance dvds including Neena and Veenas, and I am a bellydancer, but I think someone could enjoy this if they are into any kind of Indian dance. They mix yoga in there...No these moves are not for the dance floor, they are more for just exercising...there is a bonus dance on the video for the more dance that you could do if you were wanting to try out the dance. Though I definitely prefer bellydance dvds...I do like this one, it's different from the other exercise dvds I've seen



2. I couldn't believe how fast the time flew by. When I hit cool down mode I was stunned. It was by far the fastest and most fun workout I've ever done. I gave it 4 stars because it wasn't at all bellydancing, which I was really interested in, but it was still a great workout. I was sweating in no time, and my arms and stomach ached soon after. I recommend this workout for people who hate working out, and LOVE..or need cardio. This is a great workout for beginners and it takes no time to do, so there's no excuse not to work out.



3. This is not your regular bellydancing dvd, it is more like a bollywood bellydance which is a lot different. I bought it because I have indian friends who got me into bollywood movies and I thought that learning that kinda dance would be cool and different. And it is lots of fun. I haven't done it for a while because I bought their belly dancing dvd which is more fun.
   So if you are interested in indian bellydancing then this the dvd for you.



4. I love bhangra music and dancing- this dvd was very much a teaser... you only learn enough to feel lke you saw a trailer for a workout dvd. There are very brief warm-up and cool-down that (do but) barely use yoga moves. And then three short 3-4 move "routines" that definately get you jumping around and work out your back legs well from the jumping but as far as taking them into performance or the dance floor- you probably wouldn't. The workout felt good- my muscles felt really warm and my legs surely received some toning but as I am more interested in dance as an artform as opposed to a mere excercise... this dvd disappointed me. I would recommend instead, The Bollywood Workout. That one again really works the legs and challenges you to let loose and laugh with your whole body- a great workout but feels much more like you just had a dance party. It is more fun and more useful for broadening your dance move vocabulary.



5. After seeing several DVD's on the market for Bhangra, I was interested in seeing what Neena and Veena had put together. I like this video. Video production which includes quality of sound and lighting were all well done. They came up with a great workout using a nice blend of Indian moves as well as some from other styles to get a well rounded product. And last, they included a nice montage video that lets you see a bit behind the makings of this DVD as well as some great dancing. Good Job Ladies!